From Gyms To Injectables, How Steroids Are Quietly Entering Women’s Fitness Culture | Explainers News

Last Updated:January 16, 2026, 08:30 IST

A 2024 study showed while the overall lifetime prevalence of AAS use among adult women globally is 4% (up from 1.6% in 2014), the rate is higher in specific fitness communities

Walk into almost any urban gym today, women are lifting heavier weights, entering bodybuilding and physique competitions, and documenting dramatic “before and after” transformations on social media. Fitness, once coded as cardio and weight loss for women, has shifted towards strength, muscle definition and performance.

But beneath this progress sits an uncomfortable truth — the growing use of anabolic steroid among young women.

International research shows that steroid use is no longer confined to elite male athletes. Women are increasingly experimenting with these drugs, often without understanding the health costs, and in many cases without even realising what they are taking.

Why Steroids Are No Longer A ‘Men’s Issue’

For decades, anabolic steroids were framed as a male problem—linked to professional sports scandals, gym culture excesses, and illegal doping. Medical research, harm-reduction advice and public warnings were built around male bodies and male risks.

Recent global studies, however, paint a different picture. Women now make up a growing share of steroid users, particularly in recreational fitness spaces rather than elite sport. A 2024 scientific finding revealed while the overall lifetime prevalence of AAS use among adult women globally is around 4% (up from 1.6% in 2014), the rate is significantly higher in specific fitness communities.

The motivation behind using steroids is faster fat loss, lean muscle definition, recovery after intense training, and the pressure to achieve “Instagram-ready” physiques in short time-frames.

“More women are turning to steroids for bodybuilding or to get a toned, muscular look quickly. Many use them to gain muscle fast, reduce fat, or improve performance at the gym. The pressure to achieve a sculpted body quickly often pushes some women to take these shortcuts instead of relying on natural diet and exercise,” said Dr Namrata Gupta, Senior Consultant- Obstetrics & Gynaecology, CK Birla Hospitals, Jaipur.

What makes this shift worrying is not just the increase in use, but the lack of tailored information for women. Steroids affect female bodies differently, and often more permanently, yet most guidance circulating online is copied from male-focused forums or fitness influencers with no medical training.

What Are Women Actually Taking?

Anabolic steroids are synthetic versions of testosterone, the hormone responsible for muscle growth, strength and recovery. In men, testosterone is naturally present in high amounts. In women, levels are much lower.

When women introduce anabolic steroids into their bodies, even at “low doses”, the hormonal disruption can be profound. According to Dr Gupta, the most used steroids by women include Stanozolol, Nandrolone, and Oxandrolone, often taken in cycles or stacks to maximise muscle gain. “These are usually unregulated and can have serious, sometimes irreversible, health consequences.”

In India’s largely unregulated supplement market, the line between legal performance enhancers and banned drugs is often blurred. As per estimates, the anti-ageing and over-the-counter herbal supplements market in India is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12.10% between 2025 and 2034. According to doctors, this growing market have very few regulations, and now caters to diverse age groups, even those in their 20s.

Why The Risks Are Higher For Women

Steroids do not simply build muscle; they alter the endocrine system. In women, this can trigger changes that are not only severe but sometimes irreversible.

“Anabolic steroids can seriously affect a woman’s body. They may cause facial hair growth, deepening of the voice, acne, hair thinning, and changes in fat distribution. Long-term use can also impact liver function, cholesterol, and heart health, while disrupting natural hormone balance,” said Dr Gupta.

She also stressed that women who take steroids often “experience irregular periods or complete cessation of menstruation (amenorrhea). This happens because steroids disrupt the natural estrogen and progesterone cycle, and it can also affect fertility in the long term”.

Psychological effects are less discussed but equally real. Mood swings, anxiety, depression and increased aggression have been reported by female users, particularly during cycles or withdrawal phases.

“In women, AAS use is frequently driven by appearance-based goals like lean mass, definition, ‘hardness’, and rapid recomposition, rather than purely athletic performance. This can sit on a spectrum from common body dissatisfaction to muscle dysmorphia (a body-image disorder characterised by obsessive preoccupation with being insufficiently muscular, with compulsive training, rigid diet rules, and frequent body-checking). Research links muscle dysmorphia features with AAS interest/use and related compulsive patterns,” Dr Jyoti Kapoor, senior consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Manasthali Wellness, told News18.

