Steroids may be administered into the body by two primary methods: orally in tablet form, or by intramuscular injection with a needle. Some common examples of orals include oxymetholone (Anadrol), oxandrolone (Anavar), methandrostenolone (Dianabol), and stanozolol (Winstrol). Some of the more popular injectables include nandrolone decanoate (Deca-Durabolin), nandrolone phenpropionate (Durabolin), testosterone cypionate (Depo-Testosterone), and boldenone undecylenate (Equipoise).

Many bodybuilders don’t just use one steroid but typically combine both oral and injectable drugs in what’s called a cycle, generally lasting 6- to 12-weeks. Injectable steroids are more popular because they are less toxic to the liver than oral steroids (orals have been chemically modified to survive passage through the digestive system). On the other hand athletes in drug-tested sports prefer orals as these drugs tend to clear more rapidly from the athletes’ systems and allow them to stand a better chance of passing a drug test.

The practice of using more than one steroid at once is called "stacking," and the pattern of increasing the dosage during the cycle is referred to as "pyramiding." Some users take dosages of 50 to 100 times greater than the recommended medical dosages. The purpose of stacking and pyramiding is to maximize the muscle-building effects and minimize side effects. The fact that this practice has not been proven scientifically has not stopped bodybuilders from following such dosing patterns.

Steroid side effects – the contentious issue!

No drug is free from producing side effects, and steroids are no exception. Still, most of the ghastly side effects frequently reported by the media are greatly exaggerated either for political reasons or out of ignorance. While it’s true that a few steroid users may suffer serious side effects, the fact is, most do not. Put another way, millions of people have used these drugs for muscle building since the late 1950’s. If they were the cancer-causing, terminal illness-producing drugs, as commonly reported by the media, we’d expect an epidemic of dead and dying bodybuilders and other athletes. The fact that this is not happening should indicate just how much misinformation has been circulating on this issue over the past number of years.

Most of the side effects produced can be divided into wanted and unwanted. For bodybuilders and other athletes such “side effects” as increased muscle size and strength, decreased body fat, and increased aggression levels, are the primary reasons why they turn to steroids in the first place. These are the wanted and desired side effects and the more pronounced these effects are the more bodybuilders like it. 

The unwanted side effects are those that get heavy coverage in the media and by anti-steroid groups. Most of the following side effects can be termed cosmetic and are not life-threatening. They’ll usually disappear with termination of steroid usage. A few, such as gynecomastia, are more serious and should be brought to the attention of a physician. In most cases serious side effects are caused by steroid abuse - megadosing and stacking the drugs for years.

1) Acne

2) Hair loss

3) Gynecomastia (feminizing of the male nipple region)

4) Water retention

5) Deepening of voice in females

6) Clitoral enlargement in females

7) Liver enzyme abnormalities

8) Decreased production of sperm in males

9) Decreased natural production of testosterone in males

10) Increased blood pressure

11) Reduction in HDL the "good" cholesterol

Types of Steroids

Since their first synthesis in the late 1950’s there have been hundreds of different varieties of anabolic steroids produced. The following shows a few of the more popular steroids used by bodybuilders for muscle building. Keep in mind that since the Anabolic Control Act of 1990, most of these drugs are now only available on the blackmarket and as such, the prices will fluctuate on an almost weekly basis.