Is Testosterone Booster a Steroid?
Testosterone is a hormone produced from 2 different sources. Testosterone is produced from our adrenal gland found in the brain and our gonad. Gonad depends on your biological sex. It is testicles for the male and ovaries for the female.
It have four different precursors namely dihydrotestosterone (DHT), Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), Androstenediol and androstenedione. Testosterone does have many functions and it will depend on its precursor as to what function it will perform. Testosterone that acts as a steroid will have two different types and these are anabolic steroids and corticosteroid.
Corticosteroid is involved in our physiological processes. Examples of these are our stress response, carbohydrate metabolism, blood electrolyte levels and behavior. Synthetic glucocorticoids are used for treatments of asthma, lupus erythematous, and sarcoidosis and in Addison’s disease.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) , commonly called Anabolic steroids, are the ones that increase protein within cells and directly affects the skeletal muscles as well as testicles for male and body hair for both male and female, though, it is highly noticeable in male than it is in female.
Corticosteroid is not available over-the-counter and it seems that this had not been commercially advertised, unlike the anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids are available over-the-counter and even in the “black market”.
Yes, testosterone that is being advertised and offered in the market are anabolic steroids. The name “booster” will give you a hint as to what desired effect the user may have and that is an “enhanced-performance” as it is often called “performance enhancing” drug.
There are commonly administered as an injectable, oral pills or topical application such as cream, gels or skin patches. The most preferred is oral administration as most find it as the most convenient.