Table of Contents
Introduction
When it comes to trying to lose weight, many people are willing to try just about anything. One thing that is becoming increasingly popular in the weight loss world is the use of steroids.
While most people hear steroids and immediately think of sports scandals and anger issues, people do utilize steroids for their potential or perceived benefits. Steroids help build muscle, which in turn, helps to burn fat.
Before you start taking steroids to help you on your weight loss journey, it is essential to know that there are different steroid options. It is also crucial to educate yourself on both the potential benefits and the possible side effects of each of the various options.
How Do Steroids Work?
Most of the cells in your body have proteins on their surface called androgen receptors. Steroids increase the testosterone in your body. When the testosterone molecule attaches itself to the androgen receptor, it sends the message that the cell needs to build muscle.
While there are ways to increase your testosterone naturally, you cannot raise levels enough to build muscle and burn fat.
An excellent example of testosterone’s muscle-building effects comes from a study conducted by scientists at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199607043350101#t=articleResults)
As your body increases its muscle mass, it will also decrease your weight and body fat. This happens because muscle tissue burns more calories, even when you are at rest.
Winstrol/Stanozolol
Stanozolol, or more commonly, Winstrol, is a synthetic steroid that is derived from testosterone. While Stanozolol is known to cause weight gain, the gain is occurring from the building of muscle. In addition to burning muscle, Stanozolol actively burns fat and reduces water retention.
Stanozolol is distinguished from other steroids by its high bioavailability. Bioavailability is the ability to have a high proportion of the drug enter the bloodstream and not be destroyed by the liver.
Stanozolol is commonly combined with other steroids because it effectively reduces the SHBG or sex-hormone binding globulin in the blood.
Reducing the levels of SHBG helps regulate the effects of testosterone in the body, making other steroids more effective. This is demonstrated in this study by the University of Hamburg. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2723028/)
Side Effects
Some of the many side effects of taking Stanozolol include:
– Serious or even fatal cases of liver problems
– An allergic reaction
– Swelling of the arms and legs
– Persistent erections or breast tenderness
– Voice changes
– Facial hair growth
– Menstrual irregularities
– Acne
– Insomnia
– Headaches
– Changes in sex drive
Potential Benefits
Some of the potential benefits you might get from taking Stanozolol include:
– Increasing the metabolic rate
– Encouraging free testosterone to circulate through your body
– Ensures no water retention
– Preserves bone mass
– Aids in hormone-related obesity
Anavar/Oxandrolone
Anavar, also known as Oxandrolone, is a common choice for weight loss steroids among women looking to decrease fat and increase muscle without retaining any water.
It works by decreasing the thyroid-binding globulin while increasing thyroxine-binding prealbumin. In simple terms, it increases the hormone responsible for your metabolism, which allows you to lose more fat.
Side Effects
Some of the most damaging side effects of Oxandrolone include liver damage and an increased risk of heart disease.
Liver Damage – While not as liver toxic as some other steroids, there is an increased risk of liver damage if Oxandrolone is taken for long periods.
Increased Risk of Heart Disease – Oxandrolone causes a substantial decrease in HDL (high-density lipoproteins) while increasing LDL (low-density lipoproteins). This change can promote atherosclerosis, which in turn can increase the risk of developing heart disease.
Some other side effects include:
– Deeper voice
– Growth of body hair
– Changes to the facial structure
– Male pattern baldness
– Hormonal changes, such as irregularities with the menstrual cycle
– Swelling in the arms and legs
– Oily skin
– Acne
– Headaches
Potential Benefits
Some of the common benefits of taking Oxandrolone include:
– Reducing muscle fatigue
– Boosting the retention of nitrogen in the muscles
– Boosting the red blood cell count
– Increasing metabolic rate, therefore, burning body fat
– Increasing muscle hardness
– Promoting cardio endurance
– Reduces the stress hormone
– Reduces water retention
– Encourages the loss of belly fat
Trenbolone
Trenbolone is a steroid that often has people arguing over its ability to burn fat. The reality is, Trenbolone will burn fat, assuming you are eating in a calorie deficit.
