Steroids are still popular with gym goers. Often these "bodybuilders" do not take into account that taking steroids has many serious side effects - increasing aggression is one of them. Anabole can worsen overall he alth, stun growth by 30%. or lead to infertility.

Steroidshas been a problem for years not only in gyms.Aggression , skin changes, infertility are just some of theside effectsof taking anabolics. Our article is dedicated not only to young people dreaming of Mariusz Pudzianowski's strength, figure and success, but also to parents who are too willing to agree that adolescent children support their development with various "vitamin sets".

In fact, they often contain large doses of hormones, mainly testosterone. The widespread praise of large muscles, strength and endurance prompts more and more people to take care of their physical condition. This would be a laudable trend if it were not for theanabolic steroids , which are used by those who want to sculpt their figure without the hard work in the gym. Unfortunately, they are getting younger, because they are 18-25 on average.

What are steroids?

The meaning of the term "steroids" varies depending on the context in which it is used. Steroids also include cholesterol, vitamin D, bile acids, sex hormones, and adrenal cortex hormones. In the medical sense, under the slogan "steroids" there are drugs based on various corticosteroids.

In sports doping, steroids are understood as a group of chemical compounds that have the ability to control the body's anabolism and are professionally calledanabolic steroids . Corticosteroids are used in many areas of medicine. Most often in dermatology, allergology, rheumatology and neurology. These drugs can only be obtained with a prescription and their use is therefore monitored by a doctor. The situation is different with anabolic steroids, because their availability is easy, and the effects of overuse are very dangerous.

Important

Anabolics - disappointed hopes of medicine

At the end of the 1940s, the properties of steroids were tried to be used in patients with extremely exhausted organisms. It was believed that the administration of a natural anabolic steroid would increase the muscle mass of patients, improve their appetite and thus quickly return to he alth.forms, but the side effects turned out to be much worse than the disease.

The expected results were also not achieved by the attempts to administer anabolic steroids to people with eating disorders who wanted to increase their appetite and gain weight faster. The thought of treatment with anabolic steroids was abandoned.

Testosterone is an exception, however. It is used to accelerate the sexual development of boys in whom this development is definitely delayed. Occasionally, the hormone is also given for some bone-destroying cancers, such as myelomas. The same applies to disturbances in the growth rate of children. Since anabolic steroids, especially testosterone, increase mood, their use in terminally ill people is increasingly considered to improve their quality of life.

Dangerous anabolic steroids (anabolics)

Anabolic steroids accelerate the division of cells that make up specific tissues in animals and humans. The most visible effect of steroids is to stimulate the growth of muscle mass, strength and endurance. The natural anabolic steroid is testosterone - the male sex hormone. But administering it for no reason (congenital or acquired deficiency proven by medical research) has many undesirable effects.

Dangerous, though difficult to notice, is a strong hormonal imbalance in the body. After some time, this translates into malfunction of individual organs and changes in external appearance. Nevertheless, some features of anabolics (e.g. the effect on the growth of muscle mass) can be considered desirable. Unfortunately, subsequent scientific research proves that they do not serve our body.

So far, scientists have not been able to develop synthetic steroids that would act selectively, for example, determine only strength, body mass or bone gain. This is because all steroids are metabolized, i.e. they are metabolized, and the products of this metabolism harm the body. Of course, e.g. bodybuilders focused on quick body shaping will not think about the late consequences of such preparations. Meanwhile, steroids are really no fun.

Steroids are harmful regardless of gender

In men, they cause a short-term increase in sex drive followed by a decrease in the amount of naturally produced testosterone. Effect? Shrinkage of the testicles and, consequently, even infertility. In women, the use of anabolics may result in a permanent lowering of the voice, irregular menstruation, enlargement of the clitoris, skin changes, body and facial hair, and alopecia on the tip.head.

Men also have more stubble, but usually on the torso and back. Testosterone causes no hair growth on their heads, which is what many would expect. In both sexes, high doses of anabolics cause gynecomastia (enlargement of the mammary glands). Acne often appears all over the body, i.e. pustules that come up with pus and leave permanent scars.

Painful muscle spasms and swelling due to water retention in the body are also common. The consequence of the use of anabolics by adolescents may be the inhibition of body growth. It is caused by premature closure of the epiphyses (endings) of long bones. If anabolics are taken by people who are not fully developed physically, it can be expected that they will be 20-30% shorter than their peers.

Steroids - a threat to the entire body

Long intake of anabolic steroids has an adverse effect on most internal organs. Taking steroids orally puts the greatest strain on the liver, which is tasked with catching toxic substances and depriving the activity of biologically active substances, including hormones.

