Why Inject Steroids Using Insulin Syringes?
If you are a steroid user, you have probably been instructed to use 23-gauge or 25-gauge needles for intramuscular injections of anabolic steroids. That is what athletes and bodybuilders have done for ages. In addition, the medical school has taught me that we should inject into the muscle using either a 21g or 23g, with lengths of 1-1/2 inch or less. Why would someone want to change any of this?
What if someone told you there was a way better than what you know about injecting steroids? Are 21g and 23g needles the best size for steroid injections? It is always the easiest method preferred by doctors and nurses because it has been proven effective over time. But sometimes health practitioners may choose the procedures that they see as most convenient and fastest for them, instead of those that will be beneficial to their clients.
If given a choice, medical professionals would prefer to carry out a task that takes only 3 seconds than one that takes 30 seconds even if it means gradual injection on the patient. Moreover, this is why doctors always employ the use of longer needles measuring either one inch or one and a half inches because the majority of patients may have a greater body fat percentage. Notably, doctors often go for the general approach such as one-size-fits-all which suits them and not their sick person.
Most bodybuilders injecting steroids should use smaller insulin syringes. Typically, these syringes are about 29 gauge and ½ inch long. When you use smaller needle sizes there is less damage done to your muscles after injections. In turn, big pins cause much muscle trauma while being much more at risk of causing scar tissue due to repeated injections over time.
What is more, the slower injection rate (30+ seconds) that comes with using insulin syringes is also far kinder to the muscle tissue than faster injections (3 seconds) with 21g and 23g needles. When larger volumes of injection are involved, three slow injections of 1 milliliter still cause less muscle trauma than a single fast injection of 3 milliliters. The smaller needle size and slower injection speed associated with the use of insulin syringes make it optimal for steroid users seeking to minimize scar tissue and muscle tissue trauma.
Additionally, since insulin syringes have shallower penetration depths compared with other types, this has created a greater variety of options on where to inject steroids (such as delts, biceps, triceps, quads, etc.). This means they do not need to be injected in the same site each time. An important factor that may have historically deterred steroid users from using insulin syringes is the fact that it is extremely difficult, and sometimes seemingly impossible, to draw the injectable solution utilizing an insulin syringe/needle.
Overcoming this problem has two solutions. The most prevalent of them is to ‘backfill’ or ‘backload’ the insulin syringe. This involves drawing the solution from the vial/ampule using a second larger gauge needle/syringe. The solution is then backfilled into the barrel of the insulin syringe after removing its plunger.
On the other hand, you can use the same old insulin syringe for both drawing and injecting solution. Drawing this solution takes much longer than it would take with a 21g or 21 gauge needle. It may not take a few seconds but could be anywhere between 2-3 minutes. Only very few persons can stand doing this and yet only when they realize that filling up the entire amount in their syringe in three minutes does not mean they have to keep actively pulling on its plunger within that time frame. You are required simply to draw waiting long enough to start oil flow into the syringe. The vial will be set on its side while you pull back on your plunger to your desired fill point and go elsewhere for another task. You should come back after a couple of minutes so that it will be full and ready to use.
The most convenient way to inject steroids is not the best. However, for bodybuilders who aim at making every aspect of their pharmacological exploits optimal, there are a few advantages of using insulin syringes in administering steroids.