What does anabolic mean?
Anabolic is an adjective describing processes of building up rather than breaking down. In physiology, anabolism is the set of metabolic pathways that construct complex molecules — proteins, muscle fibers, bone — from simpler components, powered by energy the body has stored or consumed. When trainers say someone is in an 'anabolic state', they mean the body is currently synthesizing more tissue than it destroys, as typically follows resistance exercise and protein intake. The word is also firmly attached to pharmacology: 'anabolic steroids' are synthetic compounds modeled on testosterone that accelerate muscle growth, a term so widespread that many people meet 'anabolic' first through sports-doping headlines. Derived from Greek roots meaning 'to throw up' or build upward, the word sits in deliberate opposition to its counterpart 'catabolic', which describes breakdown. Understanding the pair offers a compact way to grasp how the body constantly balances construction against destruction at the molecular level.
adjectiveRelating to or promoting anabolism, the metabolic process by which the body builds complex molecules from simpler ones, especially the building of muscle and other tissue. In common usage, it most often describes substances (such as steroids) that stimulate muscle growth.
- Describing metabolism or physiological processes that build complex molecules from simpler ones, particularly tissue growth and repair.
- Describing drugs, especially synthetic steroids, that promote muscle growth (as in 'anabolic steroids').
"The athlete's training regimen was designed to maximize the anabolic response to resistance exercise."
"After a hard workout, the body enters an anabolic phase in which muscle protein is synthesized faster than it is broken down."
"He was banned from competition after testing positive for anabolic steroids."
The word 'anabolic' comes from Greek 'anabole' — literally a 'throwing up' — which is why bodybuilders talk about being in an 'anabolic state' when their bodies are busy throwing up new muscle.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anabolic
Anabolic derives from the Greek 'anabole', meaning 'a throwing up' or 'building up', formed from 'ana-' ('up') plus 'ballein' ('to throw'). The term entered scientific English in the late nineteenth century alongside the development of modern metabolic theory, when physiologists distinguished constructive from destructive phases of metabolism. Its sibling word 'catabolic' shares the same root verb 'ballein' but uses the prefix 'kata-' ('down'), giving the pair their complementary meanings of building up and breaking down.
Related word forms
How anabolic is actually used
The word is technical but widely familiar through fitness culture and sports reporting. It carries no inherent negative connotation, though 'anabolic steroids' often does because of doping controversies. It is almost always used attributively before a noun ('anabolic steroids', 'anabolic effect') rather than predicatively.
Easily confused with anabolic
Anabolic processes build up complex molecules and tissue, whereas catabolic processes break them down for energy.