Are steroids legal?
Humans have always been competitive about their looks and performance. This is the reason why people consider taking Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) or steroids. There have been many incidents wherein the athletes used PEDs for better performance in the game.
Presently, even energy drinks contain substances like steroids and amphetamines which can lead to slight changes in the blood cells. For the past 40+ years, PEDs are been used for aesthetics. According to a study, around 3.3% of the global population have consumed anabolic steroids at once in their lifetime. The use was not limited to athletes but also high school students and non-athletes. This clearly shows that the use of anabolic steroids is now a serious concern.
What are steroids?
These are chemicals that can boost certain hormones or act like them in the body. These are used to cure a few conditions like low levels of testosterone, reducing inflammation, etc. For instance, inflammation is the normal reaction of the body that occurs due to infection. You may have noticed this reaction after the wound. Generally, steroids are prescribed for a short period of time to treat the condition. One can consume steroids in the form of tablets, creams, ointments, and eye drops. Athletes usually consume anabolic-androgenic steroids as these drugs help in increasing their muscle mass and strength. These drugs help in producing testosterone which further promotes muscle building. Though these drugs are legal, using them for improving athletic performance is not one of them.
Laws related to steroids
After observing cases of misusing steroids, many laws have been laid by many countries. Usage of anabolic steroids is illegal in countries like the US, the UK, Brazil, Portugal, Australia, Argentina, Norway, and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the US has modified the anabolic steroid control act in 2004 & added prohormones (drugs that can amplify the effect of present hormones) to the list. Even athletes found misusing steroids are banned from the game forever.
Legal steroids & illegal steroids
Many steroids are termed legal steroids and refer to supplements that can help in gaining muscles and stamina. These are not the same as anabolic steroids as these are not just prescription-only medications that are used for treating certain health conditions. These legal steroids include various active ingredients like branched-chain amino acid, creatine, caffeine, and beta-alanine.
Consuming anabolic steroids is not illegal but one has to intake them according to an expert’s prescription. These are only advised for treating problems related to hormones. But there is a class of anabolic steroids that are labelled as illegal steroids. These are known as designer drugs and are a form of synthetic steroids. These are made specially to improve the performance of the athletes and do not have any approved medical use. Hence, such drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Conclusion
So some steroids are legal and some are illegal. But in both cases, it is important to go with a medical prescription. For in-depth information related to steroids and their consumption, you can consider participating in GSB Fit workshops. These workshops are planned via online mode so that you can get information from the industry experts at the comfort of your home.
This content is only for education, and we don't promote any felonious commodity. Please, please stay away from harmful commodities for the betterment of our Nation. Use any pharmaceutical drug under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner.
Jai Hind.
https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/steroids/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/legal-steroids#definition
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/performance-enhancing-drugs/art-20046134
