List of anabolic steroids. The most popular steroids

• September 17, 2018
• Sports nutrition
• Alina Naumova

In this article we will look at a list of steroids. Anabolic steroids are medications that mimic the effects of dihydrotestosterone and testosterone. Often, such pharmacological agents become real drugs among athletes or bodybuilders, who, in an attempt to achieve a quick effect, begin to abuse these medications.

Description

Medications from the category of anabolic steroids help accelerate intracellular protein synthesis, which can lead to anabolism, that is, pronounced muscle hypertrophy. Due to this effect, these drugs are widely used in bodybuilding.

Anabolics are synthetic analogues of the hormone testosterone. Such products help build muscle tissue, give strength, provide the body with energy and increase endurance. However, with long-term use of anabolic steroids from the list of steroids, serious changes occur in the body, including negative ones.

Long-term courses for gaining muscle mass[edit | edit code]

When the duration of the course increases beyond 6-7 weeks, the risk of developing irreversible testicular atrophy and incomplete recovery increases. This problem can be solved by using gonadotropin. It should be noted that the maximum increase in athletic performance and muscle mass is observed only in the first 6-8 weeks and then begins to gradually decrease, along with an increased risk of some side effects. Thus, there is no need to extend the course beyond 10-12 weeks.

• Turinabol is used as a front load for the first 2-4 weeks, to quickly increase the concentration of anabolic steroids in the blood, until the absorption of enanthate reaches high values. Taken in 2 doses (morning, afternoon) on an empty stomach.
• Testosterone enanthate
  can be replaced with cypionate
• Aromatase inhibitors
  - anastrozole can be replaced with other analogues. The advisability of including AI is the same as in the previous course; it is advisable to take it under the control of tests.
• Human chorionic gonadotropin
  has many controversial administration protocols.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] However, recent studies have shown a clear need for the use of gonadotropin in long courses (more than 6 weeks). This allows you to recover much faster after the course. Recommendations in the courses are based on the experience of Western andrologist specialists. If gonadotropin was not administered during the course, blast therapy is necessary according to Dr. Michael Scally.

A course similar to the previous one, replacing turinabol with the more accessible methandrostenolone (also used in 2 doses, on an empty stomach).

• Methandrostenolone
  is necessary as a front load for a rapid increase in the concentration of anabolic steroids, since injectable forms begin to work only by 2-3 weeks. Methandrostenolone can be replaced with Turinabol (30 mg per day). If necessary, the front load can be abandoned without any additional changes to the course.
• Boldenone (Equipoise)
  can be replaced with
  Primobolan
  (200-400 mg per week).
• Testosterone enanthate
  can be replaced with cypionate or Sustanon or Omnadren.

• In this case, many recommend not taking aromatase inhibitors, since the dosage of testosterone is low. However, they should be on hand for emergency use at the first signs of gynecomastia (itching and swelling of the nipples).

Pharmacological properties

Anabolic steroids have a fairly diverse effect:

1. The main property of these medications is the acceleration of protein formation processes, which contributes to the rapid increase in muscle mass.
2. Pharmacological drugs in this category increase the degree of absorption of calcium in the body, which is very important in the treatment of a disease such as osteoporosis.
3. They have the ability to accelerate glycogen synthesis, thanks to which it is possible to enhance the insulin effect, leading to a decrease in blood sugar levels. This property is of no small importance in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
4. The drugs can improve lipid metabolism, which leads to a decrease in cholesterol levels. This property helps prevent the formation of vascular plaques.
5. They increase appetite and quickly restore strength, speed up post-operative rehabilitation processes.

Anadrol

Active ingredient: oxymetholone.

Release form: tablets 2.5/5/50 mg.

(USA, UK, Brazil, Spain, Sweden, Greece), “Abdi Ibrahim” (Turkey), “Cilag” (Portugal), “Grunenthal” (Austria), “Zarva” (Belgium).

