Bodybuilders use these drugs for a number of reasons including building muscle size, increasing strength, decreasing body fat, and even boosting aggression levels while training.
There was a time that cycling meant alternating periods of drug use with non-use. Nowadays cycling often means just taking lower amounts. Many pro and amateur bodybuilders stay on the drugs year round and never come off the “juice.”
Cycling - are there advantages?
There are numerous reasons why bodybuilders cycle steroids. The first is to try and minimize the risk of developing side effects. Steroid users have known for decades that the risk of side effects is greatly increased with the length of time the person is using the drugs. A short cycle of say, six to eight weeks, will in all likelihood not produce any serious medical problems. The problem of course is that many bodybuilders don’t limit their use to such time periods. They stay on for months, if not years at a stretch. Is it any wonder that many of these same individuals start suffering side effects down the road?
A second reason bodybuilders following steroid cycling is to try and beat drug tests. For the first 15 to 20 years that steroids were in existence there was no drug test to detect them. But in the mid seventies sports’ federation started catching up with drug users by implementing the first steroid tests. Even though the first tests were easy to beat, it wasn’t long before science had improved the tests. Of course athletes responded by cycling between long acting and short acting steroids. Although not foolproof, it does allow many bodybuilders and other athletes to pass their drug test on contest day.
A final reason for cycling steroids is to boost their effectiveness. Most users report that they achieve their best results during their first couple of cycles. The reason is because their drug receptors were not used to the drugs. But as steroid usage continues their receptors become less responsive to the drugs. This is why heavy
users need to stay on the drugs for long periods of time - small amounts over short periods of time just don’t yield good results anymore. This reduced response to drugs over time is called “down regulation” and is one of the primary reasons why the first couple of cycles of steroids are usually the most effective.
The problem with Cycling
Even though most smart bodybuilders recognize that cycling is the way to go, it’s not without risks. Some individuals are very sensitive to the effects of steroids. Even by alternating periods of drug usage with non-usage they may still develop side effects. The only way to know how a drug will react in a person’s body is to use it. Unfortunately by then it may be too late.
With regards to drug testing, Steroid cycling is no longer a sure way to pass a drug test. Tests are becoming more and more sensitive and many steroids can be detected as far back as 18 to 24 months from their last usage. Even some of the fast-clearing oral drugs are being picked up in drug tests.
Perhaps the bottom line is that even if an athlete cycled steroids to pass a drug test and reduce the risk of side effects, as of 1991, steroid laws have made anabolic steroids banned substances. That bottle of Winstrol could get you arrested.
Legal alternatives!
With all the risks associated with steroids, bodybuilders should check out the various steroid alternatives that are available. Users report that many of these products are just as powerful and as effective at increasing muscle size as their illegal and potentially dangerous cousins.
© Bob Howard 04/21/200
Bob Howard expert on bodybuilding and steroids. Are you looking for more of his steroid articles?
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©Article Bob Howard 03/22/2006
Written By: Bob Howard
