If you’re a baseball fan, or even just a casual sports fan, then you no doubt remember that great home run chase of a decade back, when ballplayers seemed to break – no, shatter – the home run record on a yearly basis. Since then, the numbers of hitters have returned back to earth, and this time period has been dubbed “the steroid era” due to the fact that many of the players of this era were using steroids.

But it wasn’t just steroids that were being used to blow away previous records. Some baseball players were honest and chose not to inject testosterone oil into their backsides. Rather, they used readily available supplements they purchased legally from stores in strip malls, not secret compounds from foreign doctors. One of these supplements was known as Androstenedione – or Andro for short. Andro supplements were all the rage in the last 1990s and early 2000s after news cameras detected a bottle of them in the locker room of a player who seemed to hit a home run every time he picked up a bat. Suddenly, the airwaves were flooded with stories of Andro supplements – both good and bad. The standard media response was to label them near-steroids, which they actually were. At the same time, the sports supplement industry jumped on this opportunity and began selling Andro supplements at record numbers. What better endorsement can one have, than seeing the product being used by one of the most popular athletes on the planet?

Andro supplements work just as anabolic steroids do – by elevating the body’s natural testosterone levels for a period of 6 to 8 hours. A peak in estrogen and testosterone levels occurs in the middle of this time period, at about the four-hour mark. It is a good idea to time your workout for 2 to 3 hours after your first or second daily dose of an Andro supplement in order to maximize your return on investment, or get the most from the compound. This elevation in blood testosterone levels leads to the same effects you would expect to see from the use of actual anabolic steroids. Muscles become harder, and the lifter becomes stronger. Recovery accelerates, and stamina in the gym climbs through the roof. You see steroid-like gains for a very short while. They do not raise your testosterone levels nearly on par what you would see with bi-weekly testosterone injections, but they do provide a non-needle method for short term T level spikes, which might be all some bodybuilders are looking for!

Carefully weigh your options if you are considering using Andro supplements. The effects you will see will actually be on par with real anabolic steroids. Nobody denies this. However, if the drug is used irresponsibly or for periods longer than recommended in the instructions for use, then side effects can become a concern. The best way to define Andro supplements might be “low grade oral anabolic steroids” – which allows you to dodge the needle use and experience some serious gains in a very short time period, without a huge compromise in your HPTA function and overall natural testosterone production by the body.

This article is provided from GetAnabolics.com, the world's leading bodybuilding supplement & steroid alternative site for today's top bodybuilders. You can find more free information about Training, Supplements, Steroid Alternatives, Diet and Nutritional articles by visiting GetAnabolics.com - Media Central.