A very strong and very effective tablet steroid. Anadrol exhibits very strong androgenic activity, but at the same time very intense anabolic activity. Due to its anabolic properties, the drug is able to provide an incredible increase in strength and muscle growth in the shortest possible time. An increase of up to 5-7 kg or more is considered normal, literally within 14 days. Anadrol increases the density of red blood cells, which promotes better saturation of muscles with oxygen and thereby increases endurance and performance in training. The high androgenic activity of the drug increases the rate of regeneration and recovery, which simply eliminates the likelihood of developing fatigue after intense training.

Anadrol, for all its positive qualities, is almost the most harmful tablet steroid, which can cause a whole bunch of side effects. First of all, the active substance of the drug is easily converted into female hormones, which often leads to the development of female sexual characteristics in men. Acne and active hair loss also often begin. Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and more often occur. For women, the use of Anadrol is strongly discouraged, since the drug can lead to quite strong and often irreversible phenomena: enlargement of the clitoris, deepening of the voice, activation of hair growth on the legs and face, with simultaneous loss of hair on the head.

Application area

The main indications for the use of legal steroids are the following pathological conditions:

• hypogonadism in men;
• angioedema of a hereditary nature;
• mastopathy of fibrocystic type;
• endometriosis;
• anemia of aplastic or hypoplastic form;
• therapy and prevention of osteoporosis;
• bulimia, anorexia and general exhaustion of the body;
• in order to speed up recovery after surgery;
• fractures, muscle atrophy, post-infectious complications, etc.

Effect

Anabolic steroids affect secondary male sexual characteristics and sexual differentiation, including the development of the prostate gland, the formation of the penis, scrotum, testes, hair growth of the pubis, face, armpits and chest, enlargement of the larynx, etc. In addition, these medications increase the mass of muscle tissue , distributing fatty tissue, increase the production of sebum, which leads to acne, reduce the concentration of cholesterol in the blood, affect bone tissue, etc.

Below is a list of steroids.

Acne (blackheads)

This is also a very common side effect of steroid use. Anabolic steroids can cause acne or make existing acne worse. Human skin has the ability to destroy androgenic hormones, which are found in it in very small quantities. When exogenous steroids are used, the concentration tends to increase beyond what the skin can handle, allowing bacteria to multiply. When this is combined with increased oiliness of the skin, which is inevitable with steroid use, the situation becomes even more unfavorable.

There may be a genetic predisposition to acne. The extent of acne damage to the skin depends on the androgenicity of the steroids taken. Severe acne on the back, chest, shoulders, neck and face is a sign that some athletes are on a cycle.

Anabolic steroid. Kinds

Medical research shows that there are no safe anabolic steroids. The use of such drugs is possible strictly as directed and under the supervision of a medical specialist due to the high likelihood of developing side effects. Anabolic steroids are produced by almost all pharmaceutical companies and contain one main substance - synthetic testosterone. All these medications are legal and are freely sold in pharmacies.

So, let's look at the most popular steroids.

Post-cycle therapy (PCT)

When using steroids and experiencing side effects, it is necessary to use drugs that will reduce them to a minimum. Another goal of PCT is to restore your own hormones after the course. This section will outline only general principles and schemes, but the approach here should be individual, you need to take into account the characteristics of your body, the composition and duration of the course. Ideally, PCT should be prescribed to you by an experienced sports doctor or coach with experience.

As a rule, side effects (if any) appear already during the course. One of the most common phenomena is gynecomastia. Here you need to figure it out, since it can be caused by drugs with estrogenic (methane, testosterone) and progestogenic activity (deca, trenbolone).

If you have only one class of steroids, then it is already clear what you need to fight. If both are present, it is necessary to take tests for estrogen and prolactin to figure out which hormone is outside the normal range. Please note that there is no need to set these indicators to zero - the lower level of the reference value will be sufficient.

Estrogens need to be combated with aromatase inhibitors (letrozole, anastrazole) tamoxifen is also suitable , which, along with Clomid , is often used AFTER the course for 1-3 weeks. , also known as cabergoline helps to cope with prolactin .

