Androgenic drugs are substances that people often use to try and build muscle. Recreationally, they’re muscle-builders, but there are a lot of other benefits that they can provide in medical settings.
There are a lot of risks that come with androgenic drugs as well. We’re going to take a look at some androgenic drug effects today, exploring some of the short and long-term effects of using these drugs.
We’ll also look at the particulars of what androgenic drugs are, giving you a few examples. Hopefully, the information below will give you a better understanding and inform you as to whether you should use these drugs yourself.
Let’s get started.
What Are Androgenic Drugs?
Androgenic drugs are substances that seek to alter the androgenic properties of our bodies. Androgenic qualities are those that are associated with “maleness,” although that characteristic isn’t always easy to define.
More specifically, androgenic drugs target the hormone testosterone. The things that testosterone does to an individual are typically those associated with androgenic qualities.
Things like increased muscle mass, aggression, hair growth, and more are all results of testosterone. In fact, testosterone plays a massive role in a lot of the functions of the human body.
Both males and females have testosterone, and it’s an important part of every individual’s makeup. The drugs we use to adjust these hormones can have lasting impacts on our sense of health and wellness.
Effects of Adjusting Hormones
There are a lot of hormone therapies that are very safe and work to achieve particular goals. For example, gender reassignment therapy is an effective way of shifting hormones to a state that the individual feels comfortable with.
In fact, interacting with hormones is one of the key ways that we carry out a lot of medical treatments. If not directly, many medications serve to directly or indirectly change the production of hormones to achieve a particular goal.
One common hormonal practice is to take melatonin at night when a person can’t sleep. Melatonin is a hormone released by the body when we receive a stimulus that lets us know it’s time to go to sleep. Taking that hormone in the form of a capsule is different from producing it naturally, but it brings on a similar effect.
It’s important to note, though, that our bodies have a delicate balance of hormone production. In many cases, numerous hormones are dependent on the production of others.
So, if one hormone isn’t produced in normal numbers, another will increase as a response. This is how our biology is wired, and there were evolutionary benefits to those responses in the past. Those responses were adaptive in natural settings, though, and for natural reasons.
Introducing a Testosterone Boost
When you introduce a testosterone agent into your system, a number of things happen. First, your body will interact with that substance and adjust its processes accordingly.
For example, it will synthesize proteins and produce muscle at a higher rate if you take steroids. That said, noticing that your body doesn’t need to produce as much testosterone, the body will reduce its effort to bring it on naturally.
There’s a kind of disconnect here. While your body knows it doesn’t have to produce as much testosterone, it doesn’t extend that knowledge into the hormones that depend on testosterone.
So, there won’t be as much testosterone produced naturally. Oestrogen, which has a close relationship to testosterone, doesn’t know why the body isn’t producing as much. In response, estrogen will increase to combat the low testosterone production.
The result is an increase in both, and a cascade of different side effects can come from that increase. Let’s take a look at some of the side effects that are possible when you adjust hormones.
1. Imbalance of Neurotransmitters
The impact of hormones extends all the way to your brain and the neurotransmitters that keep your mood steady. Many of our behaviors are dictated by the presence of certain neurotransmitters at any given time.
Serotonin, for example, is a very important neurotransmitter when it comes to mental health. Imbalances of serotonin can lead to depression, anxiety, anger, delusions, paranoia, and more.
Androgenic drugs can have the effect of throwing neurotransmitters like serotonin out of whack. That can lead to a number of mental health issues, as well as disruptions in the physical processes that serotonin aids.
2. Withdrawal-Like Symptoms
Your body will get used to the presence of androgenic drugs and produce hormones in a way that manages their presence. When you take the drugs out of the equation, your body will continue producing hormones in that way.
The result can be pretty painful and exhausting. It’s hard to say exactly what those symptoms will be, but you can expect a distinct change in mood at the very least. Beyond that, you might have some internal trouble.
Aside from those symptoms, the withdrawal symptoms of androgenic drugs can include depression, lack of focus, low libido, muscle aches, anxiety, headaches, and more.
If you’ve been on androgenic drugs for a while and plan to stop, make sure you establish a relationship with a mental health professional. Having a counselor or someone to guide you through difficult thoughts is important.
Even if you’re a person who keeps a pretty steady mood, the withdrawal symptoms might impact you in a way you haven’t experienced. Remember that the chemical balance of your brain will be different for a time, so you might not be used to the feelings that you will experience.
3. Physical Changes
Physical changes are likely the reason that most people start using these drugs. Androgenic drug use is common among those who are looking to get high or have a good time.
