Many people attribute magical properties to anabolic steroids. And yet steroids are not exactly magic. They still answer to the laws of this universe. Today, I present you the major characteristics of anabolic drugs.

The Good Sides

1.Steroids produce serious muscle mass.

Anabolic steroids alter the regular synthesis of protein. As a result, the body can build muscle mass beyond the natural potential. Neither training nor nutrition can do the same. In a sense, steroids alter the engineering of the organism. That’s why they are so effective when it comes to muscle construction.

2.Steroids help you maintain muscle mass on a cut.

The body does not care about your bodybuilding goals. It just wants to live another day. Therefore, when you go on a cut, maintaining muscle becomes a hard task. You just can’t afford to drive a Ferrari when you can’t buy the gas it needs. Steroids are known to reverse catabolic processes, which makes them effective in muscle mass preservation during diets.

3.Steroids can help cover a bad diet.

Steroids turn you into a muscle building monster. The extra lean mass increases your metabolism and thus allows you to eat more food when you are dieting. Of course, bodybuilders use many other drugs to stay leaner too. Technically, steroids are not fat burning drugs, though.

4.Steroids help you recover faster and allow you to train harder.

People on anabolic steroids recover faster and can train more often if they want to.

The Bad Sides

1.Steroids are expensive.

Quality steroids are not cheap and require a prescription. Consequently, most people don’t have access to high-end drugs and rely on cheap stuff bought from shady people.

2.Steroids can damage your health.

You play, you pay.

Steroids have side effects and can damage your health forever. Some of the issues are considered minor (e.g., acne, hair loss, gynecomastia), but there are also severe complications such as organ failure. Regardless of how experienced you are, nobody is 100% immune to similar consequences.

3.Steroids are addictive.

Once you are used to being described as the “big guy”, there’s no coming back. Who are you without your muscles? When your identity is based on your size, leaving the injections behind seems impossible.

4.Steroids make you dependent.

Steroids are not a joke. Once they are in your life, you have to respect them, and the consequences that they bring. You have to monitor your health, spare money for the drugs and hide from the law if you live in a country where steroids are illegal.

At the end of the day, nature always finds a way to balance things out. You gain some, you lose some.