Steroids are a controversial substance in the field of bodybuilding, encouraging the search for anabolic steroid alternatives. While there is no debate that they should be banned from competitions, there is some debate on whether or not they should be used by those not in competition for personal use. While steroids are schedule-III drug, meaning that they are perfectly legal as long as the person using them has a medical prescription, which assumes that the person has a legitimate medical reason for them: “Bodybuilding” is not one of those uses. Because of this, bodybuilders look for anabolic steroid alternatives to aid in their pursuit of a chiseled body.
Steroids are used an anti-inflammatory agent used to treat conditions where the body’s immune defense is actually causing damage to the body. This can include diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, and other diseases where inflammation is the major problem. Steroids can reduce inflammation but care must be taken as they can weaken the tissue surrounding an injection site, and can give the person potential problems with blood-clotting as well as interfere with the body’s natural immune response. While this means that muscle growth is encouraged, it also means that facial hair, acne and other masculine properties are encouraged as well. Also taking too many of them can make the person more aggressive, encouraging the state known as “roid rage” where the user goes around like a ticking time bomb. Combined with all of the other known side effects of steroids, this means that a frequent user can find himself risking his life in exchange for a few more muscles.
One option for anabolic steroid alternatives is selective androgen receptor modulators, or SARMs. While they do not offer as quick a gain in muscle mass as steroids do, they also do not come with all of the mental and physical side effects that come with them as well. They work by hooking up with androgen receptors, which allows them to be more effective than testosterone. All of this means that they offer a way to gain muscle mass relatively quickly without all of the possible hormone imbalance problems that come with steroid use.
If you do ends up using SARMs, keep in mind that they do take a little time to kick in, but you should notice some difference as early as the second week. However, you should not see a drop off in your performance, unlike other alternatives, and it works well for those looking more for sleeker muscles rather than straight bulk. Obviously the actual performance will vary depending on the person, but in general SARMs should allow you to still bulk up somewhat while ensuring the performance you are looking for.
Of course, one of the best anabolic steroid alternatives is to simply not use performance enhancers in the first place. It is possible to get an incredible looking body through an intense exercise regimen and a diet geared towards bulking up; it just will not take as little time to accomplish and will take a while to gain the mass some associate with the sport. Ultimately, the choice to use anabolic steroid alternatives is that of the person building the muscles and what they are attempting to accomplish, and each bodybuilder must make that decision for themselves.
