Can Steroids Help Recover from Sports Injury?

It is an essential question from various aspects. Firstly, those involved in sports are more prone to different injuries, sprains, and strains. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, micro-injuries caused during the training sessions are primary drivers behind muscle gain, both in strength and in volume.

Yes, without micro injuries to muscle fibers during training there won’t be any gains. That is why one needs to work so hard in the gym. Strenuous exercise is like giving controlled injuries to muscles. These micro-injuries heal, resulting in increased strength and volume. It is the reason why muscles pain the next day after severe physical exertion.

It is the reason why for optimal results there is a need for enough of rest. After hard training, there is need to give muscles rest, need to provide them with time to revive, and gain. There is no doubt that steroids help to recover faster from a sports injury, as they help accelerate anabolic processes.

Would steroids help recover faster from a sports injury?

Yes, in fact, they would help recover faster from just any type of injury. That is why steroids are even indicated during certain disease conditions. Thus in medicine, they are used to help regain body weight and strength after prolonged illness.

Two type of steroids that are commonly used in medicine are anabolic steroids and corticosteroids. However, in sports use of anabolic steroids is more common, while corticosteroids are used rarely, and only in some sports that need more endurance than muscular weight (like cycling). In injury, both corticosteroids and anabolic steroids may help, though both have an entirely different mechanism of action.

Anabolic steroids like testosterone are primarily used for bulking, strength gaining, developing endurance, and they are also helpful in recovering from a sports injury. What is good about anabolic steroids is that their effect is long lasting, and they help to make a complete recovery. Although anabolic steroids may aid in recovery from a sports injury, they are not given during the acute phase when there is inflammation. Anabolic steroids are better used when pain and swelling have subsided, and there is a need to accelerate recovery.

Corticosteroids are an entirely different thing. Their prolonged use may even damage muscles. However, corticosteroids are powerful anti-inflammatory drugs. It means that corticosteroids are quite beneficial in the acute stage. They are classified as lifesaving drugs. During the acute phase, corticosteroids may help reduce pain, inflammation. Low doses of corticosteroids taken for short-term may accelerate healing.

When choosing among the two types of steroids, that is corticosteroids and anabolic steroids. One should never use corticosteroids without medical supervision, as they have a vast number of side effects like muscle wasting (one prolonged use), they weaken bones and immunity.

In conclusion, corticosteroids are beneficial in the acute phase of injury, for quick recovery and healing. While, anabolic steroids are much safer in comparison, and can be taken once the acute, painful syndrome is over. Anabolic steroids would help to regain strength faster by affective positively on anabolic processes and nitrogen balance.