Understanding The Impact Of Steroids Influence on Female Hormonal Health

Steroids are often connected with male bodybuilders and pro athletes with big, enormous muscles. 

But contrary to the prevailing belief, there are female bodybuilders as well who are thriving in impressive sets of muscles. 

However, like men, steroids have adverse effects on females as well. I would not be wrong to say that using steroids to achieve a certain body type is far more lethal for women. 

It is because steroids have a major impact on hormones and as a matter of fact, women already have to deal with a lot of hormonal fluctuations and steroids only make it worse. 

At this point, you might be thinking, how do steroids affect female hormones? 

Well, there are multiple ways in which steroids can cause hormonal imbalances in females. In this blog, we’ll be discussing what hormonal effects women on steroids have to go through. 

Key Insights

• Steroid use among females has been associated with many serious short-term and long-term physical and psychological effects due to its effect on hormones. 
• Female bodybuilders may experience virilization, fertility issues, and genital changes due to excessive and long-term use of steroids. 
• While some of the side effects of steroids in females are reversible others might stay with them forever. 
• The best way to get steroidal benefits without any side effects is to go for natural alternatives. 

How Do Steroids Affect Female Hormones?

To begin with, hormones are naturally produced in our body in response to other hormones, stimulation of nerve fibers, and level of nutrients in the bloodstream. 

When people talk about steroids, they mainly refer to corticosteroids and anabolic steroids. Notably, as per FDA anabolic steroids are not approved for use in women. 

Moreover, when using steroids for strength and bodybuilding, the body is flooded with hormones (either anabolic or catabolic). 

Notably, anabolic hormones including insulin, testosterone, and growth hormone are crucial for metabolism, muscle building, and speedy recovery.

However, it is to be noted that high levels of testosterone can result in masculine traits among females. 

Adding to this, females already have more growth hormones in comparison to males. Talking about corticosteroids include cortisol, epinephrine, and glucagon. 

All these hormones are responsible for fat-burning and boosting performance. However, since Cortisol is a hormone that is produced by high-stress levels, corticosteroids have a major effect on mood and appetite. 

The above explanation is not merely a theory. Some studies explain the steroid hormone function and how it affects females. 

A study that talks about the effect of corticosteroids and estrogen levels suggests that corticosteroids may act as modulators of granulosa cell steroidogenesis. 

As a result, it may partially determine follicular development or atresia. (source)

A study published in The Journal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists clearly states that anabolic steroid use in women can cause significant cosmetic and anabolic changes.  It also states that the use of anabolic steroids during pregnancy can mess up the hormones of the fetus and cause virilization of a female fetus.

This was all about how steroids affect female hormones. Moving on, let’s see what side effects using these anabolic hormones leave on females. 

How Do Steroids Affect Females?

The reason why females use steroids is because it has been proven to increase muscle mass and improve workout performance.

However, these bodybuilding effects come with a lot of other changes that are dangerous for females in the long and short term.

Here are some of the side effects of steroids on females.

#1. Fertility Issues

Continuous use of steroids can hamper the ability to achieve pregnancy in women. By causing the changes in the menstrual cycle, it gives rise to abnormal periods or no periods at all. Adding to it, steroid use among females can alter the growth of the fetus.

In a study, menstrual alterations are one of the main side effects reported during Anabolic Androgenic Steroid use. It clearly states that doping substances can affect ovarian function because of continuous metabolic changes. 

#2. Female Virilization

This includes excessive facial hair, deepening of the voice, and male pattern baldness. These physical and biological changes are because of an increase in testosterone hormone.

Though some of these changes can be reversed, the deepening of the voice and the thickening of the vocal fold are reported as irreversible.

In a case study, a 27-year-old female bodybuilder on AAS had to undergo surgery to increase vocal pitch to be identified as female. 

#3. Emotional Effects

As per the reports of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, a 43-year-old woman with no Psychiatry history developed Behçet’s disease after receiving corticosteroid therapy. 

