What Are Your Opinions on Oral Steroids?

Oral steroids are one intriguing topic. They are very popular among bodybuilding – particularly beginners – for their effectiveness and simplicity. There are both strengths and deficits associated with their use which should not be overlooked. Let’s dig deeper, shall we?

There are some positives which support the use of oral steroids. First off, and most obvious, is that they do help bodybuilders to develop some serious new muscle. You’ll get bigger, stronger, more aggressive, and your appetite will go through the roof when you use oral steroids. Nobody denies their effectiveness. And they work immediately! Many bodybuilders using injectable testosterone for a cycle will ‘kickstart’ their cycle with 2-4 weeks of oral steroid use. This allows them to begin enjoying the positive gains associated with steroid use immediately, instead of being forced to wait 21 days for the injectable test to begin showing some results.

The negatives accompanied with oral steroids cannot be overlooked. They are very toxic. The digestion of oral steroids means they need two passes through the liver. This can lead to long-term liver damage, polyps, and potentially cancer if the user has liver damage (due to alcohol use or otherwise) or a propensity for liver disease. Oral steroids can also lead to high blood pressure, kidney disease, shutdown or natural testosterone production, and acne. Finally, their willingness to bump up your body’s testosterone levels also results in a spike in estrogen, which can lead to Gynecomastia, an unsightly growth and hardening of nipple tissue beneath the skin. For these reasons, it is generally recommended that oral steroids cycles (particular harder steroids such as Oxydrol) only last 4 to 5 weeks. Lighter steroids like Oxanabol and Stanabol can be used for a bit longer.

Pro-hormones are actually forms of oral steroids. They were wildly popular in the early 2000s, when they were readily available at any website or sports nutrition store. The designers were able to circumvent steroid laws by designing a product which, while highly similar to anabolic steroids in terms of both gains, as well as side effects. Many bodybuilders and powerlifters actually believe pro-hormones deliver half of the gains of anabolic steroids, and twice the negative effects. You can still obtain pro-hormones, but it’s not as easy as it used to be. Firms that used to be able to sell a specific near-steroid product for 3 years before facing government shutdown are now seeing their operations halted after only a few months. It’s almost not profitable to sell their products, which emulate the effects of oral steroids.

The bottom line regarding oral steroids is that while they are effective for your obvious goals of building lean muscle mass and strength, they are certainly not without their side effects. If your budget or availability options mean that oral steroids are your only avenue for entering anabolic bliss, then by all means, give them a try. However, if you are able to obtain injectable testosterone, you will likely find you see better results with less toxicity. And together, oral and injectable steroids work great as well!