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Anabolic refers to this muscle-building capability. Anabolic steroids should not be confused with catabolic corticosteroids, which are used routinely as anti-inflammatory medications to help treat illnesses in which inflammation is part of the disease process. Today, anabolic steroid use has become common to augment sports performance, and abuse of these drugs begins as early as middle school. Anabolic and androgenic steroids are available as prescription medications to be used in cases in which the body does not make enough hormone and supplementation may be required. Some hormone supplements in this pathway include growth hormone and testosterone itself. These medications are legally prescribed by health-care providers, but this group of drugs is often used illegally and abused to help increase athletic performance and improve body appearance. When used in a well-nourished body, anabolic steroids will cause weight gain primarily due to an increase in muscle mass. Drugs that cause an increase in body bulk by stimulating the production of protein, mainly in the muscles, but also elsewhere. They work inside cells, causing an acceleration of the processes by which amino acids in the cell fluid are strung together to form protein. Anabolic steroids are synthetic male sex hormone steroids such as ethyloestrenol, nandrolone, norethandrolone and stanolone. Their use may sometimes be justified to help elderly and underweight people to gain strength and they can be valuable in women with the condition of seriously weakened bones known as osteoporosis. Some of the anabolic steroids, being male sex hormones, cause development of male characteristics in women. This is called virilization and may feature hairiness, wasting atrophy of the breasts, enlargement of the clitoris, deepening of the voice and severe acne. Body-building enthusiasts and athletes widely use anabolic steroids to improve muscle bulk and