Amber Lee Smith Weight Lifting
Mrs. Registar February 12, 2001
Anabolic Steriods
Anabolic Steroids are synthetic compounds formulated to be like the male sex hormone testosterone. Many athletes use anabolic steroids male and female alike, such as body builders, weightlifters, baseball players, football players, swimmers, and runners. They do so because they mistakenly believe that they will gain strength and size. In a male, testosterone is released by the leydig cells in the testes.
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Even though there not supposed to some of the masculinizing effects of testosterone still show on users of anabolic steroid. People who use them sometimes develop acne, depend voice, abnormal hair growth. Some of these side effects can not be reversed. The most severe effect of anabolic steroids is on the liver they call it peliosis hepatis or blood filled cysts in the liver. If the cysts rupture they can cause liver failure which can kill a person. After stopping the use of steroids though these cysts may become smaller and disappear. Steroids can also cause cancerous tumors in the liver that can also kill and disappear if the drugs are not used anymore.
Steroids are also increasing the risk of getting gallstones. Use of steroids also effects your cardiovascular system. There are two kinds of cholesterol in your body high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. HDL is good for the body but LDL is very hazardous to your health. Using steroids lowers the number of HDL in the body in most of the users. The lowering of the amount of HDL in the body puts the person at a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and blood-clotting problems. Some of the physicians also think that steroids also cause abnormal fat deposits in the body and change the way the body processes carbohydrates. Men who use steroids also can develop serious
Later it was discovered that anabolic steroids could facilitate the growth of skeletal muscle which led to abuse by bodybuilders, weightlifters, and athletes in other sports. Abuse of anabolic steroids can cause acne, breast development in men, heart attacks, and liver cancer. Most side effects are reversible if the abuser stops taking the drugs, but some are permanent, such as voice deepening in females. Possible health consequences for men are infertility, shrinking of the testicles, and male-pattern baldness while with women enlargement of the clitoris, and excessive growth of body hair can happen. It can affect the musculoskeletal & cardiovascular system, liver, skin, cause infection, and have psychiatric effects such as rage, aggression, mania, and delusions. Treatment of anabolic steroid abuse uses medications to restore the hormonal system after its disruption, and medication to target specific withdrawal symptoms.
The more that steroids are taken, the more severe it impacts the user's life. Like every other drug, steroids has many side effects. To name a few there’s, heart problems, high blood pressure, and stroke.
Users have different reasons for doping and, subsequently, steroids have different health consequences. Some common side effects from steroid use are the following: acne, genital changes, water retention, yellowing of the eyes and skin; women may experience: male-pattern baldness, decreased breast size, deeper voices, hairy bodies, and menstrual irregularities; men may experience: reduced sperm production, shrinking of the testicles, impotence, difficulty or pain in urinating, baldness, and irreversible breast enlargement. But these are just minor setbacks right? One could say that, like those aren’t bad, but researchers have also linked steroid abuse to much more serious risks such as: fatal liver cysts, liver cancer, blood clotting, cholesterol changes, hypertension, stroke, and even heart attack. Despite all these potential problems, many still choose to take steroids.
The use of steroids suppresses the naturally occurring testosterone produced by your testes. This happens because your brain is sending messages to your testes saying that you already have plenty of testosterone in your body and to stop producing it. In males, this may lead to a decrease in testicle size, decreased sperm production, fertility issues, baldness, and not only that, the excess steroids can be converted into estrogen in males; which may lead to enlarged breasts. Another serious side effect is that anabolic steroids weaken the heart by causing it to swell up; which prevents the heart from pumping blood out of the heart at the healthy rate. The part of the heart that pumps out blood is called the left ventricle. A healthy left ventricle pumps out around 55% to 70% of the blood that fills the heart. This measurement is known as the ejection fraction. During a study, 10 of 12 steroid users had ejection fractions of less than 55% (taylorhooton.org). With ejection fractions this low, these bodybuilders are at an increased risk for heart failure and sudden cardiac
Effects of steroids on your body. If someone take steroids they will have a chance at getting liver, heart, and kidney diseases. “Anabolic Steroids increase the size of your muscle cells and causing them to hypertrophy or to get bigger” (Q&A: Impact of Steroids). You happen to lose hair as well as having altered mood swings such as: increased aggression.
