Women and Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic steroids have been around for more than 70 years. The predominant users of these steroids have been men but over the past 30 years, women have also started to abuse these drugs. In fact, it is widely believed that many female athletes from the Eastern bloc countries in the 70s and 80s were loaded with anabolic steroids during sporting events. In North America, use of anabolic steroids is common but not often reported. Since the screening has become more rigid, many women are discreet about their usage patterns.

It is estimated that about 7% of high school girls have tried anabolic steroids and this number increases slightly over time. In sports, the number of women who take anabolic steroids is not really known but is believed to be quite high. Many women now seem to be taking anabolic steroids at a younger age. Once the body is built they enter professional sports where they only need maintenance treatments to keep up their physique.

The Problem
All the available anabolic steroids are synthetic derivatives of the male sex hormone, testosterone.  These drugs posses both anabolic and androgenic properties. Men take anabolic steroids to build muscle. Females take anabolic steroids for many more reasons.

Like men, women use anabolic steroid to build their body and also be competitive in the field of sports. There is also one important fact which all females have to know- the side effects and complications of anabolic steroids are much worse in females than in males.

Availability of anabolic steroids

Over the years, countless anabolic steroids have been developed and many have been discontinued by the pharmaceutical companies. Today, the majority of anabolic steroids are available only for hospital use to treat certain medical disorders.

Anabolic steroids for personal use are only available through illegal means. Some women get their steroids from foreign countries like Mexico, Thailand, Europe or over the internet. In each and every case, the quality and purity of these illegally acquired anabolic steroids remains questionable. Plus, many of the illegally acquired anabolic steroids have contaminants and fake products are also common.

The most popular anabolic steroids used by women include:
     
    Winstrol
    Depo testosterone
    Halotestin
    Anadriol
    Stanozolol
    Equipose
    Oxandrin

Most women usually start off with the low doses and generally take the drugs for a few months. Unlike men, the dose in women does not have to be high to produce the anabolic effects. When the dose is increased, many of the anabolic steroids have undesirable side effects which are not always reversible. Women who take these steroids see a noticeable effect in their body after about 3-4 weeks. The initial weight gain is usually from water retention and then the muscle mass build up follows. A female must exercise in order to build the body. Taking anabolic steroids without any formal exercise program only leads to obesity.

Most women who take anabolic steroids develop increased protein mass and reduced body fat. Women who have used anabolic steroids in the past claim that these drugs create a positive euphoria and increased awareness. Besides developing a sexy and trim body, these women also notice the obvious increase in strength. Unlike men, women experience a heightened sexual arousal when taking anabolic steroids.
Dose

Unlike men, the amount of anabolic steroid required to build the body is significantly much less in women. Women also tend to build the body faster then men. The key for all women who take anabolic steroids is to start low. The low doses mean fewer chances of side effects and minimal complications.
Side effects

Like all drugs, side effects also occur with anabolic steroids. The most common side effects seen in women who take these drugs include the following:

These side effects do not occur in all women nor do they all occur at the same time. Estimates indicate that about 1-5% of women suffer from some type of side effect. However, with long term use, a high proportion of women do develop mental issues which often never reverse. When the drugs are discontinued, unfortunately, not all the side effects are reversible.
Why women take anabolic steroids

Unlike men, women take anabolic steroids for several reasons. Some women have a body dysmorphic disorder- meaning they look at themselves in the mirror and are unhappy at what they see. Other women who take anabolic steroid to get bigger and stronger so that they can protect themselves. Others take the steroids to become competitive in sports.
Steroid abuse

The exact data on steroid abuse in women are unknown; every now and then a female athlete is caught with steroids in the body. Because of stringent screening criteria, the numbers of users are down but by no means eliminated. Many women take these steroids during the off season or while away on vacation.
Final point

Anabolic steroid use is common among women. Even though women are new to the body building scene they do know what it takes to build a body faster. There are some researchers who now indicate that women should abstain from use of anabolic steroids. Proper exercise and nutrition should be encouraged because the long term mental problems lead to disturbances in lifestyle.

Overall, most women who have taken steroids in the past now claim that the use of anabolic steroids never enhanced their competitive potential, but made a big difference in their sexuality.

Side Effects of Steroids for Women

Steroids are synthetic versions of the hormone testosterone. Doctors prescribe steroids to treat medical conditions, such as delayed puberty and wasting diseases. Steroids are also used illegally for improved athletic abilities and physical appearance. Though steroid abuse was once popular primarily among bodybuilders, it has grown increasingly common among males and females of various walks of life, according to the United States Department of Justice. Steroids may cause numerous side effects in women.

