What is Steroids in bodybuilding?

In bodybuilding cycle, when they talk about steroids, it means steroids, anabolic steroids, or anabolic-androgenic steroids? How are the differents and relationship between them? 

"Steroids", "anabolic steroids" and "androgens and anabolic steroids" are three words commonly use in bodybuilding. Usually they represent testosterone, testosterone derivatives, testosterone variants and other synthetic male hormones. But obviously, these are three different kinds.

What is steroids?

Steroids are biologically active organic compounds with four rings arrange in a specific molecular configuration. Its core structure is usually 17 C atoms connected in four rings, and can also be modified more radically, such as cutting one of the rings to produce a new steroid. Phytosteroids and animal steroids are also divided, and animal steroids are divided into sex hormones (including androgens, estrogens and progesterone), corticosteroids (glucocorticoids and salocorticoids) and anabolic androgenic steroids. For bodybuilders, anabolic androgenic steroids are usually mentioned.

The term anabolic steroid invented during the golden age of steroid pharmacology after World War II . They use it to define an idealized type of androgen. We see from its name that it has only 'anabolic' and no 'androgenic'. The initial hope was to develop a steroid that did not have masculine characteristics but maintained myotrophic characteristics and could be safely used in children and women.

However, after a concerted effort by all the industry, it was discovered that such steroids do not actually exist. Researchers can change the structure of a steroid to make a new one that is less androgen active and more metabolically active, but not one that has no androgen at all. However, the term anabolic and androgenic steroids stuck, becoming an ideal expectation for anabolic and androgenic steroids.

Anabolic androgenic steroids are what Bodybuilders call anabolic steroids, also known as AAS. It is a steroid androgen that includes both natural androgens like testosterone and structural variants of testosterone, as well as synthetic androgens that have similar effects to testosterone. Synthetic AAS are usually designed to develop greater synthetic metabolism and less androgen, resulting in greater musculotropic effects and fewer androgen side effects.

A common high synthetic metabolic and low androgen ratio is AAS Nandrolone for injection, whose anabolic activity (testosterone 3.39-4.92) to androgen activity (testosterone 0.31-0.41) ratio is 11: 1, and oral AAS Methasterone, which has a 20:1 ratio of anabolic activity (about 4 times testosterone) to androgen activity (about 0.2 times testosterone). Both of these AAS are very popular with Bodybuilders.

Therefore, steroids and anabolic steroids express different meanings. But whether bodybuilder mentions steroids or anabolic androgenic steroids, it represents anabolic and androgenic steroids.