Over the past few years, a number of superstar athletes have gotten into trouble for using steroids in sports. Baseball’s Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were indicted for alleged steroid use. Cyclist Floyd Landis was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title after failing a drug test. Olympic track star Marion Jones got jail time for lying to federal prosecutors about using steroids.
It’s true that steroids can bulk up your biceps, abs and quads and improve your strength and endurance. They can help your muscles grow and make you look more buff.
But they can also really screw you up, especially if you are a teenager.
Anabolic steroids can cause long-term damage, even in athletes under age 30, including liver damage or renal failure; high blood pressure; an increase in “bad” (LDL) cholesterol; and impotence or infertility.
Steroids can also make you aggressive and moody. There’s even a term for people who become violent after taking steroids: roid rage.
How can steroids mess up your body so much? They are similar to testosterone, a natural sex hormone found in both boys and girls (boys have more). But anabolic steroids are a synthetic –or artificial – version of testosterone. And too much testosterone can be harmful.
The good news is that not many teens use anabolic steroids. A 2005 study found that only 2 or 3 percent of high school kids had ever used them and that rate remains low today.
The bad news is that steroids are easily accessible. The same study found that between 30 and 40 percent of high schoolers said steroids are easy to get.
A major health consequence from abusing certain types of steroids can include prematurely stunted growth. That means young people risk remaining short for the remainder of their lives if they take steroids before they finish growing.
Serious Effects
A major health consequence from abusing certain types of steroids can include prematurely stunted growth. That means teenagers risk remaining short for the remainder of their lives if they take steroids before they finish growing.
Some people think if they take steroids according to a careful regimen they can avoid some of these problems. But scientists just don’t enough about how badly steroids can hurt you — especially over the long term.
Steroids’ short-term side effects are pretty unpleasant, too.
Here’s what can happen to guys who take steroids:
• shrunken testicles
• enlarged breasts
• pain when urinating
And here’s what can happen to girls:
• deeper voices
• more body hair
• smaller breasts
In both teenage guys and girls, steroids can stunt growth, cause acne, make your hair greasy, or even make it fall out. They can make you delusional or paranoid, make it tough to sleep, and cause other bad side effects. There are other ways to feel better about your body.
Being buff and strong may be cool. But steroids’ side effects are definitely NOT cool.
To top it off, steroid users sometimes turn to other drugs — like heroin, cocaine, or alcohol — to counteract some of steroids’ bad side effects. And trying to quit taking steroids can be tough, because they can be habit forming. People who try to quit can get symptoms like mood swings, fatigue, restlessness, loss of appetite, insomnia, reduced sex drive, and steroid cravings.
Bottom line is that your body shape is largely inherited. The best way to be in great shape is eating well and exercising for your body type.
This article has been reviewed by BodiMojo expert Dr. Karen Devaney.
