Steroids or androgen-anabolic steroids are any of the several fat-soluble organic compounds having as a basis 17 carbon atoms in four rings. They are known more commonly by various street names like “juices", body toners", “candy" etc.

There are three types of steroids familiar to most people:

•Female sex hormones: These steroids cause the development of secondary sexual characteristics in women and maintain the female reproductive system e.g. estrogen and progesterone are the female sex hormones & are also the active ingredients in birth control pills.

•Male sex hormones: These hormones lead to the development of male secondary sexual characteristics and maintain the male reproductive system e.g. testosterone. They are medically termed as "androgens" & "Anabolic Steroids". Drugs like testosterone have only recently been identified as having abuse and addiction liability.

•Corticosteroids: They are the group of artificial hormones/steroids that mimic the activity of cortisone. Cortisone is produced naturally in the body and is involved in regulating inflammation, thus dealing with injury & infection. Corticosteroids are used in the treatment of many diseases like asthma, eczema, allergies, arthritis, colitis and kidney disease.

Common Oral steroid “pills": Anadrol ,Oxandrin, Dianabol, Winstrol etc.

Common Inject-able steroids: Durabolin, Depo-Testosterone, Equipoise etc.

As the name suggests, these steroids have both anabolic and androgenic effects. Through a combination of these effects, anabolic steroids stimulate the formation of muscles and hence cause an increase in the size of muscle fibers, leading to increased muscle mass and strength.

•Anabolic effects mean that they promote anabolism i.e. cell growth by increased protein synthesis from amino acids, increased appetite, increased bone remodeling and growth, and stimulation of bone marrow, which increases the production of red blood cells.

•Androgenic or virilizing effects mean that they affect the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics. The biochemical functions of androgens such as testosterone are numerous e.g. pubertal growth, sebaceous gland oil production, and sexuality (growth of the clitoris in females and the penis in male children), increased growth of pubic, beard, chest, and limb hair, increased vocal cord size, deepening the voice, increased libido, suppression of natural sex hormones, and impaired production of sperm.

Anabolic steroids can cause many adverse effects. Most of these side effects are dose-dependent, including:

•Elevated blood pressure, especially in those with pre-existing hypertension. There is some evidence that anabolic steroids can cause structural changes to the heart and that heart disease and strokes are possible with anabolic steroids especially oral types of the drug.

•Disturbed cholesterol levels: some steroids cause an increase in bad cholesterol and a decrease in good cholesterol.

•Acne is fairly common among anabolic steroid users, mostly due to stimulation of the sebaceous glands by increased testosterone levels.

•Premature baldness can be accelerated by conversion of testosterone to dihydro-testosterone (DHT) in people who are genetically predisposed.

•Liver damage can be caused by high doses of oral anabolic steroid compounds which are metabolized in the liver to increase their bioavailability and stability.

So, if you do decide to use bodybuilding steroids, you must do extensive research and educate yourself about their proper use. Many of the horror stories you hear about anabolic steroid use come from use that is plain ignorant. Taking the advice of the big guy at the gym is a recipe for disaster; rather, have a qualified doctor supervise your use and monitor your health.