What are anabolic steroids?
Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, the primary male sex hormone. The word “anabolic” refers to tissue building (muscle growth), while “androgenic” refers to the development of male sexual characteristics (deepening voice, body hair, etc.).
Your body naturally produces testosterone. In men, the testes produce roughly 4-7mg per day, which maintains muscle mass, bone density, libido, mood, and a range of other functions. When someone uses exogenous (externally introduced) testosterone or other anabolic steroids, they are increasing these hormone levels far beyond what the body produces naturally — typically to 3-10 times the natural level, depending on the dose and compound.
Anabolic steroids come in several forms. The most common are injectable compounds (such as testosterone enanthate, trenbolone, and nandrolone) and oral compounds (such as dianabol, anavar, and winstrol). There are also newer categories like SARMs (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators), which are sometimes marketed as safer alternatives, though this claim is largely unsubstantiated.
Key terminology
- Exogenous
- Produced outside the body and introduced externally (as opposed to what your body makes naturally).
- Supraphysiological
- Above the natural physiological range. Steroid cycles typically push hormone levels well into supraphysiological territory.
- Ester
- A chemical modification attached to a hormone that controls how quickly it is released into the body. For example, testosterone enanthate has a longer ester than testosterone propionate, meaning slower release and less frequent injections.
- Aromatisation
- The process by which the body converts testosterone into oestrogen. This is why some steroid use leads to oestrogen-related side effects like gynecomastia.
How they work in the body
When anabolic steroids enter the body, they bind to androgen receptors in cells throughout the body — particularly in muscle tissue. This triggers a cascade of effects:
Increased protein synthesis
Your muscles repair and grow faster. This is the primary mechanism behind muscle growth from steroids.
Improved nitrogen retention
Muscle tissue retains more nitrogen, a key component of protein. A positive nitrogen balance means the body is in an anabolic (building) state.
More red blood cells
Steroids stimulate erythropoietin production, increasing red blood cell count. This can improve endurance but also increases blood viscosity.
Cortisol suppression
Steroids can reduce the impact of cortisol (the stress hormone that breaks down muscle), allowing harder training with faster recovery.
There is a critical side effect to all of this: when you introduce exogenous hormones, your body recognises the elevated levels and shuts down its own production. This is called HPTA (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular Axis) suppression. Your testes stop producing testosterone because the body sees no need. This happens at any supraphysiological dose — there is no dose low enough to avoid it entirely while still getting performance benefits.
When you stop using, your body needs to restart natural production. This can take weeks, months, or — in some cases — may never fully recover. This is why Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) exists, and why some long-term users end up on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for life.
Why people use them
People use anabolic steroids for a variety of reasons. Being honest about this is part of harm reduction — pretending people only use because of “peer pressure” does not match reality. Common reasons include:
To build muscle faster
The most common reason. Steroids can accelerate muscle growth significantly beyond what is achievable naturally.
To overcome genetic limitations
Some people feel they have hit their natural ceiling and want to go further. The reality of natural limits is often distorted by social media.
Body image and insecurity
Many young men use steroids because they are unhappy with their appearance. This is a significant and growing driver, particularly in the age of social media.
Competitive advantage
In competitive bodybuilding, powerlifting, and some other sports, steroid use is widespread. Some feel they cannot compete without them.
To feel better
Testosterone affects mood, confidence, and energy. Some users report significant improvements in wellbeing, which can make stopping difficult.
Social influence
Gym culture, online communities, and influencers normalise steroid use. When everyone around you is using, it can seem like a normal step.
Understanding why you want to use is important. If the primary driver is body image or insecurity, addressing that underlying issue will do more for you than any steroid cycle ever will. Our body image section covers this in more depth.
UK legal position
In the UK, anabolic steroids are classified as Class C controlled substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The legal position is sometimes misunderstood, so here is the actual situation:
Legal for personal use
It is legal to possess anabolic steroids for personal use. You can legally buy them, have them shipped to you, and use them. You will not be prosecuted for possession alone.
Illegal to supply or intend to supply
It is illegal to supply, produce, or possess with intent to supply anabolic steroids. This includes selling them, giving them to friends, or importing them in quantities that suggest supply. Penalties can include up to 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine.
Import restrictions
Since April 2012, it has been illegal to import anabolic steroids by post or courier. You can only legally import them by carrying them into the country yourself (i.e., in person). Ordering from overseas websites and having them delivered is technically illegal, even for personal use.
What this means in practice
Most people in the UK source steroids from domestic underground labs (UGLs) rather than importing them. These are not regulated, which means there is no quality control — compounds may be underdosed, overdosed, contaminated, or not what they claim to be. This is a significant harm reduction concern. Testing kits exist but are not widely used. The lack of pharmaceutical-grade supply for non-medical use is one of the biggest safety challenges.