Menstrual Abnormalities and Infertility
Male and female bodies produce testosterone. In women's bodies, testosterone is stored in the ovaries and other tissues throughout the reproductive system. Since steroids replicate testosterone, steroid use may trigger hormonal shifts. As a result, women may experience menstrual abnormalities my occur. Women may experience fewer periods, lighter or heavier menstrual flow, erratic periods or unusual premenstrual symptoms. If a woman stops menstruating , a condition called amenhorrea, it may indicate infertility--another potential side effect of steroid use according to the United States Department of Justice.

Masculine Effects
The term androgenic refers to changes males encounter during puberty. Due to the androgenic properties of steroids, women may experience side effects similar to symptoms males experience during pubescent years, such as a deeper voice and increased body or facial hair. According to the Mayo Clinic, steroid use may also cause unusual clitoris growth and baldness. Women's breasts may reduce in size and some effects, such as voice changes, may be permanent.

Emotional Effects
Steroids may also affect a woman's emotions. Potential emotional side effects include mood swings, mania, a false sense of invincibility, depression, anxiousness, irritability and hostility. Though emotional side effects of steroids can affect women and men, women may experience worsened moods during before menstruation. Women with history of mental illness, such as depression or anxiety, may risk relapses or greater need for psychological treatment. According to the Mayo Clinic, people may become dependent on steroids, resulting in heightened emotional problems during and after steroid use.

Physical Effects
In addition to appearance and menstrual changes, steroids may cause severe acne, water retention or bloating, liver disorders, sexual disorders and unhealthy cholesterol levels. High cholesterol caused by steroids may lead to cardiovascular conditions, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Taking steroids during pregnancy may negatively affect fetal development.

HGH – Human Growth Hormone

HGH is a naturally occurring hormone in the human body that is produced by the pituitary gland. A release of HGHRH and SST by the hypothalamus coincide with the amount of HGH released by the pituitary gland. HGH is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction/regeneration. Being a stress hormone, it also raises the concentration of glucose and free fatty acids and, most importantly, stimulates the production of IGF-1 from the liver. The peptide has shown the ability to increase the sizes of cells and the rate of cell mitosis.

Enhancement of macro/micro nutrient absorption has also been proven with the use of HGH; specifically the conversion of material into protein. In studies, it has been found that HGH also alters the rate in which carbohydrates and fats are utilized. Studies indicate that the use of carbohydrates is decreased while the use of fats are increased. It is believed that, partially, the advantage of HGH and fat loss comes from such a mechanism. HGH is secreted in rhythmic pulse while one is sleeping due to the melodic release of HGHRH and SST, which control the gateway to the release. HGH also carries with it the ability to stimulate the production of cartilage, though secondarily. When HGH is released, it also causes a release of IGF through the liver in response. IGF is known for its cartilage growth and reproductive properties.

In recent years, HGH has been popularized as a vitality drug. Many TRT companies are providing prescribed legal HGH to their clients to promote an anabolic and age defying synergy with their trt doses. Studies indicate that a very low dosage of HGH will be enough for fat burning properties to take effect. Technically, 2iu of HGH should be enough for even the larger bodybuilder to see fat burning properties, but the gold standard in the bodybuilding community has been a minimum of 4iu (broken into two doses a day) for fat burning and above 6iu for its anabolic properties. The duration of cycle has been popularized at 6 months, though you will start to see results in as little as two months. Many bodybuilders will stack HGH with steroids and other compounds to cause a profound anabolic and fat burning effect. The use of HGH, testosterone, insulin, IGF-1, and thyroid hormones have become a staple in any pro bodybuilder’s regimen for contest prep.   The use of HGH does not come without risk. Two of the biggest risks that a user should be worried about are the fact that HGH makes everything grow, including cancer cells and the use of anabolics with HGH has been shown to cause an enlarging of the heart (cardiomegaly) which can lead to many serious complications. Doctors supervision is always recommended when using any compound.

A fair warning to all who wish to purchase HGH. One can pay as much as 2 dollars for one single iu of HGH on the black market. With the legal market being about five times as expensive its easy to see why people may choose to go this route. HGH is very popular in the black market, and for that reason its also highly counterfeited. When trying to purchase HGH on the black market, make sure you are relying on a trustable source. As always, going the legal route is the route that everyone should take. But the reality of the situation is that people will buy black market. Make sure to check reviews, don’t get scammed.

