How is it that taking anabolic steroids, which are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, actually lead to gynecomastia (enlarged breasts in men) and azospermia (absence of sperm in ejaculate)? One would think that testosterone derivatives might have the opposite effect in men. But that is not what happens.

Instead, exogenous (produced outside the body) testosterone shuts down the body’s own production of testosterone because the body always seeks homeostasis or balance. Too much of a given substance supplied externally will cause the body to stop secreting that substance. Exogenous androgens are not converted to testosterone in the testes, and therefore, sperm count is decreased. Breast tissue increases because the exogenous testosterone converts to estrogen thereby increasing breast tissue and causing gynecosmastia.

For more information about the effects of anabolic steroids, follow this link.

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