A steroid can be a natural or artificial substance that is based on male sex hormones. The steroid is can be referred to as an anabolic-androgenic steroid which means that it has varying levels of anabolic and androgenic characteristics. There are many different types of steroids and each steroid has its own combination of these characteristics. The anabolic characteristics of a steroid refer to its ability to build muscle and other body tissues while the androgenic characteristics of a steroid refer to its tendency to promote masculine traits.

The history of steroid use may stem back to the middle of the 19th century when scientists were able to isolate testosterone as the hormone that was responsible for masculine characteristics. A hundred years later was the first known steroid use in an athletic competition at the World Weightlifting Championships in Austria. The Soviet team was seen using a performance enhancer and steroid use began to bloom after that. This is also the time when the medical community was beginning to discover the benefits of steroid use for treating various illnesses and symptoms of illnesses.

The side effects of steroid use have a large range of danger factors from life threatening to simply undesirable. Steroid use can cause liver damage and kidney damage as well as increased cholesterol levels and elevated blood pressure. Men might also experience impotence, acne, infertility and premature balding from steroid use. Women who have participated in steroid use might also experience an increase in facial and body hair, a cessation of their menstrual cycle and a deepening of the voice.

Athletes and bodybuilders often turn to steroid use to help enhance their performance and appearance. For these purposes, a steroid is often taken in conjunction with other steroids and drugs for a set period of time which is called a cycle. The right combination of steroids and the right dosages and regimens are important to make steroid use safe and effective with the least possible side effects.