Anabolic steroids is the familiar name for synthetic substances
             related to the male sex hormone androgen. Anabolic steroids
             promote the growth of skeletal muscle and the development of male
             sexual characteristics, and have other effects as well. Anabolic
             steroids were first developed in the late 1930's to treat
             hypogonadism. The primary medical use are to treat delayed
             puberty, some types of impotence, and wasting of the body caused
             by HIV infection and other diseases. During the 1930's, scientists
             found that anabolic steroids could improve the growth of skeletal
             muscle in laboratory animals. This led to the use of steroids to
             mostly bodybuilders and weightlifters and then by athletes in other
             sports. The abuse of steroids is extremely dangerous to the body,
             not only physically, but mentally as well. Steroid abuse has since
             become so widespread in athletics that it affects the outcome of
             More than one hundred different anabolic steroids have been
             developed, but they require a prescription to be used legally in the
             United States. Most steroids that are used illegally are smuggled in
             from other countries, or illegally diverted from U.S pharmacies. In
             the U.S many supplements can be purchased legally without a
             prescription mostly in health food stores. They are often taken
             because the user thinks that they have anabolic effects. Steroidal
             supplements can be converted into testosterone, the important male
             sex hormone, in the body. Whether or not these conversions
             produces enough testosterone to promote muscle growth is
             unknown. Not much is known about the side effects of steroidal
             supplements, but if large amounts of these supplements increase the
             testosterone levels in the body, they are likely to produce the same
             There have been small studies that say that anabolic steroids,
             mostly in high doses, increase irritability and aggression. Some
             abusers said t...