If the blood is saturated with hormones, the liver cannot remove them. It can be said that it works at increased speed. Over time, this can lead to inflammation, cholestasis, bleeding, and benign or malignant neoplastic changes. Anabolics also affect the circulatory system. They cause high blood pressure, usually accompanied by headaches or deterioration of eyesight. Impaired blood circulation can lead to kidney failure, heart attack and even stroke.

Anabolics also have a detrimental effect on blood clotting. It becomes as if sticky, and then it is easy to get venous thrombosis. Lowering blood levels and changing the proportion of lipids promote the development of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.

See the gallery of 8 photos

Steroids - the effects of long-term steroid use

If steroids are taken for many years, the changes in the vessels are irreversible, sometimes even leading to disability. It is also suspected that taking steroids in the adolescent period (up to 30 years of age), when the prostate gland grows, may in the future cause its hypertrophy. It is a mild condition that makes it difficult to pass urine. It is believed that steroids may also increase the risk of certain prostate cancers.

Steroids also cause havoc in the immune system. The weakening of immunity promotes catching colds and angina. This is especially common after stopping steroids when the endocrine system is not working at a normal level.Also then there are pains in the joints. It is caused both by overloading the joints during hard training (while taking steroids) and by lowering the nitrogen level in the blood (after discontinuing anabolic preparations).

Taking steroids can also cause injuries. Tendons, ligaments and the so-called. muscle trailers. They remain in the form prescribed by nature for a given body type. If you train intensively, they are too weak to cope with strenuous muscle work. Therefore, it is easy to overload or tear them. Treatment of such injuries is troublesome, and their effects are felt for the rest of your life.

Problem

Taking steroids promotes gum disease

Researchers in Adana have conducted studies showing that long-term use of anabolics promotes gum disease. People overusing steroids are more likely to develop hypertrophy. They become swollen, making it easier for bacteria to attack the teeth. Sometimes surgical intervention is necessary to remove excess gum tissue.

The influence of steroids on the psyche

Anabolic steroids also have a negative effect on the psyche. People taking them develop aggression, irritation, euphoria, but also severe depression, sometimes ending with suicide attempts. When the body is saturated with steroids, there is a mood swing that is incomprehensible to the environment, from euphoria to distinct depression. After fits of anger or even aggression towards random people, there is a breakdown of malaise, fatigue, lack of energy and severe headaches. To avoid unpleasant symptoms, some resort to higher doses of anabolics. They fall into the trap of addiction, from which they can only be liberated through appropriately selected psychiatric treatment.

Sterydy and doping

Giving athletes drugs that accelerate the growth of strength and muscle mass is illegal. This is nothing but doping. In the 1970s and 1980s, doping was not formally prohibited. Sports law did not notice the existence of such a problem. It was not until the mid-1990s that the authorities of the International Olympic Committee banned the use of anabolic steroids in sport. All countries participating in the Olympics complied with this decision. Even so, the temptation to "make a score" is often so strong that players reach for this forbidden fruit.

It is observed in strength sports, where the success is determined by muscle endurance and often superhuman strength. Anabolics are used by athletes lifting weights, bodybuilders, but also athletes (runners, jumpers), swimmers and cyclists. In competitive sportsThe players have at their disposal specialist staffs, including doctors, who try to minimize the effects of doping. For this purpose, treatments regenerating the body are carried out, the right diet, nutrients and vitamins are selected. Limiting the administration of steroids to 2-3 "treatments" a year is to guarantee the return of the endocrine system to normal. But is it really so?

The use of anabolic steroids by people practicing sports for their own pleasure is not prohibited. There is no team of specialists here who will regulate the doses of steroids. Amateur bodybuilders take what they can get their hands on or what they can afford. This is what physicians are most concerned about. Anabolic agents (even with high doses of testosterone) are sold under the label of supplements or vitamins for intensive training. These substances are reported as dietary supplements and pass the entire registration procedure without any problems. It is also important that the preparation provided by the manufacturer is submitted for registration, not the one that will appear on the market in the future. And the differences in their chemical composition can be significant.

Problem

Is this bigorexia?

The use of anabolics may accompany bigorexia, which is also called the male form of anorexia. The following are the characteristics of this disease:

  • Disturbed body image - a bigorectic is constantly dissatisfied with his appearance. Nothing can convince him otherwise.
  • Body Measurement - Constantly measures the circumference of the biceps, chest and compares them with those of its masters.
  • Strange diet - usually limited to eating high-calorie, protein-laden meals. Lack of fats in food quickly leads to a deficiency of vitamins A, D, E, K.
  • Avoiding people - socializing is an unnecessary waste of time for addicts. They usually collide (in their opinion) with an intricately planned training plan.

"Zdrowie" monthly

Category:

He alth