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March 2, 2015 By Anushree Ashtekar 27 Comments

Anabolic Steroids v/s Dietary Supplements – All you want to know

suppliments

We often hear people talking about “supplements” and “steroids”. We hear about how “protein powders are harmful to health as they contain steroids” and how people are hesitant to take vitamin supplements as they are “pills” and treat them like medications.

But, do people really understand what are anabolic steroids and dietary supplements? The answer is no. Large sections of the society are still unaware of the use and need of taking dietary supplements and anabolic steroids.

What are Anabolic Steroids and Dietary Supplements?

Anabolic Steroids: Anabolic steroids are synthetic (man-made) substances similar to male sex hormone, testosterone. The term “anabolic” means “growth”. Here, it refers to growth in muscle mass. Steroids are performance enhancing substances which cause an increase in muscle mass and physical strength. Some common examples of anabolic steroids include Androstenedione, Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (Turinabol), Methandienone (Dianabol), Methyltestosterone (Android), Nandrolone (Durabolin), Oxandrolone (Oxandrin), Oxymetholone (Anadrol), Stanozolol (Winstrol).

Dietary Supplements: Dietary supplement is any product which is consumed orally and which contains dietary nutrients intended to supplement the diet. Dietary supplements may include amino acids, vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanical ingredients (except tobacco), substances like enzymes and metabolites (glucosamine, creatine, alpha-lipoic acid, Coenzyme Q10).

Dietary supplements can be extracts or concentrates and may be available as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids and powders. They are also available in the form of nutrition bars.

Dietary supplements cannot be categorized as foods or drugs and hence, they are not regulated by the FDA. Dietary supplements are regulated under DSHEA (Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act) passed in the US in 1994. DSHEA defines dietary or nutritional supplements as “a nutrient, a formulation, or some compound that is drug-free or natural”.

Use and abuse of anabolic steroids: Anabolic steroids stimulate growth in tissues, especially bone and muscles. They also increase the production of RBCs (Red blood Cells). Anabolic steroids can be taken orally, are injectable or are used externally. Anabolic steroids are used in the treatment of many medical issues such as delayed puberty in boys, sexual dysfunction in men, breast cancer in women, weight loss in HIV, osteoporosis, anemia, endometriosis and other conditions involving hormonal imbalance.

Now, Anabolic steroids are also abused at large. Some athletes’ may abuse anabolic steroids to build muscle mass, prolong endurance and enhance performance. Anabolic steroids are converted into testosterone in the body, beyond normal levels. This leads to some serious side effects like dramatic increase in muscle mass (Greater Anabolism), Organ damage (Liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease), impotence, gynecomastia (fat deposition on the chest due to increased estrogen levels causing abnormal breast enlargement in men), severe acne, hair fall, oily skin, stunted growth and height in teens, shrinking of testicles, azoospermia (absence of sperms in semen), menstrual irregularities in women, excess facial or body hair and deeper voice in women, irritability, increased aggression, mood swings, depression or suicidal tendencies, high blood pressure, alterations in cholesterol and other blood lipids, risk of viral and bacterial infections due to use of unsterile injections.

Anabolic steroids are also addictive. They make the user and abuser physically and psychologically dependant on them.

Use and benefits of dietary supplements: Nutritional or dietary supplements are, in simple words, foods in a concentrated form. Nutritional deficiency is the root cause of many diseases. These days, chronic diseases are on a high and are striking people at a much earlier age. Air and water pollution, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agricultural practices, genetically engineered seeds, and depleted nutrient content in the soil are all responsible for the poor nutrient quality of the fruits and vegetables available in the market today.

The advantage of taking dietary supplements is that they provide adequate quantity of superior quality of nutrients, they give a specific combination and quantity of nutrients required at a particular time in a day and they make it convenient for the body to be supplied with all the essential nutrients.

Who all need to take dietary supplements? Dietary supplements are safe enough to be consumed by all of us. They are concentrated foods that help in building our immune system keeping us away from various diseases.

The modern day fast-paced lives, fast-food culture, increasing stress levels, deteriorating quality of fruits and vegetables are all the reasons for anyone and every one of us to turn to dietary supplements for attaining optimum health. People who are into intense exercise regimes, sports enthusiasts, athletes, competitive bodybuilders are the ones who need dietary supplements to repair the wear and tear in their body, grow and maintain healthy muscle mass, enhance their functionality and improve the immunity of the body. Also, Vegetarianism and veganism sometimes makes it difficult to get nutrients like complete proteins (with all the essential amino acids) and B12 vitamin .

