Steroids is the common short name term for anabolic steroids, a classification of synthetic hormones used primarily to build muscle mass and strength in weight training athletes. Steroids are a very broad and generalized term that covers and encompasses hundreds of different products. Steroids range in products from various synthetic testosterone esters to oral products. Steroids are used primarily by weight training athletes, but athletes from every sport played use them to gain a competitive advantage. Everything from speed in tennis, to hitting home runs in baseball, steroids assist the athlete with faster recovery times, increased performance, and lean muscle mass. Steroids are illegal for use in competition due to the unnatural advantage the user will have over other athletes. Steroids are also illegal to posses in most countries and acquiring them usually means breaking local and federal laws. Steroids are commonly used for increasing muscle size; therefore potential for abuse by non competitive athletes is high. It is not uncommon for average gym lifters to use steroids for vanity reasons. All steroids are synthesized from testosterone, the most common steroid used. Popular steroids include; testosterone enanthate, testosterone cypionate, deca durabolin, dianabol, anadrol, equipoise, and more. All the aforementioned steroids are derivatives of synthetic testosterone, having been altered to change the profile to make the steroids more anabolic or androgenic. Anabolic steroids are usually used for pre-contest bodybuilding use, or by casual users and lifters due to the minimization of side effects generally associated with high androgen use. Such steroid side effects include; increased body hair, male pattern baldness, acne, oily skin, and more. Androgenic steroids cause more rapid increases in body weight, but not all of the gains may be from muscle, increases can also be water retention as high androgen steroids cause more of the unwanted side effects.