anabolic steroid (ăn'əbŏl`ĭk stĕr`oid, stĭr`–) or androgenic steroid (ăn'drōjĕn`ĭk), any of a group of synthetic derivatives of testosterone testosterone (tĕstŏs`tərōn), principal androgen, or male sex hormone .
..... Click the link for more information. that promote muscle and bone growth. Used to treat uncontrolled weight loss in wasting diseases, anabolic steroids have also been taken by bodybuilders and athletes seeking increased muscle mass, strength, and stamina. Such use is banned by the International Olympic Committee and other governing bodies in sports, but not all sports test for steroids. Major League Baseball did not test for steroids until 2003, when random testing returned positive results on more than 5% of the players tested, and the National Hockey League still does not test. Under a 1988 federal law it is illegal to distribute anabolic steroids for nontherapeutic uses, and in 1991 they joined other abused drugs as controlled substances. Nonetheless, a precursor hormone called dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which can convert to testosterone in the body, is available as a dietary supplement without a prescription. Abuse of anabolic steroids may lead to elevated cholesterol levels, liver disease, blood clots leading to heart attack or stroke, increased aggressiveness and irritability, and, in adolescents, permanent stunting of growth. See also steroids steroids, class of lipids having a particular molecular ring structure called the cyclopentanoperhydro-phenanthrene ring system. Steroids differ from one another in the structure of various side chains and additional rings.
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anabolic steroid

Steroid hormone that increases tissue growth. Anabolic steriods are given to elderly or postoperative patients to promote muscle growth and tissue regeneration. Unsupervised use by athletes to build muscle and improve strength can have serious harmful effects, including coronary heart disease, sexual and reproductive disorders, immunodeficiencies, liver damage, stunted growth, aggressive behaviour, susceptibility to connective-tissue injury, and (in females) irreversible masculinization.