Steroids,
more properly called
anabolic-androgenic
steroids, are analogs of the male hormone testosterone.
Steroids are designed to mimic the effects of the testosterone on
humans.
The steroid effects on humans are myriad. Since steroids are developed
primarily to treat various human conditions, these compounds have
legitimate medical uses.
Some of the human diseases that are treated
with steroids are chronic muscle wasting condition, hypogonadism,
cancer, growth problems, and anemia. Steroid effects are not meant only
to remedy illnesses occurring on humans. The therapeutic effects of
steroids are also used on animals. In fact, many of steroids that are
available nowadays that are being used on humans have been originally
developed for veterinary purposes.
The beneficial
effects
of steroids on both humans and animals, however,
have gone beyond the
medical
aspects of these drugs.
Anabolic
Steroids are now
widely used strictly for their anabolic properties. Steroid anabolic
effects on humans include the ideal utilization of proteins by the
human body, which allows an individual to attain endurance and prevent
the occurrence of negative nitrogen balance. Negative nitrogen balance
results to catabolism, also known as muscle loss.
Steroids also act as
anti-inflammatory and this means that they can effectively
help in
protecting the human body from injury as well as promoting fast
recovery from sustained injuries.