Which steroids are least harmful?

Hi Winnie

First of all, I certainly don't condone the use of steroids and I've talked about people I know who've experienced kidney failure, premature heart disease and death before here on Fitness Inventor and these outcomes were almost certainly caused primarily by excessive steroid use. But I'll answer your question assuming you've properly considered the risks...

Although there is not enough research on this topic to be definitive and although some types of steroids are probably less harmful for some people and others for others (as with most classes of drugs), generally the least dangerous steroids are believed to be Nandrolone/Deca, Equipoise, Primobolan and Anavar.

Although recently the powerful and highly-regarded cutting steroid Trenbolone was studied for its safety and the short-term side effects looked very favourable compared to other steroids. This study also confirmed that Tren binds very strongly to the androgen receptor (it's dock on the cell where it "parks" and delivers its effects) and converts into mild metabolites - unlike testosterone, which causes increased DHT and estrogens. Tren was also extensively studied to see if it caused any initiation of tumour growth back in the 1980's and the conclusion was that it doesn't.

So Tren is by far my "least bad" choice as a steroid for cutting. Primobolan and Anavar are excellent for most people also (although some people are sensitive to Anavar and just don't get on well with it and it's still a little tougher on the liver than most injectables). Most users think Deca, Test and Equipoise make you retain too much water to be used for cutting but lots of guys still use one or more of these in modest dosages right up to show time.

Ok thanks, can you suggest any legal test boosters instead

Hi Winnie,

I have seen steroid use compared to cigarette smoking or excessive alcohol intake as similar lifestyle choices. So using that logic, using steroids to lose weight could be considered to be similar to chosing to smoke to stay thin.

There was a new article published this month in one of the premiere sports medicine journals in the world (ACSM's MSSE) about steroid use and its effect on the heart. These researchers looked at nandrolone decanoate (one of the steroids Mark had mentioned in his response). The same effects observed over and over again with other anabolic steroids were observed in this study with nandrolone decanoate.

The authors noted in their study and in others published, when someone exercises and is taking steroids the heart muscle gets enlarged and tissue starts to die. This prevents the heart from being an effective pump. The physiologic changes that the heart undergoes are the same ones that are seen in the early stages of heart failure. Heart failure usually results from large heart attacks and/or prolonged alcohol and drug abuse. Unfortunately heart failure is a debilitating chronic condition that while can be managed with medication and lifestyle choices, it is something that cannot be reversed, sans a heart transplant, and ultimately results in death.

I urge you, and anyone else who might be considering using steroids, to seriously consider the health consequences of doing so. While Mark is right, everyone's physiology and body chemistry is different and some drugs (prescription or otherwise) work differently with different people, if someone chooses to introduce a substance that has widespread evidence of causing

The only safe way, that is without any deleterious side effects, to lose weight is the old fashioned way - by choosing a healthy diet and exercising regularly.