If the course lasts more than 8 weeks, it is necessary to add gonadotropin , which is given precisely while taking steroids, and not after it. The goal is to eliminate the possibility of testicular atrophy. The dosage is selected individually.

To summarize, during the course it is necessary to monitor the condition of the body and take the necessary actions to minimize side effects. There is no need to constantly add antiestrogens if you do not have problems with gynecomastia, increased blood pressure or water retention. The only drug that is necessary in any case for long courses is gonadotropin. After finishing taking steroids, it is advisable to take tamoxifen (about 20 mg daily at night) for 1-3 weeks, as well as tribulus and various vitamin complexes that will help restore your own hormones.

"Dianabol"

This is one of the most popular anabolic steroids in the world. Today there is a lot of critical information about this drug, but from an objective point of view it remains the best among the drugs of its pharmacological group. Many of the disadvantages of this medication can be easily eliminated if it is used correctly. Dianabol effectively and quickly increases muscle mass, but has disadvantages: conversion to estrogens, moderate toxicity and the phenomenon of rollback of results.

Power and strength measurement

Both strength and power can be measured in absolute and relative terms.
For example, a 110 kg powerlifter bench pressing 225 kg is stronger than an 80 kg lifter bench pressing 180 kg. However, the 80 kg athlete has greater relative strength because his max divided by his body weight is greater (180/80 = 2.25 vs. 225/110 = 2.04). Likewise, many athletes are able to generate more power despite being relatively weaker than other powerlifters. This brings some confusion to the term "powerlifting", doesn't it? Take the shot putter for example. He may be able to push the shot 20 meters or more, while a powerlifter, whose strength is much greater, will not be able to put the shot half that distance.

This demonstrates that strength is a combination of proficiency with the symmetrical and coordinated actions of numerous muscle groups, as well as the speed with which force can be generated.

Strength is a fairly crude measure of motor skill that can be obtained through controlled lifting involving large muscle groups.

An indicator such as muscle size is perhaps most applicable to bodybuilders and most amateur powerlifters who are more interested in appearance. Bodybuilding is a sport that demonstrates the result of deliberate, disciplined adherence to a training and diet regimen, but at its core it is a show. While healthy lifestyles and improved physical and mental well-being are widely promoted, many are more motivated by appearance and muscle size. Size can be assessed using several parameters: body weight, arm/chest/hip circumference, clothing size, specific indicators such as symmetry. In bodybuilding, the indicator of “lean” muscle mass in relation to total body weight is also taken into account.

"Nandrolone"

This medication, better known as “Retabolil,” occupies a leading position among anabolic steroids in many respects. Currently, this is the best anabolic steroid used to gain muscle mass. It is characterized by high efficiency, relative safety, low androgenic activity, insignificant rollback phenomenon, lack of aromatization and low toxicity. It can be used as a stand-alone medication or combined with other medications. The medicine quite often causes erectile dysfunction, which is caused by a decrease in dihydrotestosterone levels according to the feedback principle. It is also important to note that this drug increases the concentration of prolactin in the blood.

Short courses for gaining lean muscle mass[edit | edit code]

