Anabolic Steroids
...ese new artificial hormones were available on the market ten years later. Ziegler (1994) later regretted bringing steroids to American sports after he found that a high percentage of athletes suffered from liver problems. “I wish I had never heard the word ‘steroid.’ These kids don’t realize the terrible price they are going to pay (Lukas, 1994, p. 21).” Today they are primarily used by athletes all over the world to enhance performance, build muscle, and motivate in training. When a person takes steroids the synthetic hormone acts similar to the natural testosterone molecule (Lukas, 1994). The artificial testosterone travels through the bloodstream in search of tissues. Once found, the molecule will attach itself to the nucleus of a muscle cell found in the tissues and speed up the building process (Lukas, 1994). This is what happens normally during strenuous exercise. Strenuous exercise represents an intense workout which stimulates the muscles and makes them stronger. During this type of activity, muscles often strain and break down but steroids have the ability to block that breakdown of muscle tissues (Lukas, 1994). This anti-catabolic effect of steroids works with the muscle building abilities to produce increased muscle mass and body weight (Lukas, 1994). Whether steroids “work” or produce these desired effects has been debated by the scientific community since their creation. The popular opinion in science today is that steroids do not directly increase muscle tissue, but can help if they are used in addition to proper nutrition and exercise (Chapman, 1988). Nevertheless there are still many discrepancies to this argument. This is largely due to the poor experiments conducted on behalf of steroids. One such experiment was performed in 1975 by Dr. David Freed and his affiliates (Lukas, 1994). They tested the effects of anabolics on weight lifters and produced positive results. The lifters were able to lift more weight and had an increase in body weight. However the lifter’s excess weight was mostly due to water retention. This transpires when water is stored in the muscle tissues causing them to swell and look more pumped up (Lukas, 1994). This is a benefit in mass but a negative because it makes the skin look puffy and swollen (Lukas, 1994). This test did not show that steroids directly increased muscle strength and size because steroids have been seen to cause aggressive behavior, which accounts for a more strenuous workout (Silverstein, 1992). Aggressive behavior is one of the many negative effects which plague abusers of this drug everywhere. Men primarily produce testosterone with a low count of estrogen. The hormones are in a ratio, and when a user takes high doses of steroids, it throws off this balance (Chapman, 1988). The body can only take so much testosterone, so the male reproductive tract may produce less of its own hormone or stop production altogether (NIDA, 1999). This can cause severe withdrawal symptoms including low sperm count, testicular shrinkage, and impotence (NIDA, 1999). Also, the extra testosterone is converted to estrogen, which can cause feminization in men. This conversion can cause gynecomastia, or developing of breasts which is the most undesirable effect to body builders before a competition (“Anabolics Mall,” n.d.). Also, muscles may become soft and more susceptible to fatty deposits (“Anabolics Mall,” n.d.). In females, the reaction is opposite. Women users take on male attributes such as facial hair, deeper voice, breast reduction, and male pattern baldness (NIDA, 1999). The reproductive system in females also suffers many problems. The clitoris becomes enlarged, the uterus degenerated, and menstrual irregularities arise (NIDA, 1999). The concern in women masculinization is that the side effects may become permanent depending on the severity and amount of time (Chapman, 1988). For both male and female steroid abusers, extreme acne takes over the upper back, chest, and facial areas (NIDA, 1999). This is also caused by the hormonal imbalance. Steroids have been known to contribute to kidney, liver, and heart failure due to high blood pressure caused by organ difficulties in handling toxins, and increased cholesterol buildup in arteries (NIDA, 1999). These drugs can heighten the risk of heart attack and stroke because of the augmented cholesterol. This happens because the levels of lipoproteins which carry cholesterol in the blood change. High-density lipoprotein levels decrease and low-density lipoprotein levels increase, escalating the risk of atherosclerosis (NIDA, 1999). This is a condition in which fatty substances are deposited in arteries and disrupt the normal flow of blood throughout the body (NIDA, 1999). If blood is not able to reach the heart, a person can have a heart attack, if blood cannot reach the brain, a stroke may occur (NIDA, 1999). Steroids users can suffer from headaches and stomachaches common to the oral types (NIDA, 1999). They can cause immune system deficiency because the body becomes dependent on the steroids ability to boost immune system efficiency so when the user takes a break, serious illnesses can attack what’s left of it (NIDA, 1999). Finally, steroids entail psychological problems such as, aggressiveness, mood swings, and depression (NIDA, 1999). The aggressiveness, known as “roid rage,” can be seen as a positive in training because it is accountable for a more strenuous and beneficial workout leading to dramatic increases in muscle mass (Silverstein, 1992). “Roid rage” is also seen as a negative because it causes intense mood swings and violent tendencies (Silverstein, 1992). Depression is a common side effect due to excess estrogen in males, and for both sexes, performance while on steroids cannot be matched while off the drugs (Silverstein, 1992). The effects of anabolics in adolescents are a huge concern because their bodies are still developing. It is becoming quite common for teenage boys to begin abusing steroids for image purposes. For young boys it is extremely dangerous since steroids are derived from testosterone, the male sex hormone. They can accelerate maturity in...