What Are the Consequences of an Athlete Abusing Anabolic Steroids?
The number of athletes and body builders who are abusing anabolic steroids is growing. Some coaches even encourage their players to try these drugs in order to “enhance their performance”. These athletes have a “winning at all cost” mentality that will end up doing them more harm than good in the long run.
While steroids do have their uses in certain medical treatments, they are not meant to be taken in high doses on a regular basis. Despite what some people think, steroids are not a quick way to build muscles and gain strength. There are no shortcuts. The best way to gain strength is to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
Psychological Problems
A lot of people like to take steroids because they like the adrenaline rush. This feeling of euphoria is actually quite dangerous, as it can lead to psychological problems. When too much juice goes to the brain, the user experiences behavioral problems. Sometimes they become so aggressive that they go on a “roid rage”. Thus, steroids abuse is not only dangerous for the user, but for everyone around the user as well.
Blood and Heart Diseases
These drugs increase the risks of a number of health problems. High doses of steroids increase the risk of blood disorders and heart diseases. It’s not uncommon for athletes to experience a stroke, heart failure, or heart attack. This is proof that large muscles and a strong body aren’t necessarily healthy. Athletes who abuse steroids only have strength that is artificial.
Liver Diseases
Anabolic steroids also cause liver damage if they are abused for a long time. Cholestasis in particular is a condition associated with bile leakage. There is evidence that this condition can be caused by steroids. The liver is supposed to process bile, but when the organ is weakened, the fluid can’t get to where it needs to go. It leaks out into the bloodstream and causes a number of problems. Symptoms include yellow eye discoloration, dark urine, nausea, itching, and loss of appetite. Tumors can also grow in the liver.
Skin Conditions
Many of the problems caused by long term steroid abuse show up on the skin. Unfortunately, by this point, the damage has been done. It’s very difficult to reverse the damage caused by long term steroid use.
Men and women both suffer from skin conditions brought on by abusing this drug. Female athletes experience stretch marks, water retention, male baldness, hair growth, acne, etc. Male athletes can end up with testicle shrinkage and breast growth.
HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C
Some athletes actually share their needles or syringes with others. By sharing their injecting equipment, they become high risk for HIV or Hepatitis C. Not only are they encouraging one another to abuse the drug, they are sharing needles and failing to clean up the injection site.
Overuse
Some bodybuilders take two or more steroids together. They mix oral and injectable types, and sometimes take other drugs, such as painkillers or stimulants, along with the steroids. This overuse is referred to as “stacking”. The athlete believes that taking different drugs at once will produce greater strength than just taking one drug at a time.
There are both medical and non-medical steroid effects. Men, women, and adolescents experience the effects differently. Learn more about the uses and risks associated with this drug. Educate yourself about the potential dangers of steroids at http://steroids-effects.com/articles/examples-steroids-effects/.
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