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12/10/08
Ever since steroids were developed, scientists have been searching for a way to split them up. Anabolic steroids have some terrific effects upon the body, including muscle mass gain, fat loss, and increases in muscular endurance. They also have some negative side effects, including hair loss, spiked estrogen levels, gynecomastia, and acne. The goal of scientists and researchers has been to separate the positive and negative effects of steroids upon the body. Here is the breakdown of the effects, categorized into androgenic and anabolic groups.
Androgenic effects
These effects are those which are desired. Increases in strength, particularly on the major compound lifts such as the squat and bench press, fall into this category. Expanded muscle bellies and mass, as well as the shedding of body fat with little adjustment to diet, are among the positive androgenic effects of steroids. There are highly desired, and scientists wish to keep these outcomes.
Anabolic effects
These are the undesired effects of steroid use. There are the effects which keep people away from steroids (aside from the legal reasons, of course). Cancer of the organs is perhaps the most serious of these effects. Receptors on the prostate, liver, and other organs are highly sensitive to anabolic steroids, and long-term exposure to anabolic steroids does greatly increase the change of these cancers forming. Additionally, hair loss occurs in many males. Acne is another common effect. Also, with the raised estrogen levels, the embarrassing side effect of gynecomastia, or growth of male nipple tissue, occurs as well. The anabolic effects of steroids range from uncomfortable and embarrassing, to downright deadly.
The future
Scientists will devise a way to create non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulators (NSARMs). They will find ways to consistently separate the androgenic from the anabolic agents, and a steroid without side effect will be found. It might take another 2 years, or it might take 8 or 10 years. But the benefits are too great, and the payday is too large, for steroids without side effects not to emerge from the laboratory in the coming years. When they do, everything about muscle building in society is going to change as we know it. Non-lifters will be able to look better than lifetime natural bodybuilders with just a few months of use. Lifetime steroid users will be kicking themselves for the lifetime of side effects they are enduring, while stark newbies to the sport look nearly as good with no side effects and haphazard training and diet. It’s going to cause a bit of resentment between lifters and non-lifters. However, long-term users and lifters will suddenly have their own advantage. Remember than they’ve been achieving terrific gains in muscle and strength all along – imagine the damage they’ll be able to do once steroids are safe and available. Keep an eye out for NSARMs – they’ll be here in the near future!
