All “athletes of science” can relate to this: they deeply resent keyboard warriors who attribute their achievements entirely to performance-enhancing drugs.
They argue that even if they do use drugs, bodybuilders still need to undergo grueling training and maintain discipline year after year to reach their peak competitive condition.
But steroids do provide an advantage, don’t they? They help athletes push past their natural physiological limits and reach heights unattainable under natural conditions.
So the core question is: just how significant is the effect of steroids?
According to research, steroids are so potent that even someone who has never done strength training can gain muscle, increase strength, and lose fat!
The Science Behind It
In one study, researchers recruited 43 men aged 19 to 40 who had experience with resistance training and had never used steroids before.
The participants were divided into four groups:
1. No training, placebo injection
2. No training, testosterone injection
3. Regular training, placebo injection
4. Regular training, testosterone injection
Participants in Groups 2 and 4 received weekly injections of 600 mg of testosterone enanthate for 10 weeks. To put this into perspective: prescription testosterone for medical treatment typically ranges from 100 to 200 mg per week. A weekly dose of 600 mg of testosterone means these participants definitely fall into the category of “performance-enhancing athletes.”
After 10 weeks, the participants who did not train but received steroid injections gained 10% muscle mass; those who trained regularly and used steroids saw even greater gains, increasing their muscle mass by 14%.
—A 10% increase in muscle mass without training? Superphysiological doses of testosterone can achieve this.
In contrast, those who trained regularly but did not use steroids gained 3.5% muscle mass over 10 weeks. Even without training, those using steroids achieved greater gains than natural trainees.
Can Steroids Increase Your Strength Without Training?
In the same study, researchers measured changes in strength across four groups of participants:
Participants who received testosterone injections but did not train saw a 28-pound increase in their squat strength, and their bench press strength also improved; participants who trained regularly saw even greater gains in strength (whether they used testosterone or trained naturally).
However—the group that gained 28 pounds in squat strength out of nowhere never performed squats or any form of resistance training during the 10-week period!
Furthermore, the squat strength of participants who trained regularly and used steroids increased by an average of 83 pounds, representing the most significant improvement.
Can Steroids Help with Fat Loss Without Exercise?
In a 12-week study, seven young men in their early 20s (non-athletes) received weekly injections of testosterone enanthate at a dose of 3 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.
After 12 weeks, the 7 subjects lost an average of 7.5 pounds of fat, and only one of the 7 subjects exercised during the study (the other 6 did not exercise at all during the study). Therefore, researchers concluded that anabolic steroids can aid in fat loss.
Can gains be maintained without training after stopping the drugs?
In the aforementioned study, participants were retested five months after discontinuing the drugs. Their physiques had almost completely reverted to their previous state; the muscle gained through the drugs had largely disappeared, and the fat they had lost had mostly returned.
Had they continued training, a significant portion of the muscle growth induced by steroids could have been retained.
While users cannot retain all the progress made during a cycle after stopping the drugs, they will certainly retain some of the gains if they continue training.
How Should the Average Trainer Approach This Information?
“What’s the point of training? Just get a shot and you’re done!” No, no, I’m just kidding.
Steroids are extremely potent compounds. While they won’t do the training for you, they do offer remarkable advantages—far greater than most steroid users are willing to admit.
But the side effects of steroids are the biggest problem: Overuse can easily lead to cardiovascular disease, causing many bodybuilders to die young. For the average fitness enthusiast, a sustainable training career is more important than short-term results.