Basic steroid cycle info for women

Important to remember, steroids BUILD muscle, and are not for fat loss purposes. If losing some extra pounds and toning up is your goal, then there are many products out there, geared to losing weight, besides the obvious of making a change in diet and your exercise routine.

Steroids should be considered when you have worked out for at least two years or more and are at your ideal body weight. Then any gains made by the steriod use, will be pure muscle, and your hard earned money will not be wasted.

A great beginner cycle for women is Anavar. Anavar is one of the mildest anabolics out there, with low androgenic activity. It is known to increase strength and add quality muscle. Any women fearing side effects should definitely stick to Anavar. At a low dose of 5 mg everyday, most women see no ill side effects. A typical cycle should run from 6-8 weeks.

Primobolan is another mild steroid. It does not convert into estrogen, which is a plus, if water retention is a worry for you. Most women respond well to a dosage of 50-100mg per week. A typical time frame to run this would be 8-10 weeks. Some side effects to watch out for include oily skin, acne and a possible increase in facial/body hair. Primobolan will give a slow, steady increase in strength and builds quality muscle.

Winstrol can be taken orally or be injected. Winstrol should not be used for a beginner’s cycle. Most women either love winny or they hate it. It is a favorable drug to be used in a cutting cycle, when your diet is good. Winstrol builds mass and gives awesome strength gains. Side effects can occur, and things to watch out for include deepening of voice, enlarged or sensitive clitoris, and acne. Women usually take 5-10mg daily. Keeping this dose low will decrease chances of unwanted side effects. It is usually wise to split the dose up during the day, to keep blood levels on an even base. With the injection, usually 25mg every 3rd or 4th day is a normal dosing. Run this cycle for 8 weeks. Remember to take milk thistle, because this steroid is stressful on the liver.

Deca is a popular steriod among female competitors. Even though it is only slightly androgenic, sometimes virilization can be expected. Keeping the doses low and monitoring for sides can nip these unwanted sides early. Sides will include excess facial/body hair; some women on the other hand report cases of losing hair. Once again, low dosing is key. Deca is not a fast builder of muscle, but slow, gradual gainer of muscle and strength. Women should start at around 50mg per week. If virilization is at all a concern, then possibly trying the shorter acting nadrolone Durabolin might be a option.

If you must dabble in testosterone, then Test Prop should be the choice; only because it is in and out of your system fast. So if any unwanted sides appeared, all that you need to do is stop using, and it will be cleared from your system fast. It’s good to spread the injections out, generally using 25mg to 50mg per injection, every 5 to 7 days. This cycle should exceed 8 weeks. Sides to look for include clitoral enlargement; excess facial/body hair; deepening of voice; oily skin; acne; and increase sexual libido (not a bad side, really ) It is very important to monitor your self closely while using test.

Women do not need to taper on their cycles of steroids; once the cycle is over, then just discontinue use (one good benefit of not having balls).

A lot of side effects brought on by anabolic steriod use is irreversible for women. Make sure you have researched and read personal testimonies before choosing your drug.

What are the Best Steroids for Women?

It may seem surprising but Anadrol (oxymetholone) is a good choice for women who wish to be conservative yet have very effective results.

Medically, you’d be astonished at the doses women and even girls have taken with very low virilization rates. So anyway, contrary to what intuition might suggest, Anadrol is not one of the riskier choices for women.

That aside, 15 mg/day of Anavar (oxandrolone) will be virilizing in quite a few cases. Probably about 5 mg/day of oxandrolone is comparable to 25 mg/day Anadrol (divided doses) for risk.

Primobolan up to 50 mg/week, divided injections, is a common and reasonable choice, but has some risk: not a particularly high rate though.

In the earlier parts of Denise Rutkowski’s career, he had her on 25 mg/day Anadrol. I тще a secret, because he also published this. She obviously did very well with it and at that point she was not virilized at all.

The medical doses are pretty astonishing. The reason that 50 mg is the tablet size is because that’s the standard minimal medical dose, including for women and children! It used to be used extensively for improving red blood cell count.

You see some women developing hoarse voices and facial hair naturally with time, so there must be some women that are right on the edge. But generally speaking, this is a conservative dose, yet quite effective.

The mg amount that women can tolerate of Anadrol is markedly higher than any other anabolic steroid. However, that said, it’s also true that effect per mg is less, but not enough so to make up the safety difference IMO. I would put 25 mg/day Anadrol (in divided doses) up against 50 mg/week Primo any time for effectiveness and it’s at least equally conservative.