• Turinabol
  - neutralizes the androgenic effect of testosterone, and also, through combination, reduces the load on the liver. Used in 2 doses: morning and afternoon. Turinabol is toxic to the liver, and it is best to take the drug after meals.
• Testosterone propionate
  - a short ester allows you to quickly launch anabolism, while the cycle time is significantly reduced. If side effects occur, it is possible to quickly discontinue the drug. Propionate has an inconvenient administration schedule and painful injections. It is worth noting that propionate is more often used in cutting courses with Winstrol; when gaining weight, it is preferable to use enanthate (see below). The differences between these esters lie not in the mechanism of action, but in the half-life and ease of administration. It is permissible to reduce the dosage to 50 mg every other day.
• Aromatase inhibitors
  - required even at low dosages of testosterone, since the level of aromatization of testosterone is high, so there is a need to prevent estrogen side effects (fluid accumulation, gynecomastia, suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis). Low dosages of anastrozole are used to maintain the level of estrogen necessary for the body, while increasing relief and speeding up recovery. This is confirmed by numerous reviews from Western athletes and qualified specialists. Ideally, taking AIs is carried out under the control of tests (prescribed if estradiol levels are elevated), but it should be remembered that gynecomastia is often irreversible. An indirect sign of excessive estrogen suppression is a decrease in libido and erectile dysfunction, in which case the dosage of AI should be reduced.
• Tamoxifen
  is the basis of post-cycle therapy, which begins 3-5 days after the final injection of propionate. Tamoxifen can be replaced with the less toxic clomiphene or toremifene.

A similar course can be carried out with methandrostenolone (20 mg every day, in 2 doses), the cost of which is much lower, and counterfeits are less common. In this case, the need for aromatase inhibitors increases, since methandrostenolone can aromatize to form methylestradiol, which binds to estrogen receptors 30% more strongly, which is why many people report the “flooding” phenomenon. Many believe that the combination of methandrostenolone with propionate is not optimal, since most of the mass is lost, but not everyone shares this opinion.

Also, to gain lean muscle mass, propionate can be combined with short nandrolone ester phenylpropionate (50 mg/every other day). In this case, it is advisable to use Cabergoline (Dostinex) to block the secretion of prolactin.

"Deca Durabolin"

This anabolic contains nandrolone, which differs from testosterone in the absence of the first methyl group in the molecule at position 19. This gives the substance in Deca Durabolin the ability to best stabilize androgen receptors.

In other words, the exposure time of nandrolone increases several times compared to testosterone. However, there is also a negative point, which is that free nandrolone can degenerate into dihydronandrolone, which is inferior to it in effectiveness, reduces the ability of nerve fibers to conduct signals, which negatively affects libido and neuromuscular stimulation. True, nandrolone is practically inactive in the prostate and skin, so athletes who use this pharmacological drug are less susceptible to the development of prostate hypertrophy, acne, and baldness.

Below we will look at the instructions for use and reviews of Andriol.

Equipoise

Active ingredient: boldenone undecylenate.

Release form: bottles of 10/50 ml, containing the active substance 25/50/200 mg/ml.

(Moldova), BQ Pharmacy (Canada).

Equipoise is known for its strong anabolic and moderate androgenic effects. For the same reason, it does not provide significant muscle growth in the shortest possible time. The drug has a beneficial effect on metabolism, that is, it accelerates protein synthesis in muscle cells. As a result, the result in muscle and strength gains is slow but sure. At the same time, the muscles become elastic and tough, since Equipoise does not retain water in the body.

Women use the drug quite often, and with quite noticeable success. However, often attempts to achieve a better result by increasing the dosage cause the development of side effects. Most often this is a deepening of the voice, increased sweating, increased hair growth on the body and face, as well as acne. Men do not often encounter side effects for the same reason that the drug practically does not retain water in the body. This helps avoid problems with blood pressure surges. Gynecomastia, acne and aggression are also quite rare. Well, in the end, it’s still worth informing that the drug does not have a negative effect on the liver.

"Andriol"

The use of this medication in men with hypogonadism normalizes the total level of testosterone in the blood and increases the concentration of bioavailable testosterone. During the period of therapy, the content of estradiol and dihydrotestosterone in the blood increases, and the level of globulin decreases.

The active element of the drug is testosterone undecanoate. Its use leads to an increase in bone mineral density and lean body mass, as well as normalization of sexual function. Depending on the dosage of testosterone undecanoate, there is a decrease in the level of low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins and an increase in hematocrit and hemoglobin. Clinically insignificant changes in the level of liver enzymes and prostate antigen also occur. Therapy may cause prostate enlargement. Patients with diabetes and hypogonadism have increased insulin sensitivity and decreased glucose levels.

