Anabolic drugs have been present in the world of bodybuilding for a long time now. If you’ve find yourself wondering how come some guys that you see in the gym have managed to be so ripped claiming to be natural, the answer is: they are probably on roids.
Although this should not be used as an excuse to follow their lead, achieving such results in so little time can be made only with some push from the outside. Today, roids are widely available, and many people choose to use them.
Not only professionals that go out on the stage. Even people who regard bodybuilding as hobby would often do a cycle or two. And why shouldn’t they. After all, anabolics are legit and offer great results.
Before getting ahead of ourselves and starting to judge all the people using anabolics, let’s make one thing straight. Anabolics can be helpful in this sport if they are administered by a doctor.
However, it’s their unsupervised use in greater quantities that can lead to disastrous effects. However, this is not a reason to start approving them. At the end of the day, they can be very harmful and addictive.
In addition, their use is highly unfair in competitions where illegal substances are not allowed. Shooting yourself with anabolics while competing against guys that rely on protein shakes for building their muscles is, after all, cheating.
So, bellow we offer you an overview of the five most revealing signs that someone is using anabolics. Here are some of theme:
Big swollen guts;
Gynecomastia;
Greater development of upper body muscles compared to the lower body;
Stretch marks and acne;
Unrealistically quick muscle growth.
SIGNS OF AN ANABOLIC DRUGS USER
BIG GUT OR SWOLLEN STOMACH
Not all big guts among bodybuilders are a result of using anabolic drugs. Many professionals take lot of different substances. The use of insulin and human growth hormone can also be the cause of big guts.
However, when someone is using human growth hormone and insulin, chance are that they are using syntetic testosterone or a mix of them as well.
GYNECOMASTIA (Man B*obs)
The use of anabolics can result in breast growth in men. This is the result of introducing high amounts of testosterone in your body, which uses aromatization to convert this testosterone into estrogens with the help of the enzyme aromatase.
Testosterone is the key hormone that shapes male s****l characteristic. This function is performed by estrogens in women. These hormones are found in both in men and women, however they are present in different concentrations. While men have 20 times more testosterone than women on average, the estrogens level in women is 5 times higher than that in men.
Aromatization is naturally occurring process in men, and essential for proper functioning of our bodies, since the estrogens are necessary for our proper functioning. The problem arises with the excess introduction of testosterone in our bodies from external sources. You see, the aromatase continues to do its job converting some of the excess testosterone into estrogen. As a result, we see a development of breasts.
DISPROPORTIONAL UPPER BODY DEVELOPMENT
Anabolics users usually have disproportionately big upper body muscles – especially lats, compared to their lower body parts. This is a result of the greater presence of androgen receptors in upper body muscles and their ability to respond better to resistance training.
Because of this, people who start using anabolics often see a rapid growth of their shoulders, traps and back muscles during the first cycles of anabolic use. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the leg and chest muscles do not grow. Just that their growth is not as rapid. Because of this, users tend to have V shaped body, although they lack the genetics.
However, the shoulder to waist ratio should not be taken as a certain indicator that someone is using anabolics. After all, some people are born with good genes. Others focus their training to the upper body muscles but never train their legs.
ACNE AND STRETCH MARKS
The use of anabolic drugs can result in skin problems like acne and stretch marks.
Acne
Hormonal levels, such as the testosterone, are important for proper functioning of the sebaceous glands. Any imbalance in the testosterone levels may result in outburst of acne, particularly on the back. Many professional bodybuilders have this problem. The only reason why you’re not seeing it on the podium as often is because they conceal it with skin tan.
Stretch Marks
The occurrence of stretch marks may not result directly from anabolic use. However, when you go through the first cycles, you can experience rapid muscle growth.
As a result your skin fails to keep track with such rapid change, which is the cause of stretch marks. They are usually located on the sides of the upper lats or the pectorals, and can also be seen on the biceps.
RAPID MUSCLE MASS GROWTH
You go to the same gym ever day, and you see the same guys doing the same routines but never gaining any progress, although they were muscular to begin with.
Then, one day you enter the gym and you see that same guy gained 25 pounds of muscles in just three months. And he’s lifting like a crazy for two hours straight!!! Bet you he’s been playing with vitamin S. Although that kind of transformation is doable, it takes much more than a couple of months.
SUMMARY
Knowing the signs of anabolics doesn’t give us the right to call everyone with V shaped body a user. After all, some people do have perfect genes.
Others work hard to achieve that type of physique, following good training protocols, dedicated dieting and lifestyle. And there are those that have years and years of training under their belts.
A person that fits only one criteria is not necessarily a drug user. However, if someone fits at least three of the above mentioned criteria is probably on vitamin S. Learning how to recognize anabolic users may help you in staying away from programs that promise you instant results, which could be achieved only with the help of pharmaceuticals.
