Anabolic steroids in tablet (oral) form are synthetic versions of testosterone taken by mouth. They are designed to be absorbed through the digestive system and enter the bloodstream after passing through the liver.To survive digestion, many oral steroids are chemically altered (often called 17-alpha-alkylated compounds), which allows them to remain active when taken orally. Because of this modification, they tend to have a stronger impact on the liver compared to most injectable forms.