Muscle soreness after training is common, especially after starting a new program, trying a new exercise, or increasing training volume. Knowing how to reduce muscle soreness is useful, but the method matters. Some popular recovery strategies reduce soreness while also interfering with the processes that build strength and muscle size. This article explains what causes […]
Most discussions of steroids and heart health focus on risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol. But research using heart imaging suggests that anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) can also affect the heart directly, changing the size of the heart muscle, how well it pumps and relaxes, and the condition of the arteries that supply it. […]
The link between steroids and blood pressure is one of the better-documented cardiovascular effects of anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use. Prospective research has found that blood pressure tends to rise during AAS use, and cross-sectional studies have found higher rates of elevated blood pressure among users than among non-users. These changes matter because high blood pressure […]
Some male bodybuilders appear to have very large biceps and comparatively small triceps, and some women would like to build a similar look. So, can women build big biceps in that way? Women can build noticeably larger biceps with consistent training. However, the “big biceps, small triceps” look does not match how the upper arm […]
Many lifters notice that their muscles keep growing while their lifts stall, or that someone visibly smaller can outlift someone more muscular. The question of muscle size vs strength comes down to one central point: muscle size is one determinant of strength, but it is not the only one. Larger muscles generally have a greater […]
The relationship between steroids and cholesterol is an important part of understanding the cardiovascular effects of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS). Research has frequently associated non-medical AAS use with changes in blood lipids, most consistently lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and, in many studies, higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). These changes matter because cholesterol is transported through […]
Libido after steroids can change noticeably once anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use ends. Some former users notice a clear drop in sexual desire, while others notice little difference. Much of this variation relates to how the body’s hormonal environment shifts after external androgens are discontinued. AAS can suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, reducing the signals that […]
Fertility recovery after steroids can take several months, and in some cases considerably longer. Unlike changes in blood testosterone, recovery of sperm production involves restoration of the reproductive hormone system and the gradual return of normal spermatogenesis. The available evidence therefore does not support one universal recovery deadline for everyone who stops anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS). […]
