Are Steroids Worth The Risk?

Dominic has baseball on the brain. Just being good isn't enough — he wants to be the best. He dreams of playing in the majors someday, but worries about the intense competition for a position on a major league team. His girlfriend, Deborah, is also a highly competitive athlete whose appearance and performance are very important to her. She wants to stand out — both physically and athletically.

Because of the pressure they each feel to excel, Dominic and Deborah wonder whether steroids would help them. They've heard rumors about the bad side effects of steroids, but they don't have many facts. Here's the scoop on steroids.

What Are Steroids?

Steroids, sometimes referred to as roids, juice, hype, weight trainers, gym candy, arnolds, stackers, or pumpers, are the same as, or similar to, certain hormones in the body. The body produces steroids naturally to support such functions as fighting stress and promoting growth and development. In contrary, some sportspersons use steroids inform of injections, gels, pills or creams with the aim of improving their track performances and better their physique.

Anabolic steroids produce same effects as androgens. Like androgens, anabolic steroids help user develop pronounced male characteristics. There are more than 100 variations of anabolic steroids. The most powerful androgen is testosterone (pronounced: tess-toss-tuh-rone). Although testosterone is mainly a mature male hormone, girls' bodies produce smaller amounts. Testosterone is responsible for development of most male traits witnesses at puberty; development of muscles, growth of hairs in different parts of the body and increased confidence and agility.  

Athletes sometimes take anabolic steroids because of their testosterone-like effects.

Another group of steroids, sometimes called steroidal supplements, contains dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and/or androstenedione (also known as andro). For the most part, steroidal supplements, which used to be found at health food stores or gyms, are now illegal and require a prescription. DHEA is one of the few exceptions and can still be bought over the counter.

Some steroid supplements injected or ingested into the body have close resemblance to androgen. Their effects aren't well known, but it's thought that, if a user takes an over dose, effects such as produced by testosterone take effect. Here's what is known about steroidal supplements: Companies that manufacture them often use false claims and very little is known about the long-term effects some of these substances have on the body. That’s one reason why the government took action to protect citizens by passing laws controlling steroid distribution.

How Do Anabolic Steroids Work?

Anabolic steroids stimulate muscle tissue to grow and "bulk up" in response to training by mimicking the effect of naturally produced testosterone on the body. Anabolic steroids can remain in the body anywhere from a couple of days to about a year. Steroids have become popular because they may improve endurance, strength, and muscle mass. However, research has not shown that steroids improve skill, agility, or athletic performance.

Damages Caused by Steroids

Although anabolic steroids can produce some desirable characteristics in the body of the user, the complication attached to their usage should worry anyone thinking about them. Some of the damages caused to the bodies of users are:

§  Hair loss and baldness

§  Depression and change of moods

§  Sleeping problems

§  Hypertension that can rapture blood vessels

§  Vomiting and nausea

§  Fluctuating body weight

§   Problems with urinary system

§  Risks of tendon and muscle tear

Risks emanating from the use of anabolic steroids exist, both in men and women. There are distinguished characteristic deformities in either sex:

Damages in Women

Growth of facial hairs

Loss of female traits such as breast shrinkage and enlargement of the clitoris

Development of male characteristics e.g. deepening of voice and enlargement of muscles

Damages in Men

Urinary complications

Shrinkage of the testicles

Pronounced breast development

Erectile dysfunction and impotency

Risks for Guys

Specific risks for guys include:

       testicular shrinkage

       pain when urinating

       breast development

       impotence (inability to get an erection)

       sterility (inability to have children)

Other Problems

Steroids can also have serious psychological side effects. Some users become aggressive or combative, developing "roid rage" — extreme, uncontrolled bouts of anger caused by long-term steroid use.

Steroid users who inject the drugs with a needle are at risk for infection with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the virus that causes AIDS, if they share needles with other users. People who use dirty needles are also at greater risk for contracting hepatitis, a disease of the liver, or bacterial endocarditis, an infection of the inner lining of the heart.

Steroids: Stacking and Addiction

Some people combine or "stack" anabolic steroids with other drugs. Other steroid users may "pyramid" or "cycle" their steroid doses, starting with a low dose of stacked drugs and then periodically increasing and decreasing the dosage of the steroid, which users believe helps their bodies recuperate from the drugs.

Because even scientists don't understand exactly how steroids interact with each other or possibly cause reactions to other medications, it's possible that a person who stacks or cycles steroids can take a deadly combination. Emergency departments have reported cases of vomiting, tremors, dizziness, and even coma (unconsciousness) when patients were admitted after taking combinations of steroids.

A lot of people tell themselves they'll only use steroids for a season or a school year. Unfortunately, steroids can be addictive, making it hard to stop taking them.

Steroid users can spend lots of time and money trying to get the drugs. And once users stop taking steroids, they're at risk of developing irritability, paranoia, and severe depression, which may lead to suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide. Some of the long-term effects of steroids may not show up for many years. People who use steroids also appear to be at higher risk for using other drugs, such as alcohol or cocaine.

What Is Human Growth Hormone?