However, if you are trying to bulk up and eat in a caloric surplus, you will not see fat burning as a side effect, as you might with other steroid options. Trenbolone works by stimulating your metabolism by increasing your body temperature, which will burn additional calories.
Side Effects
Some of the common side effects of Trenbolone include the following:
– A natural drop in testosterone
– Wrenching coughs
– Acne
– Insomnia
– Night sweats
– Higher blood pressure
– Hair loss
– Erectile dysfunction
– Infertility
– Decreased endurance
– Increase the risk of certain cancers and heart disease
Potential Benefits
Like the other steroids, Trenbolone also comes with potential benefits.
– Build muscle and gain strength faster than any other steroid
– Avoid many of the traditional side effects such as man boobs and bloating
– Lose fat and harden up
Testosterone
Testosterone is one of the most commonly known steroids. While it is not recommended for women, men use it to bulk up and burn body fat.
A study done in 2004 showed that testosterone therapy could increase LBM (lean body mass), reduce fat mass, and produce sustained and significant weight loss. It also demonstrated a reduction in waist circumference and BMI (body mass index).
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4154787/#:~:text=Testosterone%20therapy%20increases%20LBM%2C%20reduces,approach%20to%20management%20of%20obesity)
Side Effects
Some of the side effects of Testosterone include:
– Cardiac muscle degeneration
– Cardiac arrhythmia
– Increased risk of diabetes
– Increased risk of blood-transmitted diseases. This occurs when you are choosing to inject your steroids and aren’t being careful.
– Skin problems
– Balding
– Hair growth
Potential Benefits
A few of the benefits of testosterone include:
– Extra power
– Additional physical persistence
– Increased body strength
Commonly Asked Questions About Steroids
Is “Roid Rage” Real?
It has been scientifically proven that using steroids can cause a change in behavior patterns. For many people, this means they are more prone to overreact to external or internal stimuli.
While this could be overreacting with any emotion, the reaction most likely to make the news and stick in our memories are the people who overract with anger.
Are Anabolic Steroids Addictive?
While there has been proof of people using steroids and developing addictive behaviors, it is unclear what percentage of people this affects.
Some of the noted behaviors include:
– Continuing use despite negative consequences
– Spending excessive time and effort to obtain the steroid
– Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when they stop using the steroids
How Are Steroids Used?
Steroids can be used either orally or through injection. When steroids are being taken, the users often follow the patterns of cycling, stacking, pyramiding, or plateauing. The effects of each of these patterns have not been studied scientifically.
Cycling: Cycling involves taking multiple doses of steroids over a short period of time, stopping, and then starting again.
Stacking: Stacking refers to those who are taking more than one type of steroid, in hopes of having them interact to produce a more significant effect on muscle gain and weight loss.
Pyramiding: Similar to cycling, pyramiding involves taking steroids for a period of six to twelve weeks. However, instead of starting and stopping the steroid, the user gradually increases the dose and then gradually decreases the dose back to zero.
Plateauing: When a user is plateauing their steroids, they are staggering, overlapping, or substituting their primary steroid with another type of steroid. The theory is that this will help avoid a tolerance for the steroid.
Is It Legal to Use Steroids for Weight Loss?
Anabolic steroids are considered a class III drug, meaning that you can only legally get them from a pharmacy with a prescription from a doctor. Many people who are taking steroids to simply improve their body image, have not obtained them from a legal course.
However, there are legal alternatives you can purchase that do not contain the actual steroid but claim to give you the same benefit. While there haven’t been many scientific studies on these alternatives, they are all-natural and considerably less likely to result in any significant side effects.
Conclusion
When it comes to using steroids for losing weight, it is absolutely vital that you are well informed before you start any regiment. While there are some significant potential benefits to taking steroids to aid in weight loss, there are also many risks and side effects.
If you decide to use steroids as a part of your weight loss journey, it is also vital to ensure that you’re getting adequate calories and exercise to keep your body healthy. Do consider the health risks of using steroids for weight loss and only after a careful assessment, choose your treatment plan.
It is also a good idea to consult a doctor about this if you are really serious about using steroids for weight loss. Use this article as a guide to weigh all available options and then choose wisely.