Another thing about Anadrol that’s remarkable is that other anabolic steroids are very easily disruptive of the menstrual cycle. Even dosages such as 2.5 mg oxandrolone 2x/day commonly raise issues. Anadrol however medically has shown often only moderate effect on the menstrual cycle at 50 mg/day, 25 mg/day only lightened and shortened the cycles slightly. Remarkably less disruptive.

As a rough rule of thumb: take a dosage that would be quite moderate for a man, nearly the minimum likely to be recommended that could still give reasonable results for a novice, then divide by 10 to have something that’s moderate but effective for a woman.

For each individual steroid, suggested mild-but-effective dosage range may differ from the above slightly, and of course the above also is only approximate because there will be diffferent opinions as to what would be moderate for a man. But if having nothing else to work with, if you see or are considering a dosage and want to do a quick “reality check,” the above can help. For example, say that someone is proposing EQ at 100 mg/week. Multiply by 10, and our comparison would be to 1000 mg/week of EQ for a man. That’s well above being a mild cycle. So we can see at a glance that this EQ dose is off, without having had to remember specific values for each steroid.

Returning to the stacks and in general to anabolic steroids other than Anadrol for women:

It couldn’t possibly be that some stacking method might give better ratio of muscle gain to side effects, but as to whether we know what that is, that’s another question entirely. The best understood uses are single-drug, and single-drug works fine. Primo or Anadrol are my top two choices for bodybuilding and fitness; oxandrolone is also acceptable but must be lower dosed than those two; for quality of life enhancement, very very low dose testosterone works fine.

Steroid Hormone Powders for Female's Bodybuilding

Lots of people have very strong convictions against women using steroids. The most common misconceptions involve the strain of thought that steroids will turn a woman into a muscle-bound man with a vagina. Although this may be true in some cases, the fact remains that steroids could be very beneficial to women.


It is often believed that women on steroids have or will in-fact sacrifice all femininity but this is a dubious assumption. Many women on steroids build and maintain very beautiful physiques ripe with feminine appeal; those that do simply understand what to use and how to use it. For years some of the most beautiful fitness models from around the world have supplemented with such hormones.


With that in mind, the only question is which anabolic steroids can women take? Without question, the number one anabolic steroid for any woman is Oxandrolone; more commonly known by its most popular trade name Anavar. Anavar is the most female friendly steroid. Anavar is such a female friendly steroid, in most performance based circles it is informally referred to as “The Girl Steroid.” This steroid carries the lowest virilization rate of any anabolic steroid.


While Anavar should be any woman’s top choice, there are other steroids that can be solid options. Of such steroids, Primobolan Depot (methenolone enanthate) is the second most female friendly anabolic steroid. Oral Primobolan can be used, but as it is not a C17-aa oral steroid it is not recommended as most of it will be destroyed by the liver. At any rate, most women will find they tolerate 100mg of Primobolan Depot a week fairly well, but they must limit their use with 4 weeks of use generally being a safe time frame and 6 weeks being the max.


Then we have the Stanozolol hormone, more commonly known as Winstrol. This one is more or less a 50/50 shot; about half the women who supplement with it will tolerate it well, perhaps a little more than half will tolerate it well, but it falls below Anavar tremendously in-terms of toleration. If it can be tolerated, most women will find 10mg every other day to be all they need. Injectable and oral Winstrol are both fine.


Clomid can be used to stimulate ovulation. It works by blocking estrogen receptors at the hypothalamus, which is an important "hormonal control center" for the body. When this happens, the hypothalamus is stimulated to release follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH). These are the naturally occurring ovarian stimulants, which prompt ovulation in a normal cycle.

What Women Need to Know About Growth Hormone

Women make more growth hormone (GH) than men. This is a (strange, but true) fact we established in my last article. We also established that the production of estrogen seems to be positively correlated with our levels of human growth hormone. The more estrogen we have circulating, the more growth hormone we produce. So, what does this really mean for us? Can we capitalize on our production of growth hormone? What happens when we aren’t making as much estrogen anymore? And can we use supplements and nutrition to enhance production of growth hormone and its effects?

