The Negative Effects of Steroid Use

According to Brower, withdrawal symptoms might be developed in the individuals who stop taking anabolic steroids after they have taken excessive amount of anabolic steroids over sustained period. The symptoms included mood swings, insomnia, depressed mood, reduced libido, anorexia, weight loss, and even suicidal thoughts. Despite of these behavioral changes, others common adverse effects of anabolic steroids are liver failure, endocrine dysfunction, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, and difficulties in blood clotting. For men, they may experience gynecomastia (breast development and enlargement), reduced fertility, shrunken testes, decreasing in sperm amount, decreased production of testosterone, development of prostate cancer due to the enlargement of the gland, and baldness, and masculinization in women and children. In women, excessive anabolic steroids will lead to breast reduction, swollen clitoris, masculinization, deepen voice, growth of body and facial hair, menstrual disruption and also increased risk of birth defects.

Aaron Henry was 13 when he started taking steroids. He wanted to gain an edge in football. After four years of using steroids, Henry was 5'9" and weighed 210 pounds. He gained weight and power from taking steroids, but that is not all they gave him. He experienced spells of vomiting, urinating blood, liver and kidney damage, ulceration over three-fourths of his stomach, a mild heart attack, and an aggressive personality (James 18). Henry was only aware of steroids' positive effects. He was unaware about their side effects and health risks. Much of the public, just like Henry, is uninformed or wrongly informed about steroids. The media fails to show the negative aspects of using steroids. Because of this, many people think that

Steroid abuse has become a huge problem in professional sports today. Athletes are now using steroids to gain a competitive edge over their opponents. Also, the athletes are using the steroids to recover quickly from major injuries or surgeries. Many former superstar athletes have been caught taking steroids during the season and offseason.

B. With the use of Steroids for men, the effects can be quite scary. WebMD.com states “Men who take anabolic steroids may: Develop breasts, Get painful erections, Have their testicles shrink, and have decreased sperm count.

Steroids come with three different types of risks/side effects that include: mental health, addictive potential and physical dangers. Steroids have immediate effects on the brain of a user as soon as they begin taking them. As soon as steroids are introduced into the user’s system, they “[bind to the] androgen (male sex hormone) and estrogen (female sex hormone) receptors on the surface of a cell.” Studies have suggested that “steroids may contribute to psychiatric dysfunction, paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility” (“NIDA InfoFacts: Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic)”, 2009). These mental side effects also contribute to the growing narcissistic nature of steroid users, where they feel invincible, that no one is better than them, or

Users have different reasons for doping and, subsequently, steroids have different health consequences. Some common side effects from steroid use are the following: acne, genital changes, water retention, yellowing of the eyes and skin; women may experience: male-pattern baldness, decreased breast size, deeper voices, hairy bodies, and menstrual irregularities; men may experience: reduced sperm production, shrinking of the testicles, impotence, difficulty or pain in urinating, baldness, and irreversible breast enlargement. But these are just minor setbacks right? One could say that, like those aren’t bad, but researchers have also linked steroid abuse to much more serious risks such as: fatal liver cysts, liver cancer, blood clotting, cholesterol changes, hypertension, stroke, and even heart attack. Despite all these potential problems, many still choose to take steroids.

Also, steroids can cause men’s testicals to shrink (Mitchell 55). Baseball players who use steroids are so mentally focused on the positive effects of steroids that they forget to think about the negative effects on mental health, the liver, the cardiovascular system, and the reproductive system.

Steroids can also cause hair loss, formation of “Mini breasts” and penile shrinking and low to no sperm production. Steroids can also cause heart disease, pain while urinating, HIV/aids from sharing needles, and cancer. Withdraw symptoms also start up after taking “roids”. Illness, dizziness, vision problems, anxiety, and depression are just some of the problems that can happen to the body and mind.