Some women report short-term psychological benefits such as confidence, assertiveness, reduced insecurity followed by emotional volatility, anxiety, or depressive symptoms, especially around withdrawal or when expectations don’t match reality, Dr Kapoor added.

According to new findings published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, women who use anabolic steroids tend to exhibit heightened levels of psychopathology, such as depression and anti-social traits.

“We were interested in this topic because very little is known about women who take anabolic steroids, and most studies tend to focus on the visible effects of these substances, rather than on the potential psychiatric effects or traits that make women prone to start using steroids,” explained study author Morgan Scarth, a PhD student at the Oslo University Hospital. “This is a result of stigma and perceived low prevalence of anabolic steroid use among females, and we wanted to know more about these women and their mental health.”

The study included 32 female weight-lifting athletes from Norway, who were recruited via social media, web forums, and flyers.

Why Many Women Don’t Seek Help

Despite experiencing side effects, many women never report them to doctors. Cultural stigma plays a powerful role. Discussing drug use, body image struggles or reproductive health remains taboo in many Indian families and social settings.

There is also fear of judgment. Women worry they will be blamed for vanity, irresponsibility or moral failure, rather than treated as patients seeking medical care. As a result, symptoms are hidden, downplayed or self-managed through online advice groups that may worsen the problem.

Doctors, too, may miss the signs. Because steroid use is not routinely screened for in women, symptoms like missed periods, acne or mood changes are often treated in isolation rather than as part of a broader hormonal disruption.

How Social Media Influences Girls And Women

Fitness influencers have become powerful gatekeepers of aspiration. “Transformation” content, competition prep vlogs and aesthetic-driven fitness challenges dominate feeds, often without transparency about what goes on behind the scenes.

While many influencers do not explicitly promote steroids, they normalise extreme physiques and timelines that are biologically unrealistic for most women without pharmaceutical help.

“Some women experience bodybuilding as empowerment in terms of strength, autonomy, rewriting gender norms. That empowerment can be genuine. The mental-health concern is when empowerment becomes conditional on a very narrow body outcome, shifting into compulsive self-surveillance, fear of softness/fat gain, and moralising food/exercise. In that psychological climate, AAS can feel like ‘necessary technology’ to maintain identity,” explained Dr Kapoor.

Online availability, peer coaching, and informal “cycle advice” can make AAS feel manageable and routine, even when women may face sex-specific risks (e.g., virilization effects that can be partly irreversible).

Compounding this is the language used in gyms. Terms like “cycles,” “cuts” and “enhancements” are casually discussed, often stripped of their medical implications. Newcomers may feel steroid use is standard practice rather than an exception.

The Legal Grey Zone In India

In India, anabolic steroids are prescription drugs. Selling or using them without medical supervision is illegal, yet enforcement is inconsistent. Many substances are easily available through gym networks, informal sellers or online platforms.

Because women are rarely the focus of anti-doping or drug enforcement narratives, female steroid use flies under the radar. This invisibility may make access easier, but it also means there are fewer safeguards, fewer warnings and little accountability.

Public health experts argue that ignoring the issue does not stop it. It only ensures that women take risks without support, education or medical monitoring.

Why Doctors And Public Health Are Behind

Most Indian medical training treats steroid abuse as a niche issue linked to male athletes or substance misuse. There is little focus on how performance-enhancing drugs intersect with women’s health, mental well-being and fertility.

There are also no national guidelines focused on screening women for steroid use during routine check-ups, fertility consultations or dermatology visits. Without data, policymakers underestimate the scale of the problem, and without recognition, research funding remains scarce.

This creates a feedback loop: because the issue is under-reported, it is under-studied; because it is under-studied, it remains invisible.

Experts stress that this is not about policing women’s bodies or shaming fitness ambition. Strength training and muscle-building have clear health benefits when pursued naturally and safely.

“The safest way to achieve fitness goals is through natural bodybuilding, balanced diet, strength training, and regular exercise. Steroids may promise quick results, but the long-term health risks far outweigh the benefits. Women should consult a doctor or gynecologist before considering any performance-enhancing drugs,” advised Dr Gupta.