In fact, there aren’t any immediate psychoactive effects that come from these drugs. The physical changes are the primary benefit of using them.
The first thing you’ll notice is that your exercises go a lot smoother. You might have more energy, pull more weight, and not be as exhausted after a session. Further, you might not be as sore as you normally would be.
You can keep hitting the gym and the results will be more powerful than normal. You’ll add muscle mass in a rapid fashion, and this can be an encouraging thing.
You might also notice that you lose fat quickly. One thing that androgenic drugs do is change the way your body burns energy. In most cases, the body will take energy from sugars and muscle stores when you’re on a calorie deficit.
So, if you’re dieting and working out at the same time, your body draws from those areas. When you introduce an androgenic drug like SARMs, your body starts taking that energy from your fat stores.
That leads to a rapid physical change in your body and you start to look the way you want. Why use androgenic drugs? Because you get stronger and lose a lot of fat.
Those two things are very desirable to a lot of people.
Long Term Effects of Androgenic Drugs
Over a long period of time, the effects of these drugs get a little different.
Many of the short-term side effects listed above get solidified and don’t go away. Some of the physical changes to hormone production will leave their mark and leave the individual with a damaged endocrine system and issues with their internal organs.
Gonads, the liver, kidneys, and the heart can all be put at severe risk from long-time use. An individual’s psychology can suffer some permanent damage as a result of these drugs as well.
In the case of anabolic steroids, people get what’s called “roid rage.” This is a term that describes a fit of uncharacteristic aggression that they wouldn’t otherwise show. Roid rage can lead people to be violent, mean, and destroy important parts of their lives.
Further, a person might have a deeper mental illness than sudden rage. Major depression, in addition to the symptoms of anxiety and paranoia that come from imbalanced serotonin.
People might also generate high cholesterol and high blood pressure. These could be a result of the heightened sense of intensity and stress that enters a person’s life when they use steroids. Over time, those things take their toll.
If you’re someone who uses a needle to inject steroids, you might also develop nerve damage as a result of the injection points.
What Are SARMs?
SARMs are an interesting androgenic drug that has become popular recently.
SARMs were developed as an aid to cancer treatment for patients who were losing muscle. Chemotherapy and other cancer treatments can lead to a lot of muscle loss and lack of energy. Using an androgenic drug to combat those symptoms could improve the quality of life and the ability to fight the symptoms of the treatment.
It also happens that this drug is a great supplement for those trying to build their bodies and put on muscle. It’s an androgenic drug, so there are still fundamental issues with hormone production that come with risks.
That said, they aren’t as far-reaching of risks as those that come with anabolic steroids. SARMs stands for “selective androgen receptor modulators.”
That means that they target the androgen receptors, but they don’t target all of them. Anabolic steroids give a clean sweep to the receptors and bind to whatever they can find. This is part of the reason that there are so many issues associated with steroids.
SARMs aim to target only the receptors that have a relationship to muscle production and fat loss. So, your fat stores are used when you’re running on a calorie deficit, and your muscles will experience similar growth.
Are SARMs Legal?
SARMs are legal. That said, they don’t have backing from the FDA.
They’re legal to buy and sell as “research chemicals.” Because there isn’t enough evidence to support their use, companies can’t claim their benefits.
There is a lot of anecdotal evidence of SARMs use, though. People have been using them since the 90s when they were created, so there’s a bank of information about them.
Additionally, there are a lot of different SARMs. There are products for different muscle-building and weight loss goals. The one thing to keep in mind, though, is that there are a lot of companies that don’t sell the real thing.
Because it’s not regulated, companies can sell inferior products. So, be sure to check out the company and customer reviews if you’re looking for SARMs for sale.
Should You Use Androgenic Drugs?
If you’re thinking about using one of these drugs, you should contact a doctor. Talk to your doctor about whether they think that your body would handle these drugs well.
They can inform you on what to expect in your condition, and how to handle the process safely. Further, a professional can put you in touch with the mental health resources you need.
It’s also important to think about why you want to take these drugs. Are you trying to lose weight or build muscle? Do you think you could do those things without drugs?
While androgenic drugs aren’t always dangerous, they do put your body under a lot of stress. You have to manage the dosage, adjustment, and recovery from the substances.
Getting to the end result without these drugs is objectively safer. There’s no getting around that fact, but it’s possible to be safe with these drugs if you can manage them. That’s why it’s important to have a deep understanding of them before you start.
Casually taking androgenic drugs is a bad idea. Your body will go through unusual changes, especially if you take them inconsistently. So, reach out to your doctor and see if there are androgenic drugs that are right for you to start taking.
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