You may have heard of something called Human Growth Hormone, or hGH, in relation to sports supplements and maybe even related to steroids. Like steroids, hGH is only legal when prescribed by a doctor for a medical condition. Doctors prescribe hGH for people whose bodies don't naturally make enough growth hormone, a condition known as growth hormone deficiency. However, recent trends show an increase in growth hormone being abused as an athletic supplement.

A lot of myths surround hGH and its effects on athletes. As with steroids, there is absolutely no evidence that growth hormone helps to improve athletic performance. Here are some risks you should be aware of:

       Any type of hGH that is not obtained by prescription is not regulated by the government and could be almost anything.

       If you buy what may be called "growth hormone," "growth stimulators," or "growth factors" online, it's likely they're not really hGH. Many websites claim to be selling growth hormone, but they're really selling amino acids that don't significantly increase growth hormone levels in your body.

       If the false claims of performance benefits from hGH don't bother you, the price probably will — $5,000 for a month's prescription, meaning that the street value for just a month could run anywhere from $5,000-$10,000.

       Because growth hormone can only be injected, like some steroids, there's a risk of contracting HIV or other diseases (like hepatitis) if people share needles.

        

       Strong

       Anabolic steroids are controversial in the sports world because of the health risks associated with them and their unproven performance benefits. Most are illegal and are banned by professional sports organizations and medical associations. As seen in the high-profile cases, if an athlete is caught using steroids, his or her career can be destroyed.

       When it comes right down to it, harming your body or getting disqualified aren't smart ways to try to improve your athletic performance. Being a star athlete means training the healthy way: eating the right foods, practicing, and strength training without the use of drugs.

Synthesize:

Some people use steroid pills, gels, creams, or injections because they think steroids can improve their sports performance or the way they look. There are three different types of steroids. One type being anabolic steroids which are artificially produced hormones that are the same as or similar to androgens, the male-type sex hormones in the body. There are more than 100 variations of anabolic steroids. The most powerful androgen is testosterone. Although testosterone is mainly a mature male hormone, girls' bodies produce smaller amounts. Testosterone promotes the masculine traits that guys develop during puberty, such as deepening of the voice and growth of body hair. Testosterone levels can also affect how aggressive a person is.

Anabolic steroids cause many different types of problems. Some of the more serious or long-lasting side effects are: premature balding or hair loss, dizziness, mood swings, including anger, aggression, and depression, believing things that aren't true (delusion), extreme feelings of mistrust or fear (paranoia), problems sleeping, nausea and vomiting, trembling, high blood pressure that can damage the heart or blood vessels over time, aching joints, greater chance of injuring muscles and tendons, jaundice or yellowing of the skin; liver damage, urinary problems, shortening of final adult height, increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer. Specific risks for girls associated with anabolic steroids include: increased facial hair growth, development of masculine traits, such as deepening of the voice, and loss of feminine body, characteristics, such as shrinking of the breasts, enlargement of the clitoris, and menstrual cycle changes. Specific risks for guys include: testicular shrinkage, pain when urinating, breast development, impotence (inability to get an erection), and sterility (inability to have children).

Steroids can also have serious psychological side effects. Some users become aggressive or combative, developing "roid rage" — extreme, uncontrolled bouts of anger caused by long-term steroid use.

Another type of steroid is steroid supplements are weaker forms of androgen. Their effects aren't well known, but it's thought that, when taken in large doses, they cause effects similar to other androgens like testosterone.

You may have heard of something called Human Growth Hormone, or hGH, in relation to sports supplements and maybe even related to steroids. Like steroids, hGH is only legal when prescribed by a doctor for a medical condition. Because growth hormone can only be injected, like some steroids, there's a risk of contracting HIV or other diseases (like hepatitis) if people share needles. A lot of myths surround hGH and its effects on athletes. As with steroids, there is absolutely no evidence that growth hormone helps to improve athletic performance.

Once users stop taking steroids, they're at risk of developing irritability, paranoia, and severe depression, which may lead to suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide. Some of the long-term effects of steroids may not show up for many years. People who use steroids also appear to be at higher risk for using other drugs, such as alcohol or cocaine.

            In today’s society many men and women use steroids to become stronger and to have a better active performance. One choice of steroid is anabolic steroids.  Anabolic steroids are hormones that are made to be similar to the androgen hormones our bodies produce. Out of many different varieties of anabolic steroids, most people try to find the ones that are testosterone-like. For the reason being that testosterone is the most powerful, since it promotes the masculine hormone.  Another steroid type is a steroid supplement which is to be a lower dose of the androgen hormone. Therefore, if a person takes a large dose of steroid supplements it can become close to the same level of androgen hormone. Last is the human growth hormone, some say is similar to steroids while others disagree.  People take this hormone to try to make them taller, faster and even stronger.

            However, by taking any type of steroid there is always a chance of having side effects. Anabolic steroids have multiple side effects that have been documented. Steroid supplements and hGH there hasn’t been many side effects recorded. With the exception of taking large doses they end up having side effects similar to the anabolic steroids. Also by taking steroids with needles you have the risk of HIV or other transmitted diseases. Steroids may also become addicting. Therefore, when one is trying to come off of steroids may develop depression or paranoia. Studies have shown that people that take steroids are at a higher jeopardy of taking other drugs.