The Anabolic Steroids Family Tree is a framework that explains how certain steroids impact differently in the body and how they are helpful in muscle performance and building procedures.
Generally, the most commonly used anabolic steroids fall into three categories of the steroids family tree: Testosterones and its derivatives, Dihydrotestosterones, and its derivatives, and Nandrolone and its derivatives.
Many derivatives in each family have similar characteristics; there are exceptions, though. This blog post will be an overarching introduction about how each anabolic category can be leveraged in the steroid family tree and your general compound selection.
Let’s get started!
Role of Anabolic Steroids in Muscle Building and Performance Enhancement
As far as the body is concerned, numerous operations in the body can be promoted or discouraged by the consumption of anabolic steroids.
In order to avoid complications in this article with minutia, we will offer you a bird’s-eye view of the effective mechanisms that drive the bodybuilders and athletic performance and muscle building through exogenous anabolics.
While picking which anabolic steroids are most conducive to personal goals, the following mechanisms must be considered. Analyzing which mechanism generates the compounds that are highly levered towards your desired goals must be favored.
- Enhanced anabolic activity through androgen receptor activation, 5α- reduction, aromatization, or downstream conversion into metabolites plays a pivotal role in muscle building and enhancement
- Production of Erythropoietin (EPO) leads to increased aerobic performance.
- Psychoactive effects in the brain are required for more robust training and subsequent enhancement in muscle size
- Antagonism of glucocorticoid receptors that prohibits proteins decomposition and increase muscle size and mass through muscle sparing
When you begin to dig out rabbit holes of how the outcomes of the anabolic steroids are impacting the body in different ways, it can be very overwhelming to comprehend and make heads or tails of what should be your optimal choice to achieve personal goals.
Moreover, after you have become a master athlete, who understands the body’s needs, you will generally understand which compounds are necessary for your body based on your goals.
Subsequently, you will also be able to analyze your body’s capability to bear the side effects of the steroids, your health state, your history associated with the steroids, and a myriad of factors involved.
Undoubtedly, a wise selection of compounds can lead to successful outcomes. For instance, an optimal protocol required by the bodybuilder will be entirely different from the requirement of the MMA fighter.
1. Testosterone and its Derivatives
In this part of the family tree, Testosterone is the parent hormone. Technically speaking: Testosterone is the parent hormone of the entire anabolic steroid family tree because both Nandrolone and DHT are also Testosterone derivatives.
Among Testosterone, other noticeable testosterone derivatives helpful for performance enhancement in this family are:
- Equipoise (Boldenone)
- Halotestin
- Turinabol
- Testosterone
- Dianabol
Boldenone, Testosterone, and Dianabol are the most extensively used compounds in the family. It is because these three compounds have a broad spectrum of effects on both anabolic and androgenic functions of the body and have high interaction with aromatase.
Moreover, they substantially impact the red blood cell count in the body and metabolic systems and show a wide array of body analogous behaviors. They are not wildly anabolic, though.
Generally, this class of the steroid family tree serves the middle ground level of muscle growth, enhancement of the aerobic mechanisms, and neurological effects.
2. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and its Derivatives
Dihydrotestosterone is a 5 alpha-reduction metabolite that is involved in the maturation of sexual genitalia in males and drives the maturity of boys into adult men at the time of puberty.
The compound is more androgenic than Testosterone, and sufficient amounts in androgen-dependent tissues are vital during puberty to ensure complete maturation in the male body.
Though, there is a misconception associated with the DHT derivatives that they are highly androgenic; on the other hand, these DHT derivatives are more tissue selective than Testosterones.
Typically, DHT derivatives that are commonly used for the substantial increase in performance are:
- Primobolan
- Masteron
- DHB
- Superdrol
- Proviron
- Winstrol
- Anadrol
- Anavar
However, DHT derivatives are often considered the bad pick for the muscle-building phase as they cannot produce many outcomes as of Testosterone and 19-Nor families: It’s a myth! DHT derivatives have more targeted action in the body when compared with other families.
With the consumption of DHT derivatives, you can experience no water retention and minimum to no progestogenic side effects leading to pure growth of muscles and relatively higher strength gains in the body as compared to other families.
DHT derivatives are more helpful and generate more outcomes for the sportspeople associated with MMA, as fighters need to fight with low weight without compromising efficiency and performance. They need to have a definite proportion to ensure high performance.
3. Nandrolone and its Derivatives
Nandrolone and its derivatives is the last family in the anabolic steroid family tree. Nandrolone is the parent hormone of this family, and all the remaining compounds in this family are its derivatives. The bodybuilders commonly refer to the derivatives in this class as’ 19-Nors’.
Over the years, the synthesis and documentation of these anabolic steroids have been few, most of which are for birth control in women.
For performance enhancement, the commonly used 19-Nors are:
- Trestolone (MENT)
- Trenbolone
- Nandrolone (19- Nortestosterone)
Generally, 19-Nors are classified by their progestogenic and anabolism activity. However, they are highly anabolic but possess a significant amount of satellite interaction with other body receptors; among all, the most prominent interaction is with the Progesterone receptor.
Wrapping Up- Which Anabolics are Best-Suited for You?
Understanding the optimal behavior of all anabolics and their interaction in the human body can be tricky. Things might get even more challenging when you are an athlete, and you receive weeds of athletic-specific applications, lack of access to specific drugs, and drug tests.
To learn about these drugs and their side effects, split them into categories and educate yourself about them separately. We would recommend not overwhelming yourself while trying to learn every bit of detail at once.
Once you learn about all the compounds and derivatives in the steroid family tree, take your time and implement the information you get to achieve the desired outcomes for your body.
