Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Through-the-Wall Blood Sampling Method to Minimize Sleep Disruption in Clinical Settings
Published on: June 13, 2025
Effects of anabolic androgenic steroids on sleep patterns of individuals practicing resistance exercise
Daniel Paulino Venâncio1, Sergio Tufik, Silvério Aparecido Garbuio
1Psychobiology Department, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Abstract:
Anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) abuse has become a public health problem in many countries, and is associated with many psychiatric disorders. Epidemiological studies have also found increasing numbers of sleep disorders reported by individuals using AASs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate sleep patterns and disorders in anabolic androgenic users who practice resistance exercise. The sample comprised 58 males divided into three groups: (1) 20 current AAS users aged 26 +/- 1.2, (2) 21 controls with no history of AAS use, aged 26 +/- 1 and (3) 17 sedentary men with no sleep disorders aged 27.2 +/- 0.34. The volunteers spent a night in the sleep laboratory for polysomnography. Comparing the three groups, the user group showed reduced sleep efficiency and more wakings after sleep onset than the sedentary group (P = 0.001). The sedentary group showed a higher percentage of stage 4 than the non-users group. We suggest that using of anabolic steroids reduced sleep efficiency and alters sleep architecture.
Related Concept Videos
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
Chronopharmacokinetics: Circadian Rhythms and Influence on Drug Response
The time of drug administration is an important factor to consider, as it can influence the toxic dose of a drug. For example, a study conducted by Prins et al. in 1997 examined the effects of the timing of...
Understanding Sleep
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
Sleep-Wake Cycles
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
