Ways To Reduce The Risk Of Side Effects When Using Steroids
Anabolic steroids can help speed recovery so you can fit in more workouts. They can assist you in increasing lean body mass, improving muscle definition, and boosting your endurance. However, some athletes steer clear of steroids because they fear side effects like acne, mood changes, and loss of sex drive. If you'd like to get the benefits of steroids with a lower risk of these side effects, follow these tips:
Choose your dose carefully.
When you purchase steroid supplements, they are likely to come with rather generic dosing instructions. They might tell you to take 1 - 3 scoops per day, for example. If you want to avoid side effects, you'll need to hone in on the proper dose more precisely. This can be quite the challenge, since the right dose depends on your age, percent body fat, workout routine, gender, and a range of other factors.
The best way to determine the right dose of steroids for you is to work closely with a coach or trainer who has overseen numerous other athletes who have used the exact supplement you are using. Such a person will have observed numerous other people experimenting with their dosing and can make an educated recommendation for you based on those observations. Be prepared to switch to a different steroid supplement if you cannot find a trainer in your area who has knowledge of the one you're currently using. Also, be aware that your trainer may change your dose a couple of times before finding the right one for you.
Get enough sleep.
Many of the side effects of steroids are psychological -- depression, anger, anxiety, nervousness. All of these issues are made worse when you do not get enough sleep. In fact, some athletes who blame their mood problems on steroids are probably just overworking themselves and not getting enough sleep to recover properly.
Though experts recommend about 8 hours of sleep for the average person, as an athlete in heavy training, you might need even more sleep in order for your body to recover (and your moods to stay stable). If you're still tired after sleeping for 8 hours, start going to bed earlier and aiming for 9 - 10 hours instead. Also, make sure that your workouts end at least an hour before you go to bed. Working out too close to bedtime can decrease the quality of your sleep, making it harder to stave off the mood issues your steroids put you at risk for.
Consider your other supplements carefully.
If you're taking a whole cocktail of supplements, it's hard to blame any side effects on any specific one of them. When you're using steroids to boost your athletic performance, try to minimize your other supplements. Only use ones that you have used before without any problems or side effects. This way, when you do experience side effects, you know it's the steroids and can work with your trainer to adjust your dose accordingly.
Also, read the labels of any additional supplements that you plan to use very carefully. Many performance enhancing supplements include steroids, and if you accidentally take one of these along with your main steroid dose, you might be effectively increasing your total dose, leading to side effects. Some supplements may also interfere with the action of steroids or make side effects more likely, so watch out for warnings of this type on labels. Really, when you're taking steroids, the only other supplements you should really need to take are vitamins, minerals, and protein after workouts.
If you want to improve your athletic performance, the best legal steroids can help. Just make sure you follow the advice above to keep them from causing unwanted side effects.