So what exactly are steroids? Steroids are a synthetic substance closely related to the male sex hormone, testosterone. They are legally prescribed for some medical conditions such as AIDS, some cancers, and anemia. This is a vital medication for people with these sicknesses that make the body weaker. (Adams)A very common misconception is that steroids give you muscle. They do not. It builds protein faster then normal which allows people to work out more often. Scientifically, the human body has millions of cell receptors that accept the drug an in turn tell the body what action to perform. In particular, when
Another effect from steroid use is health problems. They are high blood pressure and heart disease, liver damage and cancer, kidney and prostate problems and increased risk of ruptured tendons… acne and hair loss, as well as gender-specific problems: atrophy of the testicles, reduced sperm count and the growth of breasts in men; the growth of body hair, deeper voice and menstrual problems in women… altered moods, depression and "roid rage", hallucinations, paranoia and anxiety. In adolescents, they can stunt growth by signaling the body
Steroids have a long-term, negative effect on the human body. These effects range from cardiovascular problems to mental and psychological issues such as rage and anger problems. Steroid use has been linked to increased alcohol consumption, marijuana use, cigarette smoking, and narcotic use (Buckman, Farris & Yusko, 2013). Many athletes may not be aware of the lasting effects steroids can have because all they are worried about is their performance, not their health.
Steroids (anabolic) are a drug that was discovered and made by medical scientists in the last 1930’s to help with medical problems. The drug was made to help with many medical problems such as testosterone, growth, sexual functioning, and other medical problems such as helping people with HIV to help grow musical. It also helps with many other diseases. Like any other drug on the market people learn that the drug can be used for many other ways. Steroids can enhance athlete’s performance as well as bodybuilders and is used in almost every sport out there. The use of steroids has become a widespread problem. Steroid use has caused many help problems with the misuse of the drug and has caused the drug to be illegal for people to use them in
Unfortunately, the use of steroids can easily lead to many major health problems. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse “Steroids abuse may lead to serious, even irreversible, health problems. Some of the most dangerous consequences…kidney impairment or failure; damage to the liver; and cardiovascular problems…leading to an increased risk of stroke and heart attack (even in young people)” (NIH). Steroids can affect an athlete by increasing the heart rate and decreasing the stamina, a fact that can lead to heart failure. Steroids can also affect the body with acne, abdominal pains, insomnia, and anaphylactic shock. When men use steroids the consequences are more crucial than women. For example, men may experience falling sperm count, shrinking testicles, and increased risk of fertility. On the other hand, women may show signs of masculinity (male type musculature) but also an increased risk of certain illnesses such as breast cancer. In general, steroids affect both of women and men by leading to terrible health problems. Dr. Larry Creswell, a well-known heart surgeon who studied the abuse of steroids, estimates that approximately 3 million Americans use steroids and he supports that the 70% of the athletes in the bodybuilding area, are steroid users. In addition, it is well known that steroids can also cause sudden deaths, sometimes in young athletes but most often occur within the ages of 35-50. In addition, Dr. Dickerman, a professor in the department of
The second most common effect is problems in the organs. Steroids conflict with just about every organ in our body, but the most common organs are problems with the liver and heart. Steroids can be very dangerous to the liver especially when taken in a
Anabolic steroids are synthetic derivatives of the male hormone testosterone. Most healthy males produce 2-10 milligrams per day of testosterone. Testosterone is responsible for
Both men and women can have the same problems with using steroids. Some of these problems are severe acne, increase risk of tendinitis or tendon rupture, liver abnormalities or tumors, increased low density lipoprotein cholesterol, decreased high density lipoprotein cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart and circulatory problems, prostate gland enlargement, aggressive behavior, psychiatric disorders, drug dependence, infections, and inhabited growth and development (Fitness).
However, steroids should remain illegal because they physically deteriorate the whole body system. When injected one risks the chances of developing hematoma and contracting AIDS. In women steroids contribute to the growth of facial hair, enlargements of the clitoris, shrinkage of the uterus, sterility, deepening of the voice, decrease in breast size and irregularity of the menstrual cycle. In men steroids cause shrinkage of the testicles, decrease in sperm count, sterility, impotence, prostate enlargement and growth of female breast. In both men and women hair loss, liver ailments, acne, atherosierosis and cancer are very common. This dangerous drug shortens the life span up to twenty years and increases the chance of obtaining diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. The side effects and reactions from enduring anabolic steroids are endless.
Steroids are a Schedule III controlled substance in the U.S. and are illegal to own or use without a prescription from a doctor. Banned in almost all athletic competitions and sports because they work so well, but are dangerous in large quantities as anything else is. More properly known as anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) and are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, that behave like male sex hormones. They include hormones, alkaloids, and vitamins. Steroids can be taken three different ways; as a cream applied to the skin, Injected into the bloodstream, or orally as a pill. The increase in testosterone benefits from using steroids is an increase in body size, increase in muscle strength, and an increased healing rate. The risk factors of increased testosterone are unwanted libido, aggression, acne, hair loss, increase of blood pressure, and decreases your “good” Cholesterol (Livestrong). The risks of your overall health continue into kidney problems, liver damage, and altering your heart structure and function. AAS are banned in most sports because of their short term increase in muscle strength and long term health risks, which gives users an unfair advantage in sports.