The potentially dangerous side effects of anabolic steroids
Thinking of trying steroids? What can hurt You’re just going to take a dose and see what it does without knowing the side effects of anabolic steroids, right? The other guys at the gym are freaking out while you fuel up with your protein shakes and nutrition bars.
You’ve been going to the gym everyday and working your butt off. You drink protein shakes, eat loads of chicken, and see some muscle gain. Your happy. Then you notice the new guy at gym is getting big real fast. He only started 3 months ago and he’s putting on size like there’s no tomorrow. What the???
Obviously he’s on roids and your starting to wonder whether you should chuck in the towel or jump on the train. It’s tempting. Why work so hard when you’re only going to see mediocre results compared to the other guy.
Steroids obviously work, but are they worth it? And are they guaranteed?
The Technical Mumbo Jumbo:
Hundreds of distinct steroids have been identified in plant, animals, and fungi. The steroids associated with muscle growth are called anabolic steroids.
Anabolic steroids are a class of natural and synthetic steroid hormones that promote cell growth and division of tissue and bone. They not only effect muscle tissue but various other organs as well. Testosterone is the most potent natural anabolic steroid.
Testosterone is primarily secreted in the testicals of males and the ovaries of females. It is the principal male sex hormone. On average, the adult male body produces about twenty times the amount of testosterone of an adult female’s body.
Testosterone naturally increases in males at puberty and causes these effects:
- Increased libido and erection frequency
- Pubic hair extends to thighs and up toward umbilicus
- Facial hair (sideburns, beard, mustache)
- Chest hair, periareolar hair, perianal hair
- Increased tendency for violence or aggressive
- Subcutaneous fat in face decreases
- Increased muscle strength and mass
- Deepening of voice
- Growth of the adam’s apple
- Growth of spermatogenic tissue in testes, male fertility
- Growth of jaw, brow, chin, nose, and remodeling of facial bone contours
- Shoulders widen and rib cage expands
The Risks:
The side effects of using anabolic steroids vary depending on the type of drug, dosage, duration of use and individual sensitivity and response.
To be straight with you, there are more stories and myths about steroid effects than you can poke a stick at. But some of the more common and documented side effects of anabolic steroids include severe acne, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, impotence, and mood swings.
So if you think you can handle that, then you’re all set… Well, not really.
Besides the shrunken testicals, people who take large doses (like what’s needed for muscle gain) can lose control of their emotions and become irritable and really aggressive. Little things can make them hysterically angry. This is what is called “roid rage”.
A case study published in the Australian Medical Journal (165:222-26) reviewed the evidence concerning the side effects of anabolic steroids on the mind.
The case centered on a 29-year-old bodybuilder who beat his wife to death using a weapon described as a claw hammer. While he committed this horrific act, his four children were in another part of the house. He then shot himself in the head. Before this incident, his home life had been described as ‘‘happy.’’
This man had used steroids off and on for years, and seven weeks before the murder, he had used a steroid stack consisting of Winstrol-V and sustanon, both injectable steroids. A later urine test showed that he also used Valium, a muscle relaxant and anti-anxiety drug.
This doesn’t mean if you take steroids you are going to lose it and become an angry incredible hulk. But it definitely rings warning bells.
More bad news: The problems don’t stop when you stop taking steroids, either. People who use steroids can develop a dependency on them. That means they will go through withdrawal when they stop using. They may feel sick to their stomach, have headaches, sweat a lot, feel dizzy and depressed. These are other side effects of anabolic steroids.
Also, the sale of steroids is illegal for non-medical purposes
Steroids are legal for use by veterinarians and doctors, but it is illegal to buy or sell them on the street. When steroids are sold on the street or in a gym, they are often mixed with other substances, which only increases the risks.
Steroids are also banned in amateur sports like the Olympics and most professional sports. Several Olympians have lost their medals after being tested and found to have used steroids to increase their bulk and performance.
Are its positive effects guaranteed?
Steroids will increase your muscle mass, without a doubt. That doesn’t necessarily mean your chest and biceps are going to come out of your shirt first. There are a few cases where users experienced very little gain in the chest and a lot of gain in the shoulders and traps. Who else wants to become the next hunchback thanks to the side effects of anabolic steroids? I don’t.
