"Anabolic steroids" is the familiar name for synthetic substances related to male sex hormones . They promote the growth of skeletal muscle and the development of male sexual characteristics in both men and women. The term "anabolic steroids" will be used in this report because of its familiarity, although the correct term for these compounds is "anabolic-androgenic" steroids.
Anabolic steroids were developed in the late 1930s primarily to treat hypogonadism, a condition in which the testes do not produce enough testosterone for normal growth, development, and sexual functioning. The primary medical uses of these compounds are to treat late puberty, some types of impotence, and body wasting caused by HIV infection or other diseases.
During the 1930s, scientists discovered that anabolic steroids could facilitate the growth of skeletal muscle in laboratory animals, which led to the use of these compounds first by bodybuilders and weightlifters and then by athletes in others. sports. The abuse of steroids has spread to such an extent in athletics that could affect the outcome of sports competitions.