If you are a sports fan of any sort, it's hard to escape talk about steroids. There's an entire generation of baseball players being labeled as "the steroid era". Players that have achieved remarkable accomplishments are being discredited due to the use of steroids. I'm not weighing in one way or another about steroid use, except to say they are illegal and that should be that. But for players at the highest levels of competition have always looked for an advantage. When we're young, the kids that develop first have that edge. But as athletes get older, the proverbial playing field is leveled in that regard. There was a day when hitting the gym hard was all the edge you needed. But now, with all of the money organizations put into their strength and fitness programs, that edge is gone as well. For some, steroids deliver the edge that hard work or physical gifts used to. But steroids aren't miracle pills; they don't build your muscles for you.
Muscle development is, by itself, a topic deserving of it's own posting. But, for the sake of brevity, we're going to pare that down to one measly paragraph. Muscle growth can occur without weight training, but for this article we're sticking with the weights. When you lift weights that are outside of the range you're body is used to, Your muscle fibers actually tear. Don't freak out, these are small, micro tears in your muscle fibers. Your body then begins it's natural process of repairing the muscles by overcompensation. Your body actually adds bigger cells than were originally present so as to fortify the fiber against future tears. This is called muscular hypertrophy. Over time, with repetition, you will experience the much sought after muscle growth. Around a gym, this whole process is known as "tear and repair".
To repair these torn fibrils, muscle fibers, your body utilizes the protein you eat throughout the day. Protein is broken down, by your body, into amino acids. These amino acids are the building blocks for the new cells. Testosterone, found naturally in all humans, increase the amount of protein your body can synthesize. The more protein your body can synthesize, the more muscle mass you'll build. Testosterone is also useful to the body in limiting the effects of Cortisol, the stress hormone. Cortisol is also known to break down muscles. So testosterone seems pretty great, right? Bigger muscles, less breakdown and aches. What's not to love? Well, for the steroid haters out there, you should know testosterone is an steroid hormone. it is natural, but it is a steroid.
Now that we know how muscle is built, and how testosterone aids the process, it's pretty easy to see why people try to supplement their natural production of testosterone with more steroids. I mean, if one steroid is good, wouldn't two be better? Well, not necessarily. You body is an amazing machine that attempts to maintain prefect balance. In order to maintain homeostasis, or balance, your body will stop producing testosterone as you take steroids. In men, when your testes are no longer producing testosterone, they shrink from being dormant. There are numerous other side effects, but this is a more prevalent one. In women, the introduction of anabolic steroids, a form of testosterone, causes their bodies to actually take on male sex characteristics. Deepening of the voice, growth of facial and body hair and even looking a bit more masculine.
