Anabolic steroids are incredibly tempting. They significantly accelerate the process of gaining muscle mass and can be useful for weight loss and body cutting.
It can be confidently said that today all the bodies posing on the stages of professional bodybuilding competitions are built using steroids. Not only, of course: in the first-aid kits of professionals, there are 1-2 dozen drugs.
Popular Instagram stars like Calum von Moger and Chul Soon also owe their popularity to anabolic steroids.
The wave of enthusiasm for sports pharmacology has long spilled beyond the realm of professional bodybuilding and has drenched the bodies of ordinary mortals, boys and girls, who are eager to become bigger, leaner, and faster.
Some scientists, wishing to emphasize the scale of the obsession with steroids and other sports pharmacology drugs, use the word “epidemic” and warn of the risk of serious side effects.
In this article, we will discuss the banned doping substances popular among professionals and amateurs in bodybuilding, as well as provide rankings of steroids based on a statistical survey of athletes.
Main thoughts:
Steroid ranking among professionals: testosterone, stanozolol, and nandrolone
Steroid ranking among amateurs: testosterone, boldenone, trenbolone, and nandrolone
Steroid ranking popular in professional and amateur bodybuilding
The types of steroids popular among professionals differ from those used by amateurs.
Among amateurs, the most popular are: testosterone, boldenone, and trenbolone.
Boldenone was originally developed for veterinary use and is not approved for human use. Nevertheless, this fact does not diminish its popularity.
According to WADA data, professional athletes most commonly use the following steroids: testosterone, stanozolol, and nandrolone.
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The figure presents data on the rankings of steroids and doping substances overall according to WADA for professional athletes.
Since WADA tests only athletes participating in competitions, it does not have information on the types of substances prevalent among amateurs.
Ranking of steroids among professionals based on WADA data (4)
Steroids are most widely used in bodybuilding, powerlifting, weightlifting, boxing, and kickboxing.
Both professionals and amateurs often use various anabolic steroids cyclically, increasing and decreasing concentrations.
During a steroid cycle, not only steroids but also other substances are typically taken:
- to enhance muscle growth effects (growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor, insulin);
- to eliminate side effects from steroid use at the end of the cycle (tamoxifen, clomid);
- to improve fat burning and water elimination (diuretics, thyroid hormones, clenbuterol);
- to initiate the mechanism of natural testosterone production at the end of the steroid cycle (gonadotropins);
- masking agents to reduce the risk of detection of steroid use (diuretics and others) (6-7).
All of these substances have certain side effects (none of them are harmless), which can be exacerbated when used together. The consequences and side effects of the combined use of steroids with other substances are not well studied by scientists.
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Rating of anabolic and other sports pharmacology substances used in bodybuilding
The first four substances are anabolic and are widely used by both professionals and amateurs. Amateurs usually limit themselves to these, while professionals go further.
Rating of doping substances popular in bodybuilding based on WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) doping tests, data from 2011
1 Anabolic androgenic steroids
Anabolic steroids are popular among those looking to achieve a lean muscle mass. Steroids do indeed increase muscle mass and some types have a fat-burning effect.
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According to statistics, steroids are the most widely used category of banned substances among amateurs. They are illegal (prohibited for distribution and production) because their use is associated with a high risk of harm to health.
2 Growth Hormone (HGH) and Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1)
Growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor have recently become widely available on the black market at affordable prices (1) and have therefore started to gain popularity.
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3 Insulin Hormone
Insulin hormone, besides its well-known function of controlling blood glucose levels and its connection to diabetes, is a powerful anabolic hormone.
It performs a transport function: it improves the delivery of amino acids (building blocks of muscle cells) and glucose (energy) into muscle cells, creating conditions for muscle anabolic growth (2).
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4 Clenbuterol
Clenbuterol (clenbuterol) has anabolic properties that stimulate muscle growth. Clenbuterol is also one of the strongest and most effective fat burners, which many professional athletes use during body cutting.
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In addition to the aforementioned drugs, representatives of the sports elite typically use a whole range of other drugs for various purposes.
The most common drugs in sports pharmacology among athletes are: anabolic steroids, growth hormone, insulin, clenbuterol
5 Diuretics
Diuretics (or “water pills”) are used for body cutting to enhance muscle definition.
They work very simply: when taken, fluid is removed from the subcutaneous layers, the thickness of the skin fold decreases, and the muscle definition gains more detail.
Some of the most common diuretics are furosemide and thiazide diuretics.
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Some boxers or wrestlers use diuretics to lose body weight in order to compete in a lighter weight category.
Diuretics also have the ability to dilute urine to reduce the concentration of banned substances, “masking” their presence to pass a doping test.
Despite their seemingly harmless nature, diuretics are considered one of the most dangerous drugs in sports pharmacology. They can easily lead to death.
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6 Blood Doping
Blood doping, prominently represented by erythropoietin or EPO, helps increase endurance in aerobic sports (cycling, long-distance running, skiing).
Often in bodybuilding, athletes combine steroids with erythropoietin to train harder and recover faster.
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7 Masking Agents
To conceal the fact of using banned substances, special masking agents are used, which reduce the ability to detect banned substances.
As mentioned above, diuretics are among them.
To mask the fact of steroid use (elevated testosterone levels in the blood), epitestosterone is sometimes used.
Masking agents also include tranquilizers, such as opiates, which reduce anxiety in situations where steady nerves are required (for example, archery). Opiates can also mask pain during competitions.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) maintains up-to-date lists of banned substances (pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, etc.) on its website https://www.wada-ama.org. These substances are divided into several categories (3):
- banned for use at all times and in all sports;
- banned for use only during competitions;
- banned for use in specific sports.
WADA also publishes permissible threshold values for banned substances on its website.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is an international organization that oversees the implementation of anti-doping policies in all sports worldwide.
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Professionals, in addition to steroids, growth hormone, insulin, and clenbuterol, take a number of other substances: diuretics, blood doping, masking agents, tranquilizers
Conclusion
In the ranking of popular substances in sports pharmacology in bodybuilding, anabolic steroids, growth hormone, insulin, and clenbuterol occupy the top spots.
The rankings of steroids used by professionals and amateurs differ: the former prefer testosterone, stanozolol, nandrolone; the latter: testosterone, boldenone, trenbolone. The reason for the difference likely lies in their cost.
In addition to steroids, professional bodybuilders take a whole range of other substances for various purposes: to eliminate the side effects of steroids, masking agents, and more.
