Anabolic steroids were “invented” in the 1930s by chemists seeking to isolate the powerful male hormone produced by the testes.

When did steroid use begin?

Testosterone was first synthesized in Germany in 193515 and was used medically to treat depression. Professional athletes began misusing anabolic steroids during the 1954 Olympics, when Russian weightlifters were given testosterone.

Who invented steroids for bodybuilding?

Yet athletes have been pumping themselves up with anabolic steroids for nearly 50 years, long before the days of “the cream” and “the clear.” So, who’s responsible for bringing steroids into the sports world? The godfather of steroids was a rough-and-tumble Maryland physician named John Bosley Ziegler.