The documentary called Bigger, Stronger, Faster by Chris Bell demonstrates Americas want to be the best vs. their desire to be moral. Throughout the movie Bell uses multiple examples on how steroids affect us both physically and mentally as well as their potential dangers. There are several things that make us American but Bell chooses this particular subject because of his own personally experiences with it as well as his families. As the audience we are taken into a glimpse of the Bell family’s everyday struggle with this emanate problem. Similar to what many of us have to face in society today.

One of the most-treasured items a person can have is their health. Consequently, a great deal of money is spent on healthcare on account of people want to be healthy to do the things they enjoy in life. In the article “Steroid Abuse in Today’s Society,” states “There is increasing concern regarding possible serious health problems that are associated with the abuse of steroids, including both short-term and long-term side effects.” ("Steroid Abuse in Today's Society" 3). Unfortunately, there are side effects that will accompany someone who takes steroids. For women and men, steroids can cause masculinizing effects. These symptoms can cause fertility problems in both genders. Fortunately, by stopping the use of drugs can cause a shift in changing men’s health for the better, but for women the symptoms may never go away. Studies have not concluded the long-term effects of steroids, but in the worst cases, death can occur. Performance enhancement drugs are dangerous to an athlete’s

Anabolic Steroids are commonly viewed as a miracle drug in order to increase muscle growth and definition, but what most users of the drug don’t know are the life altering effects that prolonged use can cause. When the drug was released in the late 50’s by scientists working for the Soviet Union, they had no idea what the lasting effects were going to be. At first the drug seemed to be almost a miracle, it helped the Soviet weightlifting team beat the American team by a long shot, but then the lifters began to experience certain bodily changes that were actually the onsets of horrendous life changing side effects that could have been prevented with further studies. Since that time, most states in North America and around have banned the distribution and use of the drug completely due to its adverse effects on the body, if caught using such drugs in professional sporting communities, it could land the athlete thousands of dollars’ worth of fines and they can even face up to five years in jail if they are found with the drug in their possession. On top of this, the risks involved can potentially alter the normal way of life for that athlete for the rest of his life, such risks include hormonal changes, cardiovascular problems, behavioral issues, and even problems with the reproductive system.

The mental effects that steroids have for both males and females are as follows: paranoia, delusions, bad decision making, and irritability. The physical effects steroids can have in males are: shrinkage of testicles, decrease in sperm count, and development of breasts. For females, the effects of steroids are: voice deepening, clitoral enlargement, breast size shrinkage, hair growth where most men get hair, and menstrual irregularity.

Anabolic steroids are one of the most thought about drugs when talking about gaining weight and muscle. Steroids have been around for years and athletes today continue to use these illegal performance enhancing drugs. But are they really that bad for you? Steroids not only have terrible side effects but they are also becoming more and more common around the world today with pro icons using them and the existence of them.

Athletes, whether they are young or old, professional or amateur, are always looking to gain an advantage over their opponents to come away with the win. The desire for an "edge" exists in all sports, at all levels of play, from peewee wrestling to professional football. Successful athletes rely on skill, practice, and hard work to increase their skills, speed, power, and ability. Today, high school and even middle school students are using steroids illegally. The United Institute of Health reported that 2.9% of twelve graders in high school have used anabolic steroids(Drugs In Sports, 2) These drugs may also have been called: roids, juice, gym candy, pumpers, stackers, balls or bulls, arnies, or anabolics(Anabolic Steroids, 1). Also most

An athlete is not an athlete until one knows that there is always room for improvement. When speaking about improvement it can range from many things. Improvement can go from a physical aspects such as extra practices, more training, putting in extra hours or it can go from a mental aspect which requires mental stableness and toughness. So doing things like meditating and yoga can go as far for that. But there is one thing that many athletes probably do come across at one point; and that is the famous product of Steroids. Steroids are recognized for en-hancing athletic performance and making them stronger, fitter, and better for the sport but unfor-tunately steroids are illegal in the U.S due to some serious issues, but just because it is illegal doesn't mean steroids can be put to good use like it once was.