According to men, this drug is very effective. It is easily tolerated and causes virtually no side effects.

What is the rating of anabolic steroids? In first place is the drug "Dianabol", the second is occupied by "Nandrolone" ("Retabolil"). Third place should be given to Deca Durabolin.

Sodium retention

This is the most common side effect. It causes edema (tissue swelling due to excess water retention). For most athletes, this is expressed in a slight increase in body volume and smoothing of the relief. This swollen appearance is the most noticeable sign by which you can determine, even without doping control, that an athlete is on a cycle. This is especially noticeable on the cheeks and under the eyes. In addition to this cosmetic inconvenience, sodium and water retention, as a result, can lead to acute attacks of high blood pressure. Sometimes such water retention is a sign of hidden heart or kidney disease. Particularly severe water retention can be caused by various testosterone preparations.

Instructions for use

Anabolic steroids have a lot of contraindications and side effects, so the use of these pharmacological drugs requires obtaining recommendations from a medical specialist. The drugs are produced in a variety of dosage forms - injection solutions, capsules, tablets, syrups, etc. Instructions for their use may contain various information about the duration of taking a particular drug, dosage and frequency of use.

How to use anabolic drugs correctly? Athletes should take steroids only after consultation with a specialist to make their use as safe as possible.

Steroid smile

It’s easy to recognize someone who takes steroids for a long time... by their teeth. More than 70% of bodybuilders who give themselves steroid injections suffer from a special disease - jaw muscle spasms. In the morning, they wake up with their jaws clenched tightly, and the compression is so strong that it changes the position of the teeth and damages the enamel. At night, the relatives of such bodybuilders are disturbed by the “creaking” of their teeth, which is also a consequence of jaw spasm. However, this is not the only dental-related consequence of taking steroids. Doctors name at least 5 more pathological symptoms: Wear of the ligaments of the jaw attachment due to spasmodic contraction of the jaw muscles.

Weakening of the salivary glands, leading to a deficiency of saliva (dry mouth). After tooth extraction, suppuration often occurs. Removal is associated with complications due to thickening and hardening of the jaw bone. Resistance to dental and oral infections is reduced.

Anesthesia during dental treatment often gives a picture of shock due to the reaction of painkillers to the changed composition of the blood. In conclusion, it is worth mentioning the serious consequences of taking anabolic steroids in combination with other pharmacological drugs. On the one hand, this is done in an attempt to neutralize their side effects. Growth hormone, thyroid hormones, antiestrogens, and antidepressants are used. On the other hand, people try to maintain the anabolic effect of steroids by taking other anabolic hormones, such as growth hormone, insulin, clenbutyrol or another form of anabolic steroids. All this is carried out without proper medical supervision and can lead to serious illness.

Reviews

There are a large number of positive reviews about anabolic steroid drugs. They indicate which of these remedies are best used in a given situation.

The largest number of good reviews are about the medications “Dianabol” and “Deca Durabolin”. Patients who have used them say that the drugs are very well tolerated, do not cause adverse reactions and perform their therapeutic functions to the maximum.

There are negative reviews about the medications “Andriol” and “Nandrolone”. Patients noted many negative effects associated with their use, including digestive disorders, pain in the liver and emotional disturbances.

We looked at what anabolic steroids are. The list of steroids listed in the article will help you make the right choice.

Safinor

This is a combination drug based on herbal components that has a positive effect on the human body. It is used by bodybuilders to increase muscle volume, which is associated with the activation of metabolic and neuroregulatory processes, as well as stimulation of repair processes and improvement of myocardial function.

The drug is taken 2-4 times a day, 1-2 tablets after meals. The course of treatment can be about 5 weeks, with a minimum period of treatment of up to 7 days. There must be a break of at least 3 weeks between each course of treatment.

While taking the drug, a negative effect is possible, which manifests itself in the form of skin itching, insomnia and irritability. If such negative effects occur, the dose of the drug should be reduced or discontinued completely.