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v1
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Back to Study: Can conditions of skeletal muscle loss be improved...
causal
Analysis v1
Strong Support

Taking anabolic steroids can help older or sick adults who are losing muscle gain more muscle and get stronger, compared to not taking anything at all.

55
Pro
0
Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

55

Community contributions welcome

55

Can conditions of skeletal muscle loss be improved by combining exercise with anabolic–androgenic steroids? A systematic review and meta-analysis of testosterone-based interventions

Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis
Human
2021 Jun

This study found that giving anabolic steroids to people losing muscle due to illness or inactivity helped them gain muscle and get stronger, just like the claim said — and the numbers matched perfectly.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Can conditions of skeletal muscle loss be improved by combining exercise with anabolic–androgenic steroids? A systematic review and meta-analysis of testosterone-based interventions

Score: 55
DOI: 10.1007/s11154-021-09634-4

Similar Assertions

If someone has a condition that makes their muscles shrink, using muscle-building drugs and working out together helps them gain more muscle and strength than using either one by itself.

55
0
84%

When people with muscle loss do either steroids or exercise, both seem to help them gain similar amounts of muscle and strength — neither one clearly wins.

55
0
82%

Different studies show wildly different results when people use steroid-like drugs and work out, because each study uses different kinds of drugs, different doses, and different workout routines.

55
0
77%

Just working out by itself can make you stronger—like lifting things gets easier—but it won’t make your muscles or body bulk up more if you’re losing muscle due to old age or serious illness.

55
0
72%