What Is Anabolic Steroids?

Later it was discovered that anabolic steroids could facilitate the growth of skeletal muscle which led to abuse by bodybuilders, weightlifters, and athletes in other sports. Abuse of anabolic steroids can cause acne, breast development in men, heart attacks, and liver cancer. Most side effects are reversible if the abuser stops taking the drugs, but some are permanent, such as voice deepening in females. Possible health consequences for men are infertility, shrinking of the testicles, and male-pattern baldness while with women enlargement of the clitoris, and excessive growth of body hair can happen. It can affect the musculoskeletal & cardiovascular system, liver, skin, cause infection, and have psychiatric effects such as rage, aggression, mania, and delusions. Treatment of anabolic steroid abuse uses medications to restore the hormonal system after its disruption, and medication to target specific withdrawal symptoms.

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

The competitive drive to win at all cost is fierce among athletes. Winning at all cost often includes using one of many performance enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids. Many athletes use performance enhancing drugs, like steroids, to achieve higher goals and set higher records than other drug-free successful athletes. Although athletes are performing at higher levels when using such drugs, what is the cost? Finally anabolic steroids should remain banned from sports because their use results in many harmful side effects; because their use violates sports regulations, and because their use can cause death.

Some side effects that men are susceptible to are acne, aggression gynecomastia, the growth of female breast tissue, stunted growth in teens, loss of fertility, and baldness. Some of the side effects that women are susceptible to are male pattern baldness, deepening of the voice, male pattern hair growth on the face and chest, and breast cancer. but the worse side effects are the ones that happen on the inside. Anabolic steroids are extremely hard on the internal organs of both men and women. Internal side effects could be liver disease/turmeric,high cholesterol,heart disease heart attack and strokes. They can also cause kidney failure and failure of the liver.(McVeigh, Jim)

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.

Steroids are hormones that have long lasting side effects on our bodies. Steroids increase cholesterol, blood clots and strokes. Steroids can also cause baldness, and the shrinking of testicles. There have also been cases where steroids have taken the lives of athletes through suicide.

Unfortunately, the use of steroids can easily lead to many major health problems. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse “Steroids abuse may lead to serious, even irreversible, health problems. Some of the most dangerous consequences…kidney impairment or failure; damage to the liver; and cardiovascular problems…leading to an increased risk of stroke and heart attack (even in young people)” (NIH). Steroids can affect an athlete by increasing the heart rate and decreasing the stamina, a fact that can lead to heart failure. Steroids can also affect the body with acne, abdominal pains, insomnia, and anaphylactic shock. When men use steroids the consequences are more crucial than women. For example, men may experience falling sperm count, shrinking testicles, and increased risk of fertility. On the other hand, women may show signs of masculinity (male type musculature) but also an increased risk of certain illnesses such as breast cancer. In general, steroids affect both of women and men by leading to terrible health problems. Dr. Larry Creswell, a well-known heart surgeon who studied the abuse of steroids, estimates that approximately 3 million Americans use steroids and he supports that the 70% of the athletes in the bodybuilding area, are steroid users. In addition, it is well known that steroids can also cause sudden deaths, sometimes in young athletes but most often occur within the ages of 35-50. In addition, Dr. Dickerman, a professor in the department of

When overused, steroids can cause both desirable and undesirable changes to the body, from developing increased muscle mass and characteristics of the opposite sex in addition to having a dangerous impact on your mental and physical health (Effects, 1). Anabolic steroids have led to hundreds of suspensions and health issues for many athletes, past and present. In 1983 alone, 10 athletes were disqualified from the 1984 Summer Olympics (Steroids, 1). Steroids are a danger to love ones and sports around the world. In 1967, Tommy Simpson, a British Cyclist who was known for his excessive steroid use died while riding in the thirteenth stage of The Tour de France (Steroids, 2). The use of anabolic steroids by athletes is endangering sports and the

Effects of steroids on your body. If someone take steroids they will have a chance at getting liver, heart, and kidney diseases. “Anabolic Steroids increase the size of your muscle cells and causing them to hypertrophy or to get bigger” (Q&A: Impact of Steroids). You happen to lose hair as well as having altered mood swings such as: increased aggression.

Men and women both suffer from the side effects of steroids, but not always in the same way. In men who take steroids it can lead to infertility, breast development, Shrinking of the testicles, and male-pattern baldness. In women the side effects include enlargement of the clitoris, excessive growth of body hair, and also a

Both men and women can have the same problems with using steroids. Some of these problems are severe acne, increase risk of tendinitis or tendon rupture, liver abnormalities or tumors, increased low density lipoprotein cholesterol, decreased high density lipoprotein cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart and circulatory problems, prostate gland enlargement, aggressive behavior, psychiatric disorders, drug dependence, infections, and inhabited growth and development (Fitness).

Both men and women can have the same problems with using steroids. Some of these problems are severe acne, increase risk of tendinitis or tendon rupture, liver abnormalities or tumors, increased low density lipoprotein cholesterol, decreased high density lipoprotein cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart and circulatory problems, prostate gland enlargement, aggressive behavior, psychiatric disorders, drug dependence, infections, and inhabited growth and development (Fitness).

Picture yourself being the best athlete in the world and in your sport. After you picture that imagine how you would feel if you were caught with steroids and banned. Your reputation is tarnished and everything you have done has gone to waste. This is what has happened to past athletes and is still happening to present athletes. Athletes have been using steroids since the 70’s and use quickly ascended in the 80’s and so forth into the early 2000’s. Steroids should not be able to be used by Athletes. It not only gives athletes an unfair advantage but it also hurts their body and gives long term effects. When leagues ban steroids they aren't just trying to stop cheating, they are trying to help athletes have better and healthier bodies later

When taken in abundant doses, anabolic steroids allow users to greatly increase muscle strength and athletic performance, often well beyond the limit attainable by natural means (Kouri et al., 1995). As a result, many elite competitive athletes have used anabolic steroids and this phenomenon has recently generated much publicity, as evidenced by increasing media reports around the world (Ewing, 2008; Fainaru-Wada and Williams, 2006; Magnay, 2008; Swartz, 2007).

Doctors warn that steroids elevate blood pressure among other things. They also say that they increase LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and lower HDL cholesterol (the good kind). If these do not eventually ruin a steroid user’s life, something else will. They have been known to take a toll on some of the most important parts of the body through various ways including enlargement of the heart, liver damage, and kidney failure. With men, large doses of steroids can even cause the body to shut off its own production of testosterone, leaving the steroids as the only supply. Eventually, the lack of this hormone leads to a reduction in the amount of sperm a man can produce which eventually can put him at risk of infertility. Synthetic steroids sometimes cause enlargement of the prostate gland, which causes pain when urinating and some studies have shown links of steroids to prostate cancer, among other types. These are just a few of the countless medical risks that come with. (Bjornlund