Steroid Side Effects: The Dangers

Performance Enhancers Can Give - and Take Away - More Than You Might Expect

With the image of Barry Bonds' bulky body burned into our brains, the issue of steroids is once again on the sports shows and front pages. The book "Game of Shadows" chronicling Bonds' steroid use has been published to great publicity, and as he closes in on
 Hank Aaron's home run record, the public eye can't help be fixed upon the slugger who was once a comparatively frail rookie.

But with a role model like Bonds taking the spotlight under such scrutiny (and presumably under the influence of a performance enhancing drug), what will young athletes think, especially those who wish to bulk up?

With proper education and better role models, the hope is that athletes will consider alternatives to performance enhancing drugs, especially in light of the immense number of negative effects many steroids carry. Outlined below are just a few of those byproducts affecting both men and women users.


Physical side-effects

Men


For men using steroids, the physical side effects are largely sexual in nature. When a male uses steroids for an extended period of time, his body begins making less testosterone. This is the body’s natural reaction to the increased amount of the chemical, and can result in a diminishing of the size of the testes. A reduced sperm count, infertility, and even impotence can result from steroid usage, despite an initial increase in sexual desire.

Steroid use can also lead to baldness in men because of the increased presence of the chemical known as DHT. DHT is one of the factors that leads to baldness, and because steroids convert largely into DHT once inside the body, the spike in the presence of the substance can speed up the process greatly.

Men may also go through a period of feminization, especially after ending a steroid cycle. During this time, the natural presence of androgen is often low, and the female hormone estrogen easily overshadows it. When this occurs, men can have an increased tendency toward fatty deposits on the body, softer muscles, and even the development of breasts, a condition known as gynecomastia.


Women

Related information
  • When taking steroids, men can develop feminine attributes, and vis-a-vis.
  • Adolescents taking steroids are in special danger of harming their physical development
  • Steroids can harm both physically and mentall; mood swings and other symptoms can accompany use.
 
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This is really sad because I work in the medical field and the guy I love has done steroids and I dont think I can marry him because not only am I scared he will use them again but I want to have kids one day and what if he can't give them to me because of his stupid steroids?

Posted on 02/23/2009 at 10:02:53 PM

suck my nuts hoes

Posted on 09/24/2008 at 6:09:25 AM

As the majority of the posts from people who claim to be using steroids above will demonstrate for me, steroids not only has adverse affects physically, but mentally too. Yes you get big muscles faster than somebody else who works at it the old fashioned way, but your balls shrink (along with your brain apparently), your heart weakens and you have a very good chance of growing breasts. Girls, two of these three things don't apply to you as you don't have balls, and you already have breasts. (Let me say this, as I have been asked before, taking steroids will NOT increase your breast size) However, you will get a weaker heart, deeper voice and most likely facial hair. Some of you guys might actually be tempted by that...I don't know...and to you people who don't have anything better to do than tell everybody to go F**k themselves, why don't you take a leaf out of your own books, crawl into a cave and practice what you preach. All I have left to say is thank you to whoever wrote

Posted on 08/18/2008 at 6:08:06 AM

stupids i can't believe you freaks use Steroids

Posted on 06/01/2008 at 5:06:07 PM

Fuck u all!!!!

Posted on 05/06/2008 at 11:05:09 AM

I hate everyone that uses steroids you quick bodybuilding freaks

Posted on 05/06/2008 at 11:05:05 AM

can steriods really make it hard 2 get it up or keep it up?

Posted on 04/12/2008 at 10:04:18 AM

I JUST STARTED AND I FEEL GOOD.. :P

Posted on 03/23/2008 at 2:03:21 AM

shut up

Posted on 03/03/2008 at 8:03:03 AM

shut up

Posted on 03/03/2008 at 8:03:59 AM

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