Steroids

 Steroids - A well known drug with little known facts

Have you ever wanted to change the way your body looks? Imagine having the ability to become twice as strong as you are now and grow double the size, having the power you need to increase your athletic abilities to the desired level. That ability does indeed exist, but like most shortcuts in life comes at a cost. Many adults in professional sports and even average people have resulted in taking this shortcut, a drug known as anabolic steroids. Professional athletes over the years and even today have come under heat from the use of this drug, with laws being banned on its usage nationwide. An increasing number of teenagers have been using this drug with 5% of teenage boys and 2.5% of teenage girls using some form of anabolic steroid*. Today’s world puts such high expectations on what you are supposed to look like or how to perform athletically that steroids are becoming commonly used by younger ages. People ignore negative health effects and risk of imprisonment to partake in the use of steroids. The most surprising fact is that a low percentile of people actually know what steroids are or their true, intended purpose and effects. This controversial topic has been in debate since before most of us were born, and still rages on to current day. Anabolic steroids have gained a notorious reputation across the world despite the little known facts surrounding them.

 
Anabolic steroids, what even are they? 

Steroids are natural chemicals produced in our bodies known as hormones, which promote growth and make us into more mature adults as  well as give us older characteristics. The hormone that plays the leading role in development is called testosterone, which is responsible for muscle and bone growth, emotions, and puberty. A crucial aspect of testosterone is how it helps your muscle build and recover after workouts. An anabolic steroid is a man-made testosterone booster that does everything testosterone does, only quicker and better. Its intended purpose is to increase muscle mass and strength, work as an anti-inflammatory, and boost how protein is absorbed in your body*. These positive effects are reasons why body-builders, athletes, and self-conscious people have sparked interest in steroids. Your performance in any physical activity normally increases with the usage of steroids, creating universal popularity with younger and old crowds alike.

What are the overall effects, both Positive and Negative?

A huge problem with steroids is that people care too little about the negative effects and more about the positive effects. This presents an issue being that the health costs of steroids outweigh any positive aspects of the drug. If taken correctly with proper diet measures and a planned fitness routine, positive effects can range from massive muscle gains, aggressiveness, and shorter recovery periods. Now, on to the more common negative side effects, which vary from short term to long term. People compare the way steroid users look and act the Incredible Hulk, due to his large body structure and short temper, which is another effect of steroids. Mood swings, organ damage, testosterone production, acne, and high blood pressure are just some harmful effects*. Steroids pose an even greater risk for teenagers in the sense that their bodies are still developing and their chemical processes can be tampered with.

Your Own Choice

Throughout your life people are going to tell you don't do this and don't try that. I am here to tell you that you might one day eventually go against what these people say, despite their warnings. Many of these things you try in the end present no consequences and instead give you a life learning experience. However, for some things such as steroids, the long term consequences will affect you later in life. I have first hand witnessed many of my friends destroy, not build, their bodies with the use of steroids. At the end of the day, they are some of the most powerful substances known to man-kind with the ability to change how you go about your life both mentally and physically. 

* Hartgens, F., & Kuipers, H. (2004). Effects of androgenic-anabolic steroids in athletes. In PubMed.

Retrieved November 3, 2013, from

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15248788

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