Growth Hormone, Estrogen, and Testosterone
First, we make more growth hormone than men. Weird, right? It’s a pretty darn anabolic hormone and given that men are generally so much bigger and more muscular than us ladies, it seems odd that we make more. How is it we aren’t hulking she-beasts? Well, while there aren’t a lot of studies out there discussing this, I feel we don’t get as muscular as men largely due to the fact we do not make as much testosterone as men. Yes, while we make a lot of growth hormone, without coupling that with testosterone, muscle growth is limited.
However, it is very common to see women start to lose muscle and gain fat when they start going through menopause (when their estrogen starts to decrease). Most people associate this with the drop in estrogen, but I am inclined to think it is the combination of the loss of estrogen and growth hormone that contributes to this problem. Growth hormone and estrogen both have positive effects on hair, skin, and nails, and when we go through menopause these things tend to suffer. We lose our hair, our skin gets dry and creepy, our nails break and crack. I truly believe these two things combined and their dramatic reduction causes accelerated aging, loss of muscle and fat accumulation.

Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy
Which brings up a great question, what in the heck do we do when we go through menopause and our estrogen takes a nosedive? Well, if you ask me, I say find someone who specializes in bio-identical hormone replacement and start bio-identical estrogen (and probably testosterone) therapy. We know that women and men who are given exogenous estrogen produce more growth hormone. We also know that once the ovaries stop working our estrogen level plummets, and you’ll be hard pressed to get your natural levels to come up on their own. Thus, the only way you can really get adequate levels of estrogen and therefore, healthy levels of growth hormone, is to supplement estrogen. Bio-identical therapy is the safest and most beneficial way to go about doing that.

What’s Up With the Muscle-y Ladies?
Of course, we all know some women who are naturally much more muscular than average and if you’re into fitness and health this is usually seen as a good thing. Of course, many of us see a muscular woman and jump to the conclusion she must be using steroids. Before we accuse these ladies of  “using,” let’s consider they may be making the most of their higher growth hormone production. There are several ways they may be doing things differently that allows them to take advantage of their GH.
First, these muscular women are probably engaging in some very intense exercise. Hard-hitting workouts increase growth hormone levels in both men and women, with the highest GH production occurring when workouts last longer than ten minutes and push athletes past their lactate threshold. General strength training has been shown to increase GH levels in both men and women. However, women need more intense strength training with less rest and more work done in a set amount of time to raise their growth hormone above baseline. This may be why we see women who engage in intense workouts like CrossFit developing more muscular and leaner physiques. The intense exercise, little rest, and considerable volume of work CrossFit athletes engage in on a regular basis primes their bodies to produce more GH, form muscle, and burn fat.
Women athletes can also maximize their GH production by eating protein post-workout. Studies have shown GH levels increase with the ingestion of whey protein after a workout. Also, due to the high GH levels and increased insulin sensitivity post workout, macronutrients eaten after a workout will be shuttled into muscle cells and be used to fuel and grow new muscle. If you aren’t taking advantage of the post-workout window by ingesting protein, namely whey protein, then you are missing a grand opportunity to improve your body composition and up your GH.
Oh, and occasionally not eating can also increase your GH levels. You may have heard of intermittent fasting. There are tons of benefits to fasting besides increased GH production, of course, but it has been shown to increase GH by 1300% in women during a 24-hour fast. WHAT?! This is thought to occur in an effort to protect the bodies lean muscle mass and protect other metabolic functions. The key word here is intermittent, however. If you fast too often or for too long your body will be forced to slow its metabolism and alter endocrine production to stay alive. You’ll likely end up burning muscle and hanging on to fat.

Supplements and Sleep for More Growth Hormone
There are some important supplements you may also want to add to improve your growth hormone production. The amino acids arginine and orthinine have both been associated with increased GH levels. The magic dose of arginine appears to be somewhere between 5 and 9 grams daily and orthinine is around 170 mg per kilogram per day. Studies have shown that only high doses of these two supplements actually stimulates an increase in GH. So, if you’re going to supplement with these two amino acids don’t waste your money by doing tiny doses.
Lastly, let’s talk about sleep! Have you ever heard that your body repairs itself at night? Sure you have. Now, be honest. Are you getting enough shuteye? If you’re not, you’re missing a prime opportunity to allow your body to produce GH. This is actually when the body normally produces the majority of growth hormone. So sleep is pretty darn important to recovery and body composition goals. Quality and quantity of shuteye are also are important. Make it a goal to get around eight hours of sleep per night and make sure you are following those sleep rules. You want a cool, dark room, and you want to avoid stimulation from the TV, computer, and exercise prior to bed.
So, that about sums it up. Ladies, if you want to get leaner, stronger, and keep your bones, skin, and hair healthy and pretty, then you want to maximize your growth hormone production. If you can implement the aforementioned strategies you’ll be well on your way to making the most of your naturally higher GH levels.