SARMs occupy a legal grey area. They are not currently classified as controlled substances, but they are also not approved for human consumption. They are typically sold as “research chemicals”. The legal status may change as regulatory bodies catch up.
Natural vs enhanced — what is realistic?
One of the biggest drivers of steroid use among young men is a distorted perception of what is achievable naturally. Social media is full of influencers who claim to be natural while using performance-enhancing drugs. This creates unrealistic expectations and a sense that steroids are necessary to look good.
The reality is that natural training, done consistently with proper nutrition, can produce impressive results — but those results take years, not months. Most men can gain around 20-25kg of muscle over a lifetime of natural training. The rate slows dramatically after the first few years.
If you have been training seriously for less than 3-4 years, you almost certainly have significant natural gains still available to you. Using steroids before you have maximised (or come close to maximising) your natural potential means you are taking on risk for gains you could have achieved without it.
Who should not use
While all steroid use carries risk, certain groups face significantly elevated risks:
Under 25
Your brain is still developing (the prefrontal cortex does not fully mature until around 25). Your endocrine system is still establishing baseline levels. Introducing exogenous hormones at this stage can cause permanent disruption.
Existing heart conditions
Steroids increase cardiovascular strain. If you have any existing heart condition, congenital or otherwise, the risk is substantially higher.
Family history of cardiovascular disease
If close family members have had heart attacks, strokes, or similar events at a young age, your genetic predisposition makes steroid use significantly more dangerous.
Mental health conditions
Steroids can worsen anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. They can also trigger conditions in those who are predisposed. If you have a history of mental health issues, this is a significant risk factor.
Less than 3-4 years of serious training
You have not yet developed the training knowledge, discipline, or muscle maturity to benefit meaningfully from steroids. You also have significant natural gains left.
Body image & dysmorphia
Body dissatisfaction among men has roughly tripled over the past few decades. Research consistently shows that a significant proportion of young men are unhappy with how they look, and that this dissatisfaction increasingly centres on muscularity rather than weight.
This is not about vanity. Body image distress is linked to depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, disordered eating, and substance use — including anabolic steroids. Many men try to fix a psychological problem with a physical solution, and steroids can seem like the most direct route.
Muscle dysmorphia (bigorexia)
Muscle dysmorphia is a form of body dysmorphic disorder where the preoccupation is with being too small or not muscular enough. The hallmark is a disconnect between how you look and how you perceive yourself — you might be objectively well-built but still feel inadequate.
Signs include:
- Spending hours each day thinking about your body size or muscularity
- Avoiding situations where your body might be seen
- Continuing to train through injuries because missing sessions feels unbearable
- Feeling genuinely distressed if you miss a workout or eat something off plan
- Using steroids despite knowing the health risks, because the drive to be bigger overrides everything else
If several of these sound familiar, you may be dealing with a recognised condition that responds to proper support. This is not weakness — it is a psychological pattern that thrives on silence.
If you think body image is affecting your mental health, speak to your GP about a referral for CBT. The BDD Foundation (bddfoundation.org) provides information and support groups, and CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) runs a free helpline for men struggling with any issue.
How insecurity drives steroid use
The pathway from body dissatisfaction to steroid use is usually not a single decision. It is a gradual process:
- 1You start training, often motivated by feeling inadequate or wanting to look like someone you have seen online.
- 2You make progress, but it is slower than expected. The gap between where you are and where you want to be feels permanent.
- 3You start to suspect — correctly — that many of the physiques you are comparing yourself to are not natural.
- 4Steroid use starts to seem logical. If the standard requires them, why would you not use them?
- 5The decision feels like a personal choice, but the insecurity driving it was manufactured by the content you have been consuming.
If the primary driver is feeling “not enough,” then steroids will not fix the underlying problem — they will just move the goalposts. The person with muscle dysmorphia who starts using does not suddenly feel satisfied. They feel they need more.
Get Blood Work Done
If you are considering using or are already using, blood work is essential. Get a baseline before you start and monitor throughout.
Read the Blood Work Guide
The role of social media
Social media has not created body image problems from scratch, but it has supercharged them:
Constant comparison
You are seeing hundreds of physiques daily, almost all curated, filtered, pumped, and lit to look as impressive as possible. Many are also enhanced with steroids — but that is rarely disclosed.
Survivorship bias
The only physiques that go viral are exceptional ones. This warps your sense of what is normal. What you see on your feed is not a representative sample of human bodies.
Engagement-driven algorithms
Platforms show you content that keeps you scrolling. If you engage with fitness content, you will get more of it — and increasingly extreme versions of it.
Monetised insecurity
Most fitness influencers make money by making you feel inadequate and then selling you the solution. Your insecurity is their business model.
The result is that many young men now have a fundamentally skewed idea of what a normal, healthy male body looks like. When you measure yourself against a standard that requires drugs, elite genetics, and professional lighting to achieve, feeling inadequate is not a personal failing — it is the predictable outcome.