How anabolic steroids are taken

Anabolic steroids are usually injected into the muscle, but some are available intablet form,or as creams or gels that areapplied to the skin.

Most people who use anabolic steroids are aware of the dangers of taking them,and have ways of getting the desired effect without the undesirable side effects.

This involvesinjecting the drugs for aperiod of time and then stopping for a rest period before starting again. This is known as "cycling".

More than one type ofanabolic steroid may be used at a time. Users believe this increases the effectiveness, and is known as "stacking".

The term "pyramiding" refers to a combination of both stacking and cycling. One or more anabolic steroid is taken in a low dose.This is gradually increased to a maximum dose over 6 to 12 weeks, before the dose is reducedto zero to give the body a break and the cycle is started again.

Users tend to exercise more when they're taking high doses to make the most of their improved performance during this time.

Athletes have been known to try to time their injections so the drug is out of their system by the time they're drug tested .

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Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018