Can steroids cause weight gain?
Are you a big fan of the ‘Hulk’ or other superheroes? Or maybe you just want to bulk up and look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime. Whatever your reasons may be for wanting to build muscle, taking steroids might seem like an easy way out. But beware, the use of drugs can have silent side-effects that hit us hard when least expected!
One major concern people have is whether taking steroids can lead to weight gain. Let’s explore this topic and see if it’s true.
What are Steroids?
Before we dive into the meaty part of our conversation today, let’s first cover what steroids actually are.
Steroids are synthetic hormones designed to mimic testosterone – giving the effect of rapid muscle growth while suppressing inflammation (pain management), increasing red blood cell production along with enhancing appetite and bone density.
Steroids come in two forms: Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids & Corticosteroids
Anabolic-androgenic:
Used mainly by athletes & bodybuilders looking to enhance their physical performance , increase strength at a faster rate & maximize muscle mass growth .
Anabolic refers purely towards skeletal muscular development whereas Androgenic means increased male physical attributes such as facial hair growth , deepening voice modulation etc
On one hand, these steroid-type aids help one develop big muscular bodies whilst transforming from zero-to-hero within weeks yet on another note it comes packed with potential fatal concerns that may often plague having made an unhealthy choice.
Cortico-Steroid medication :
On the flipside there exists certain cortico kinds used mostly each time you opt up on dosages prescribed . They help alleviate any symptoms related primarily towards illness/condition/injury situations however they come attached along with several irritating setbacks
- Elevated sugar levels
- Excessive bloating or water retention
- Increase stress hormone secretion
and so forth
Hmm…sounds like there’s a lot to consider before even thinking about steroids. Let’s get into the topic of weight gain specifically.
The Connection Between Steroids & Weight Gain
Weight gain has often been associated with steroid use, and it can happen in different ways:
1. Water Retention
Steroid consumption just as frequently triggers water retention across obvious areas such as face/ neck region or lower limb extremeties resulting in unsightly swelling phenomenon .
The increase in body fluids mimics seamless fat gains that impede real-time progress monitoring .
Statistically measured on scales creates fluctuating readings impacting your growth chart.
2. Fat Distribution within Muscle Tissue
Another reason behind ‘flab confusions’ is increased adipose cells deposition [HOLD ON… what!? ]. Steroids may contribute towards excessive fatty tissues plumping up underlying muscles despite injecting extra kilocalories for muscle mass building.
This could cause people who take steroids to experience sudden gains or fluctuations in weight — which might not always be because of an actual change in their physical musculature but due to hormonal variations occurring via medicinal modification.
3.Increase Calories Intake & Appetite
Remember those commercials where everyone talks about eating disorders? Well, turns out that taking certain kinds of steroids (corticosteroids) prescribed by physicians could lead to an unexpected urge spike among consumers whose appetite presently exceeds requirement levels on benchmarking charts leading onwards towards eventual obesity-related issues .
And too-much-of-anything cannot be good news, right?
Potential Clinical Scenarios :
Do note : While some folks opt for administering high dosages each time period intervals being well adjusted under constant expert professional surveillance , less orthodox behaviour can have serious financial burden implications along
with dangerous health-related consequences–both for normal non-steroid users and athletes humping themselves over beyond safety precautions!
Disorders :
Certain pre-existing medical condition or changes induced by stakeholder modifications could very easily trigger relapse in disease progression or disorder-specific complications for example :
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Insulin Resistance
Mood Swings
Increased levels of steroids bring about annoying mood swings such as depression like symptoms or mania analogous conditions when substance abuse takes over as the precursor instead of medical diagnosis management .
Final Verdict
Steroids can indeed lead to weight gain, but it’s not necessarily a straight-forward mechanism at play.
It depends on the type and amount consumed that ultimately decide if an individual would be impacted enough resulting into lasting unwarranted effects within normal health regulations.
So next time you’re contemplating steroids as a solution to bulking up quickly, remember: While short-term gains might look good right now , what’s coming your way down-the road is anything but healthy lifestyle switching practices.
Stay natural!