The Truth About Steroids

johnsfitness.com ^ | 2006

[doug from upland]

 

The Truth About Steroids Once used exclusively by bodybuilders striving to get freakishly huge and athletes hoping for a competitive edge, steroids are now being used by normal guys who just want to look bigger.   What Are Steroids? A steroid is a drug derived from a hormone. When people talk about “steroids”, they are usually referring to anabolic (which means building) androgenic (which means promoting masculine characteristics) steroids. Anabolic androgenic steroids are artificial derivatives of testosterone, the natural male hormone. According to Mark Anshel, PhD, a visiting professor at Texas Tech University and author of Sport Psychology: From Theory To Practice (Gorsuch Scarisbrick, 2000), most guys naturally produce between two and ten milligrams of testosterone a day. Females also produce some testosterone, but in trace amounts. Testosterone’s anabolic (building) effects help the body retain dietary protein, which aids in the growth of muscles, bone and skin, while its androgenic (masculinizing) properties promote growth of body hair, deepening of the voice, and can affect aggressiveness and sex drive. Steroids, usually taken orally or by injection, are used medically for diseases like anemia and breast cancer, and to treat testosterone deficiency. They are also increasingly being prescribed to HIV positive people to help prevent wasting (muscle atrophy). But steroids are best known for their illegal use among athletes and gym rats.   A Male Version of Anorexia? Why is illegal steroid usage on a dizzying and dangerous upswing? According to Anshel, it’s a two-pronged problem. On the one hand, even though steroids are banned by most major athletic organizations (the Olympics, the NFL, the NCAA), many athletes looking for a competitive edge still try to get away with using ‘roids by stopping usage before an anticipated drug test or by taking masking drugs (drugs that hide the use of steroids). The other part of the problem is that more and more men are taking steroids for purely cosmetic reasons. Guys are subjected to a barrage of media images that showcase an idealized male physique that is big and brawny, and they’ll do anything they can to match it. It’s become the equivalent of anorexia for men: just as women try to get ridiculously—and unhealthily—skinny to compete with models and movie stars, guys are trying to get bigger and buffer to compete with the unrealistic standards set by pro-athletes, physique models, and those hulks in the WWF.   Big, Brawny, and Bald Steroids may sound like a shortcut to a bigger, better body. But as with most quick fixes, there’s a catch: you can’t get the building effect of steroids without side effects, many of them extremely dangerous. The growth effect of steroids cannot be completely separated from the masculinizing effects. The following are some of the less appealing effects of illegal steroid use: For Everyone:   Liver tumors Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) Fluid retention (puffiness) High blood pressure Trembling Weakening of the tendons which may result in tears or ruptures For Men:   More body hair (the “sweater at the beach” look) Acne and its cousin, “back-ne.” Larger breasts (the result of the increased estrogen levels which go hand in hand with increased testosterone levels) Smaller testicles (this happens when your testes react to all the synthetic testosterone in your body by taking an extended vacation.) Reduced sperm count (shooting blanks) or infertility Baldness For Women:   Increased facial hair Deepened voice Irregular periods Increase in size of the clitoris as it succumbs to testosterone-induced delusions of becoming a penis. For Adolescents:   Steroids can permanently stunt bone growth., so you may get big and buff, but you won’t get any taller than you are. The higher the dosage and the longer the period of use, the more severe the side effects will be. The side effects of short-term usage may be reversible, but those of long-term usage often are not.   ‘Roid Rage There are troubling psychological side effects to steroids as well. “'Roid rage” is a term for bursts of temper induced by a system overwhelmed with testosterone. Steroid users have also reported mood swings and depressions. Steroids are also addictive, warns Anshel. While steroids aren’t necessarily physiologically addictive, they are psychologically addictive. Steroid users often keep increasing dosages to higher and higher levels, and feel powerless to quit.   Working Out The Healthy Way Rather than trying to impose an unrealistic look onto your body, Anshel suggests making the most of what you have. He notes that your body is genetically programmed to be a certain size, and even taking massive dosages of steroids “won’t overcome the amount of muscle fibers that your body is programmed to have.” He recommends a common sense approach: a healthy diet and a consistent workout plan. You’re guaranteed to see results this way, and it’ll give you a real self-esteem injection, not the fake one provided by steroids.

Other links... Steroid Abuse Do you use steroids- When it comes to muscles, do you think bigger is always better-

[doug from upland]

Barry Bonds could not be reached for comment.

[BlueStateDepression]

Neither could Lyle Alzado.

[Paradox]

I've been in the "iron game" for nearly 3 decades now, and have seen it all coming, and tried alot more than I'll admit too.

Two things, the bad news is (bad in as much as knowing that "a little bit of weed wont hurt you"), is that steroids, if taken moderately and under proper supervision, can do great things to your physique, without alot of side effects. Its when guys (and ladies, ick!) go bonkers on them that they get the bad sides. Its still not something you want to get into anyways, because for most its a slippery slope, they swear they'll only do "one cycle", and only of the safest, weakest drug, but once they start, its hard for most to stop.

Another thing is that without drugs, you can achieve a superior physique that is considered very good these days, so you might as well do it naturally.

Alot of guys get what is called "bigorexia", the fear of getting even a tiny bit smaller. I had a friend who totally screwed himself up this way. He got a back injury, and was so afraid NOT to train (we was already 255 lbs), that the started taking Nubain and kept training, so then he gets hooked on Nubain, and goes to great length to aquire it, gets busted by the feds, cops a deal, stops steroids, gets considerably smaller, starts the juice again (this time, GROWTH HORMONE), gets carpal tunnel from the GH, has to have surgery, can't wait to train, starts on oxycontin for the pain, etc, etc.. needless to stay, I stopped being his friend and I haven't heard from him in many years, he could be dead for all I know, thats how obsessed he was..

[vetvetdoug]

Bonds probably uses a bottle cap for a cup. Steroids cause atrophy of the family jewels something awful.

[JmyBryan]

There is not much depth to this article. Steroid use is not something that can be summed up so easily. There MAY be benefits to proper steroid use. Defining proper use is the question.

And no, I do not use steroids. However I do supplement ZMA and 7 keto DHEA to raise testosterone levels.

[BJClinton]

Steroids cause atrophy of the family jewels something awful.

When I played football alot of the guys started using 'roids. The coach held a class where he showed a rather graphic movie of the effect it had on one's equipment. Roid use stopped immediately.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Neither could Lyle Alzado.

My first thought was of Lyle when I saw the title of this thread. What a shame :(

Thanks for posting this informative article. Steroids are also used for severe asthma. I guess you just have to weigh the positive vs the negative when needing to take this drug.

Speaking of steroids, WWF is on tonight. *sigh*

[wilk]

The problem with steroids is that if you don't abuse them, you can get away with it. The Olympics are very tainted, you have countries that invest millions in to masking agents and designer drugs. The idiots, like Bonds, just grabs some junk off the street. Someone sells the $hit out of it, I'm sure, but he's not using anything that I couldn't make out of cough syrup.

I just saw Ken Grifey Jr. Belt a grand slam on Saturday(the Tigers still won), and the crowd(in Detroit) went nuts. The man, Jr, is a legend. People should respect that. Bonds....he's throwing it all away. For nothing.