Can steroids and exercise build muscle better than just one?
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
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Exercise alone didn’t increase lean body mass in muscle-wasting populations.
Everyone assumes resistance training builds muscle—even in sick or elderly people. This study shows that without anabolic support, exercise may only improve neural efficiency, not muscle size.
Practical Takeaways
For older adults or cancer patients with muscle loss, discuss AAS (like testosterone therapy) with a doctor as a potential adjunct to physical therapy.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Exercise alone didn’t increase lean body mass in muscle-wasting populations.
Everyone assumes resistance training builds muscle—even in sick or elderly people. This study shows that without anabolic support, exercise may only improve neural efficiency, not muscle size.
Practical Takeaways
For older adults or cancer patients with muscle loss, discuss AAS (like testosterone therapy) with a doctor as a potential adjunct to physical therapy.
Publication
Journal
Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
Year
2021
Authors
Hugo Falqueto, J. L. R. Junior, Mauro N. O. Silvério, Juliano C. H. Farias, B. Schoenfeld, L. Manfredi
Related Content
Claims (6)
Taking much more testosterone than your body naturally makes can make your muscles bigger and stronger—even if you don’t lift weights or do any exercise.
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.
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.
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.
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.