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Bodybuilding
Program Basics
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Nutritional
Supplements
The
Facts About Anabolic Steroids
by
Rick Mitchell
Anyone involved in the world of bodybuilding, and competitive
sport generally, will understand the pressures that
go with striving to achieve optimal performance. Sometimes
athletes feel they cannot reach their peak without artificially
enhancing their powers of recovery from intensive training.
One way to speed up this process is through the use
of anabolic steroids. In this article we'll examine
what anabolic steroids actually do. In a second article
we'll focus on the dangers associated with steroid use.
The main active ingredient in steroids is testosterone
which is well known as the major male hormone. Testosterone
affects the body in two ways, either as an anabolic
or an androgenic influence. The anabolic action helps
build body tissue by increasing lean muscle mass and
bone density. The androgenic actions are those that
affect secondary sex characteristics in men.
In recent years research has provided some interesting
information in relation to testosterone:
1. It affects muscle size through muscle fiber hypertrophy
with an increase in the cross-sectional area of muscle
fiber.
2. It takes a dose of at least 300 milligrams of testosterone
to raise the body's level above normal.
3. It acts directly on the muscle itself.
4. It stimulates the release of growth hormone.
5. It has an anti-catabolic effect.
From these facts we can deduce that testosterone is
an effective aid to muscle building and that it must
be taken in significant quantities to have this effect.
As far as bodybuilding is concerned the science beyond
this is somewhat limited as most users base their steroid
regimes on little more than trial and error or the advice
of 'veterans'. Due to the illegal nature of steroid
use little scientific data exists to confirm the effectiveness
of the many steroid supplements in use.
It is perhaps the tendency of some bodybuilders to
use a combination of powerful steroids and other drugs
that presents the very real dangers that have sometimes
led to tragic conquences.
About the Author
Rick Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com
website that provides guidance and information to athletes
at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding
Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this
article.
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