Trenbolone is a livestorck steroid designed to be used by veterinarians on livestock for the purposes for increasing muscle growth and appetite. It is also frequently used as a bodybuilding steroid with muscle-building supplements to increase a person's muscle mass. Using trenbolone as a bodybuilding supplement is illegal in many countries, including the United States.
Trenbolone binds with androgen, hormones that help promote muscle mass, more effectively than natural male testosterone does. The illegal steroid further promotes muscle growth by increasing the nitrogen intake of the user's muscles, which in turn lead to quicker protein synthesis and muscle development. The drug has a secondary effect of making the user hungry and burning fat at an accelerated rate. All of these effects combined cause increased muscle mass at a rate far faster than naturally possible.
Like any steroid, trenbolone's muscle-building effects have life-threatening side effects. While all steroids cause side effects, trenbolone was designed to be used on livestock, so its side-effects on humans can be severe. It has been known to cause sleep disorders such as night sweats and insomnia, and can raise blood pressure. It also has several behavioral side effects. Like many other illegal steroids trenbolone can lead to increased aggression and changes in libido. Use of the steroid can also lead to liver damage and gastrointestinal problems that can be short term or permanent.
Men who take bodybuilding steroids like trenbolone may also suffer from impotence and prostate cancer, while women who use the drug can suffer severe menstrual irregularities and virilization effects that may be irreversible. Steroids are not physically addictive, but many users become psychologically addicted to them because of their effects.
Steroids like trenbolone have limited legal uses in medicine. Most often they are prescribed only to men who suffer from severe deficiencies of androgen. This is most common in men who have lost both testes due to accident or cancer, or in men who suffer from certain forms of anemia.
Using steroids for any other purpose, and without a doctor's prescription, is illegal in most countries. All major sporting and bodybuilding organizations outlaw the use of illegal steroids, and the possession or sale of the drugs can lead to arrest and conviction of drug trafficking in the United States. In the United Kingdom owning anabolic steroids for use as bodybuilding supplements is not illegal, but selling them without a valid medical license or reason is still against the law. Regardless of their legality, they are still banned by most sporting leagues in the country, which routinely do drug tests to find users.