Warning: Nearly every compound listed is illegal without a prescription. Most steroids used by casual bodybuilders come from underground, unverified sources.
Which major anabolic steroids are in high demand? Understanding the facts about bodybuilding drug side effects and anabolic steroids‘ legality is crucial for making informed health decisions.
“We have to educate people,” says Thomas O’Connor, the “Anabolic Doc,” who treats patients recovering from steroid use. While he doesn’t advocate their use, O’Connor knows that education is essential. Prep coach Fakhri Mubarak strongly recommends working with health professionals if choosing to use PEDs in bodybuilding.
Below, Muscle & Fitness discusses the basics of major anabolic steroids.
What Are Anabolic Steroids?
Anabolic steroids are artificially created compounds that mimic the effects of testosterone, which serves as the dominant masculine hormone in the human body. These laboratory-produced substances are scientifically classified as “anabolic-androgenic steroids,” commonly abbreviated as AAS.
During natural development, testosterone enables the growth of facial hair, a deeper voice, increased muscle mass, and other male characteristics. Anabolic steroids work by binding to androgen receptors in cells and stimulating protein synthesis for muscle growth.
What Medical Conditions Do They Treat?
Healthcare providers prescribe some of the major anabolic steroids for specific medical conditions, such as:
Hypogonadism
Delayed puberty
Muscle wasting diseases
Certain types of anemia
Osteoporosis
Specific breast cancers
What Is the Difference Between Steroids and Anabolic Steroids?
General steroids, called corticosteroids, are medications that reduce inflammation and suppress immune system activity. These manufactured drugs closely resemble cortisol, a hormone naturally produced by your adrenal glands. Healthcare providers commonly prescribe corticosteroids to treat conditions like asthma, arthritis, and autoimmune disorders.
Anabolic steroids are drugs that closely resemble testosterone and other male hormones called androgens. The technical term for these compounds is “anabolic-androgenic steroids.” The “anabolic” component refers to tissue building, particularly muscle growth, while “androgenic” relates to the development of male characteristics.
While corticosteroids help manage inflammation and immune responses, anabolic steroids primarily affect hormone levels and body composition. The distinctions between these two types of steroids extend beyond their basic definitions:
Side effect profiles: Corticosteroids can cause weight gain and bone thinning with long-term use; anabolic steroids can cause liver damage and cardiovascular problems.
Abuse potential: Corticosteroids are rarely misused recreationally, whereas the latter is commonly misused by athletes and bodybuilders.
Legal status: Both require prescriptions for medical use, but anabolic steroids have stricter regulations.
How Many Types of Anabolic Steroids Are There?
Various anabolic steroid compounds are available through commercial sources, with dozens of different formulations accessible to consumers. These substances fall into distinct categories based on their intended applications and regulatory status. Certain compounds serve exclusively medical purposes in clinical settings.
There are 32 major anabolic steroids available for different intended purposes and administration methods.
The Most Major Anabolic Steroids
Check out our breakdown of major anabolic steroids below:
Anadrol
“A cheap bulking [oral] steroid with serious downsides,” Mubarak notes, explaining that users often gain mostly water weight and lose over half their progress after stopping. This “old-school” steroid was originally prescribed for post-surgery weight gain, but O’Connor warns, “this one’s a monster.” Common side effects include water retention, gynecomastia, acne, stomach pain, high cholesterol, and stroke risk.
Individuals typically cycle it for no longer than eight weeks at daily doses of 50 to 100 mg.
Anavar
Mubarak says Anavar is one of the “best cutting steroids.” Some users claim that women generally tolerate it better than other steroids.
Originally prescribed for weight gain and osteoporosis recovery, it’s “one of the weaker, less toxic steroids,” according to O’Connor, though it’s also one of the more expensive options.
Side effects include high blood pressure, lower HDL cholesterol, acne, and hair loss. It’s typically cycled for eight weeks, often with testosterone, at doses of 10 to 50 mg daily.
Clenbuterol
Not technically a steroid, clenbuterol is a stimulant used for post-cycle therapy or building lean muscle, and is particularly popular among women. Researcher Victoria Felkar reports that this anti-asthma medication “unlocks fat and muscle cells,” but authorities have banned it for livestock use due to its dangerous properties.
Users experience shakes, sweating, headaches, insomnia, and potentially serious heart issues. It’s typically cycled for two weeks on, two weeks off to avoid tolerance buildup, at doses of 20 to 40 micrograms daily.
Dianabol
The next name on our list of major anabolic steroids is Dianabol.
Dianabol increases testosterone levels and promotes muscle growth, earning its reputation as “the bodybuilder drug of the ’70s,” according to O’Connor. It was originally developed for muscle wasting, cheap and effective for mass building, but “very toxic to the liver.”
Side effects include water retention, liver damage, testicular shrinkage, and serious heart issues. Individuals typically cycle it for only four to six weeks at doses of 30 to 50 mg daily.
HGH (Human Growth Hormone)
Testosterone and HGH in bodybuilding represent the enhancement approach that many athletes take.
Though not technically a steroid, HGH “may stimulate fat breakdown,” according to Mubarak, and creates synergistic effects with steroids for promoting leanness. This injectable protein is a top drug used at anti-aging facilities and is extremely expensive, but doesn’t cause the same male sexual side effects as other items on our list.
However, it can cause joint pain, swelling, high cholesterol, carpal tunnel syndrome, increased diabetes risk, and tumor growth. Typical dosing is two to four IU daily for anti-aging purposes, or up to 10 IU for bodybuilding.
Testosterone
Considered “the base of each steroid cycle,” according to Mubarak, testosterone comes in three major types: cypionate, enanthate, and propionate. As O’Connor notes, “everyone uses testosterone,” but warns that “you’re going to crash afterward,” which is why post-cycle therapy becomes necessary.
For beginners, it’s typically cycled for 10 to 12 weeks at doses of 500 to 600 mg weekly for middleweight users (165 to 198 pounds).
Trenbolone
Trenbolone is considered “one of the most effective major anabolic steroids” by bodybuilders, as it helps users lose body fat while gaining muscle mass. This animal drug is “the strongest on this list,” according to O’Connor, and is “massively toxic and debilitating to sex.”
Side effects include “tren cough” (severe cough after injection), “tren dick” (low sex drive), night sweats, anxiety, and kidney/liver issues. It’s usually cycled for a maximum of 10 weeks at doses of 300 to 600 mg weekly.
Winstrol
This major anabolic steroid comes in oral and injectable forms. It effectively supports cutting cycles while also “building muscle mass during bulking phases,” according to Mubarak. Often stacked with Anavar and testosterone propionate, this is the drug that sparked steroid prohibition in the United States after Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson tested positive in 1998.
O’Connor calls it a “big cutting drug” that “devastates the cholesterol panel” and causes frequent muscle tears. Common side effects include dry joints, acne, hair loss, liver damage, and sexual dysfunction. It’s usually cycled for six to eight weeks at doses of 10 to 50mg daily.
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