If you have heard of the roid rage you probably know that steroids lead to an increase in stress, anxiety, depression, frequent mood swings, and paranoia. 

#4. Organ Damage

Long-term steroid use can cause kidney and liver damage and it is not only in males but females get affected too. Importantly, an increase in blood pressure levels also damages heart health.

There are also reports of multi-organ damage due to high-dose steroid use for longer duration. 

#5. Genital Changes

Female bodybuilders who use steroids for the long term can experience clitoris enlargement.

As per what the study published in The International Journal of Drug Reports says, clitoris enlargement is reported among the participants especially those who used AAS.

The study mentions Maya who used AAs for 2 decades and developed an enlarged clitoris. 

#6. Abnormal Sexual Desire

Due to steroid overuse, a lot of females have experienced an abnormal increase in their sexual desires.

While those in a relationship considered this as a positive factor, those who were single were not pleased by this. The increase in libido was common but its positive or negative impact was entirely based on the response. 

#7. Masculine Body Shape

The whole purpose of using steroids is to get a muscular body. However, when it comes to female body type, using steroids leads to a decrease in body fat mostly around the breasts and hips. This gives females a masculine look.

That’s why most female bodybuilders look like a man from behind. Many females in the fitness and bodybuilding circles agree about having breast implants to get their feminine look back. 

#8. Higher Risk of Osteoporosis 

Women already have to go through a major decline in bone density after 30. On top of this, using steroids only increases the risk of developing osteoporosis in women.

It is because steroids leach out calcium from the bones and lead to brittle and broken bones along with the increased risk of osteoporosis. 

#9. Vulnerable to diseases and infections

Using steroids affects immunity and makes females more vulnerable to infections and diseases. As compared to males, there are higher incidences of autoimmune diseases in females.

Adding to it, the use of steroids and its adverse effect on female hormones weakens the immunity of females and makes them more vulnerable to diseases and infections. 

#10. Skin issues

Steroids on the other hand cause severe acne by disrupting the natural hormonal balance. These are experienced by both men and women but the intensity slightly increases in women because of the preexisting hormonal issues. 

That is what steroids do to a female body by affecting its hormones. 

Even though steroids have a significant impact on muscle-building, their aftereffect makes it question whether it’s worth taking the risk. 

So, what does this mean?

Should female bodybuilders quit their passion and profession?

Absolutely NOT! 

However, they have an option to go for natural alternatives with similar benefits and fewer side effects. 

A lot of supplement manufacturers have come up with effective bodybuilding supplements customized for female bodybuilders keeping in mind their biological complexities and one of them is CrazyBulk. 

CrazyBulk Female Bulking Stack

After successfully establishing its female cutting stack, CrazyBulk has come up with a female bulking stack for our women bodybuilders trying hard to bulk. 

It includes 3 popular bulking supplements namely Decaduro, D-Bal, and Trenorol. 

While D-Bal is the legal alternative to Dianabol, Decaduro, and Trenorol are the legal and safer alternatives of Deca Durabolin and Trenbolone. 

These supplements work together to give rise to muscle growth, elevate energy and endurance, increase strength, and speed up the healing process. 

It is a great stack for those females who want to break through barriers and give rise to their muscle-building achievements. 

This CrazyBulk Female Stack has opened doors of opportunities for women who want to build muscles but not at the cost of their health.  

Using steroids affects female hormones and ultimately their health. Depending on its usage, the effects of steroids are severe and mild. 

Conclusion

Steroid use is widely popular among male and female bodybuilders. 

However, its impact on women’s bodies is much more severe than on men considering the pre-existing hormonal changes. 

The increase in testosterone and growth hormones affects virilization and gives rise to male-prominent features and bodily functions. 

The fact that steroids can cause virilization in fetuses, is concerning. Along with this, steroid use can also mess up mental health by causing abnormal fluctuations in hormones. 

Therefore, females need to be extra cautious while using steroids. The best option is to go for natural legal steroids to get ripped fast.