But, simply consuming dietary supplements just for the sake of taking them is not right. Even natural substances can cause undesirable side effects, especially when taken in high doses. There are other things too, that go into building healthier bodies. They are, having an active lifestyle (adequate exercise), healthy eating habits and maintaining a positive state of mind. Finally, it all boils down to body, mind and soul connection.

The confusion between Anabolic Steroids and Dietary Supplements: There is a general fear that supplements may contain anabolic steroids. Due to the ignorance amongst the public and media hype, people easily confuse dietary supplements with anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids are drugs that abnormally increase testosterone levels in the body whereas, dietary or nutritional supplements are concentrated forms of naturally occurring food nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, omega 3 fatty acids, etc. Anabolic steroid use is prohibited by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The bottom line is that Anabolic Steroids and Dietary Supplements are worlds apart. Use them wisely, use them safely and you will benefit from them. Or else, “too much of anything is bad”!

Ps Note: Before starting on any dietary supplement or Anabolic Steroid its better that you consult your doctor

About Anushree Ashtekar

A post graduate in Marine Zoology and armed with additional degrees in a Personal Trainer Course and Sports Nutrition from K11 Fitness Academy, Anushree Ashtekar has worked as a Gym Instructor and Personal Fitness Trainer at Cuts n Curves Gym. She helped her clients to achieve goals such as Fat Loss, Muscle Gain and consulting them on their nutrition. She has also consulted clients suffering from health problems such as Hypertension, Hypothyroidism, Diabetes, PCOS and Obesity. She firmly believes that “If you take care of your body, your body will take care of you” and to achieve this you need to have a good mind, body and soul coordination. Her own fitness regime consists of Weight Training and Cardio Vascular programme. She de-stresses by way of reading, cooking, listening to Music and going on Nature Trails. She says she leads a fit and healthy lifestyle and loves to help people do the same.

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Comments

  1. herbalroots says

    August 22, 2016 at 8:24 am

    I like this blog .you explain is very nice Anabolic Steroids and Dietary Supplements. enjoyed this one thanks for posting

    Reply
  2. Lawrence says

    August 8, 2017 at 4:22 pm

    Literally these two are all effective but it will defend how you will use it I used both I have my time in supplement and time in steroids for my work out. For further concern please get some advice to your doctor and to be honestly both are working properly to my health.

    Reply
  3. Ameya says

    September 17, 2017 at 1:02 pm

    That is so well written and explained! Got to know the pros and cons of consuming supplements and has cleared many doubts that I had prior to this.
    Let more of such articles be written! Thanks

    Reply
  4. ValerieCRoberts says

    December 13, 2017 at 6:53 pm

    This is nice article,
    I like this article, Most of my fellow body builder are using steroids to increase their body and to make it bulky instantly.
    I also want to use but Trainer has said me that you don’t need the steroids.

    Reply
  5. LynnDMcGee says

    January 15, 2018 at 12:06 pm

    This is certainly such a good article. I prefer this quite definitely as I was very so used towards our fitness. As being a women you should face a lot of challenges as a fitness godess. You can use anabolic steroids for that nonetheless it may achievable that number of steroids provides the lots of unwanted effects and they may possibly harm your system very poorly. So it is extremely tough task to obtain the right Anabolic steroids which will match your body and may not hurt you.

    Reply
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    February 14, 2018 at 4:35 pm

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  7. Ed Gray says

    April 8, 2018 at 10:36 am

    Question Doctor? Can eating a high protein meal before a sporting event enhance performance?

    Reply
  8. mounika rao says

    February 6, 2019 at 2:19 pm

    Useful information. Thank you for sharing this article.

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    August 1, 2019 at 4:10 pm

    This article was quite interesting. I am very curious and found this article to be very informative.

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    September 1, 2020 at 9:11 am

    Persons engaged in regular physical activity aware of the fact that the nutritional and adequate nutrition and plenty of fluids important about the increase in body’s performance. But this article is very important, especially for those beginners.

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    October 21, 2021 at 3:12 pm

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