Research
Hormonal
Unsupervised anabolic steroid use involves cyclical polypharmacy with doses ranging from 250 to 3200 mg/week, resulting in skeletal muscle hypertrophy but accompanied by frequent physical side effects including acne, striae, and gynaecomastia.
This paper profiles unsupervised steroid users, not a safe protocol. It highlights that high-dose, cyclical steroid use combined with other drugs (polypharmacy) leads to muscle growth but also frequent physical side effects like acne and gynecomastia. Medical professionals should be aware of these physical signs to identify users.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Multiple steroids are combined in megadoses and self administered in a cyclical fashion. Polypharmacy is practised by over 80% of steroid users. Skeletal muscle hypertrophy along with acne, striae, and gynaecomastia are frequent physical signs associated with steroid use.
Why this rating
Self-reported survey data from a specific geographic sample (South Wales) with potential self-selection bias.
Source
Gym and tonic: a profile of 100 male steroid users.
Nick A. Evans · British Journal of Sports Medicine · 1997
DOI 10.1136/bjsm.31.1.54
cross_sectional · n=100Cited 183×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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