What Are Anabolic Steroids?

Anabolic steroids are synthetic drugs that imitate the male hormone testosterone. Most commonly known as anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), they can be administered in a wide array of ways, such as injected into a muscle, applied as a topical cream, or swallowed as a pill.

In Australia, anabolic steroids come under the category of performance and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDs), since they are most commonly used by athletes and bodybuilders to improve performance, strength, and agility in sports, as well as enhance physique and appearance. Anabolic steroids are not the same as corticosteroids, which are used in the treatment of debilitating health conditions such as arthritis or asthma. They go by different names so don’t be surprised if you hear them being referred to as gear, roids, juice, vets’ drugs, and Caseys.

These are just proofs that steroids for sale have a lot of jargons.

What Are Anabolic Steroids Used For?

Legal Steroids are widely used in the medical industry to treat hormonal problems as well as a wide range of diseases, such as growth disorders, AIDS, and cancer. They are used to induce puberty in males, slow down the activity of the immune system to treat autoimmune diseases, provide relief to painful joints and muscles, replace muscle lost due to diseases, alleviate inflammatory conditions such as eczema and asthma, and treat specific types of breast cancer and aplastic anaemias. 

In these cases, legal steroids are administered only under the supervision of healthcare practitioners. However, they are often abused by competitive athletes, bodybuilders and people who need to build lean muscle, enhance recovery time post-injury, garner better bone mineral density, decrease body fat percentage, and boost endurance and strength for better performance in sports. Even though the use of Anabolic steroids is banned by all international bodies, athletes still get away with steroid abuse. 

What Are The Side Effects Of Anabolic Steroids?

Legal Steroid use is only prescribed by health experts under life-threatening conditions. This is because long-term and unsupervised steroid use can lead to serious, and often permanent side effects. Don’t be tricked into thinking that side effects of steroid use only show after prolonged usage. Some side effects can be witnessed after a single use!

The short-term use of anabolic steroid include baldness, a decrease in sexual drive, aggression, mood swings, and irritability, nerve damage, disruptions in sleep, and water retention. Young people may also experience premature skin aging, stunted growth, increased injuries during workouts, appearance of stretch marks, and worsening of acne, upon misuse of anabolic steroids.

 Steroid use can cause shrinkage of testicles, tendon ruptures, lower sperm count, Gynecomastia, involuntary erections, and decreased fertility in males while deepening of the voice, muscular appearance, irregular periods, a decrease in breast size and overall body fat, and increased facial hair in women. Long-term anabolic steroid use can lead to cataracts, an Increase in bad LDL cholesterol and a decrease in good HDL cholesterol, depression, and mania, kidney and prostate cancer, elevated blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, and liver damage. 

Remember that there is no safe usage of an illegal drug. However, there are a few things you can do to minimize the damage. For instance, try to lower the dose, as well as the frequency of use, in order to give your body a break. Not to mention, it is not prudent to inject steroids into the same area of the body. Also, be sure not to inject anabolic steroids directly into the pectoral muscles, calves, or biceps, to avoid the risk of nerve damage. If you are injecting steroids into your body, be sure to use sterilized and new needles to eliminate the risk of blood-borne viruses, such as hepatitis B, C, and HIV. Last but not the least, never combine anabolic steroids with diuretics such as alcohol or caffeine, or with other drugs such as amphetamine.

Are Anabolic Steroids Legal In Australia?

Possession, use, and supply of anabolic steroids in Australia is only lawful if they have been prescribed by a doctor for legitimate medical reasons. According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, it is considered a breach of law to keep, make, use, sell, or to inject someone else with anabolic steroids. The penalty of anabolic steroid use varies from state to state. Some states impose charges, while others put anabolic drugs in the same category as ice or heroin, and the perpetrators can face imprisonment.  The use of steroid in completive sports can result in fines, suspensions or permanent bans. It is even considered illegal to import steroids from other countries.

Legal Steroid Alternatives

Given the numerous side effects of steroid use, there are fortunately a number of safe and legal alternatives that you can use to increase the natural level of testosterone production in the body. These are generally derived from herbal or food ingredients and are therefore safe for consumption.  For instance, Tribulus Terrestris is a common herb used to boost testosterone, plus we have Long Jack (Longifolia), an herbal supplement famous for enhancing muscle mass, increasing strength, and boosting the level of testosterone.