01dragonslayer
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- Aug 25, 2016
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How Steroids Help Build Muscles – The Science Behind Steroids
What are Steroids?
In the modern world of bodybuilding, steroids are something that has become almost a necessity. They are similar to the natural hormones produced inside the body. These certain hormones are responsible for bodily functions such as the growth and production of body tissues, which also include muscle tissues.More commonly known as ‘anabolic steroids’, these steroids function as artificial hormones that perform the same functionality. One of the most common steroids that are used for bodybuilding purposes is testosterone. It is responsible for secondary sex characteristics in males that are also responsible for muscle growth and development.
How do our Bodies Build Muscles?
Our bodies perform the muscle-building process naturally. However, athletes usually wish to speed up that slow process. Lifting heavy weights, running, or any such form of intense exercise and workout for which our muscles are not used to causes tiny tears in our muscle fibers. When these tears occur, our body’s natural response to this is to repair those muscle fibers, and while doing so, it adds an extra layer of muscles in order to overcompensate and prepare the muscle tissues for such a workout. This overcompensation is done by adding even stronger and larger muscle cells having larger proteins in order to build stronger tissues.The process is repeated again and again after every workout as we push ourselves for more exercise. This means that a new stronger layer of muscles is added every time as the process of protein synthesis is sped up continuously. This breakdown of muscles is the reason why we feel our muscles getting stiff after every intense workout. The whole process is called muscle hypertrophy (muscle gain).
How do Steroids Work? The Science Behind them
Steroids can be taken in a number of different ways. The most common, however, are ingesting in the form of tablets and injecting them directly into the bloodstream. The latter is a safer way of consuming steroids since it prevents them from passing through the liver. If you ingest the anabolic steroids, they are broken down by your body’s digestive system until it is small enough to diffuse into the cells and bloodstream.Once the Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid (AAS) is inside your bloodstream, it travels through your body until it reaches its destination, which is the muscle tissue. Our muscles contain a sort of receiving dock in the form of androgen receptors. Since steroids are soluble in lipids, they diffuse directly into our muscle cells in order to reach those receptors.
From then onwards, the steroid gains the ability to control your muscle cells’ DNA and instruct it to which proteins to produce. It fulfills the same role as the hormone testosterone. This is because the anabolic steroid is shaped quite similar to testosterone. Naturally, it speeds up the muscle protein synthesis processes. Just like natural testosterone hormone, the AAS also increases the production of some important muscle proteins such as actin and myosin. This is an anabolic process - a process in which small molecules join together to make larger molecules, hence the name.
These proteins help in the growth of those muscle cells and make you strong and jacked. Another aspect of this protein building is the effect on the skeletal muscles of the body. These muscles are responsible for the strong and powerful movement of the bones.
Another way through which anabolic steroids speed up the protein synthesis process is through the inhibition of glucocorticoids. These are hormones that naturally speed up the process of breaking down proteins into smaller substances such as polypeptides. Hence, inhibiting their functionality means that protein is no longer broken down easily and little rest is needed by the body in between workouts.
This also means that the drawback from intense exercise, which is tearing of muscles and muscle fatigue, is significantly diminished. Thus, steroid usage helps you avoid the path of feeling fatigue while also giving you your desired results.
