Steroids are a unique group of drugs. The initial purpose of releasing these substances was to use them in medicine, for example, for bedridden patients or those suffering from AIDS, in order to somehow maintain their muscle mass. But over time, steroids have found wider use in sports. Most athletes around the world resort to their help, but this is not surprising, because with the help of these drugs, which, in fact, are an artificial formula of testosterone and, accordingly, doping for the male body, you can achieve significantly better performance in a shorter period of time, but everything in order.
“You can’t get to the competition without steroids”
Anabolic steroids (anabolics) are medications synthesized in the laboratory based on testosterone.
They came to big sport in the middle of the 20th century and immediately gained popularity among athletes. First of all, the drug has proven to be in demand in those sports that require ideal proportions, bulky muscles and explosive strength. As a rule, they were used by athletes dealing with iron during preparation for competitions. Some wrestlers, boxers, weightlifters, strongmen, powerlifters, crossfitters and bodybuilders are still taking courses of the drug, but only a few are ready to talk about it openly. “Do you know that the use of steroid drugs in Russia is illegal and is equivalent to the article of the criminal code “Storage and use of drugs”?” - the first thing athletes asked before starting a conversation about anabolic steroids. Many refused to talk about this topic, but we still managed to find athletes who admitted that they had taken or were still taking steroids and agreed to talk about their experiences - on condition of anonymity. The names of the athletes have been changed at their request.
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A typical course of steroid medication can last up to three months. Both beginners and professional athletes sit on them. In a conversation with a 66.RU journalist, young amateur athletes admitted that they started taking steroids in order to get quick results (a beautiful, sculpted body, like in the picture with Iron Arnie in his best years) and to overcome their inhibitions. Athletes describe the effect that steroids provide as follows: in six weeks they gained up to 8 kg in weight, switched to heavier weights, significantly improved their athletic performance, and experienced an unprecedented emotional uplift and a sense of euphoria.
Sergey, amateur athlete:
— I started taking steroids at 18 years old. I wanted to become stronger, cooler, and show my best athletic performance. After two weeks, I noticeably gained weight and strength. I began to feel more confident and became more aggressive. There were no strange sensations, I felt great: positive and very energetic. I began to grow - in every sense, my self-esteem especially soared. There were no health problems, except for shortness of breath and blood pressure. Well, minus or plus, I don’t know: at first the libido was crazy. Not all girls are ready to make love so often and for a long time, but I was always full of strength.
Athletes who have been involved in sports for a long time say that the drugs allow them to push their limits.
Dmitry, professional athlete:
— It’s hard for bodybuilders, and sometimes it’s simply impossible to get over a certain weight. An athlete can train all his life, at one moment he can achieve a certain result - and that’s it. He can no longer step over it. Then you have to use drugs. I treat it like a cold: to cure it, we use pharmacology. It's the same story here.
Another professional athlete with whom we were able to talk explained that without “chemistry” it is simply impossible to compete at a serious level today. “There will still be a person who will be on steroids and beat you in competitions,” said Artem.
Artem, professional athlete:
“There is no big sport without the use of sports pharmacology. If I don't take steroids, I won't have a chance to compete. My goal is competition, fame and earnings, and for this I am ready to do anything.
And passing the test control before a competition is not at all difficult, athletes say, if you “clean yourself properly” before doing so.
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History of steroids
The first stimulants that began to be used in sports to improve their results have been known since ancient Greece.
Athletes ate sesame seeds to increase endurance, drank a mixture of wine and strychnine, and also ate hallucinogenic mushrooms. Of course, these were still far from steroids, but there was already interest in substances that could increase strength and endurance. Later, references to stimulants appeared in the mid-19th century, when cyclists took a heroin-cocaine mixture to improve their endurance at a distance. The result of such experiments was disastrous; in 1886, one of the cyclists died directly during the competition. After which the search began for other possible doping agents, which turned out to be testosterone. The first experiments with this hormone began in 1889, by a French scientist, but its final formula was derived in 1935, on May 25, by Ernest Lacker, a professor of pharmacology from Amsterdam. In parallel, other scientists were also working on finding a way to obtain testosterone, namely Leopold Ruzicka and Adolf Butenant, who patented their research, for which they received the Nobel Prize in this field. From that moment on, the first testosterone-based drugs began to be produced. The only problem that arose was the oiliness of the substance, which is why it did not dissolve in water, and therefore did not give the desired effect when taken orally. But here, too, pharmacists found a way out; an improved formula of the substance was developed, which began to be used in the form of injections for better absorption of the medication.
Why do you really need steroids?
Steroids attract athletes with their ability to speed up metabolism. Building muscle mass through long and grueling training is a long and painful process. Sometimes this takes more than one year, while steroid drugs help achieve results in a few months.
At first, steroids had nothing to do with sports: the drugs were used only for medical purposes - for the recovery of seriously ill patients. Steroids are usually prescribed to people who are debilitated after a long illness and to severe burn patients. They are also used for replacement purposes (in case of congenital or acquired steroid deficiency).
Athletes most often do not have medical indications, but take the drug for “aesthetic purposes”.
Negative and positive sides of steroids
Probably the most interesting thing for any novice athlete who wants to start taking steroids is what results await him?
What to expect from their use? What side effects may occur and what positive effect awaits him? We will try to answer these questions in this chapter. Initially, it is important to note that there is not a single drug that has absolutely no side effects, contraindications and everything else; it does not exist in nature. This is how steroids are no exception, but if taken correctly, these negative consequences can be completely avoided.
“The most difficult thing is to choose a combination”
Amateur athletes admitted to us that before starting the course, they did not consult a doctor or take tests. At the same time, it is very difficult to calculate the exact dosage without special education. As a result, this leads to athletes exceeding the maximum permissible dose (sometimes tens of times). Some do this consciously in order to return the effect that evaporates during long-term use.
At the same time, professional athletes assure that before starting the course, they take tests. Some say they take the course under the supervision of a doctor.
Yuri, coach:
— Almost all athletes who are determined to reach a competitive level always take a blood test before starting the course. As a rule, indicators such as free testosterone, bound testosterone, dehydrotestosterone, prolactin, estradiol and others are assessed, and then these indicators are monitored during and after the course. If the content of certain hormones in the blood is disturbed, a course correction or its cancellation may be necessary. The main difficulty is to create a course of steroids taking into account the physiological characteristics of the body. That is, selecting the right combination that brings maximum impact depending on the goals pursued and a minimum of side effects.
Among the most popular steroid drugs are “Retabolil”, “Phenobolin”, “Silabolin”, “Methandrostenolone” (the athletes we spoke with also named drugs such as “Sustanon”, “Stanozolol”, “Turinabol”, “Propionate” , "Clenbuterol"). They all belong to the same group - anabolic steroids - and differ slightly from each other. As a rule, athletes masterfully combine drugs, gradually increasing the dose and switching to stronger drugs.
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General concepts about the most popular drugs
Despite the fact that the choice of steroid drugs is simply huge, the following are most often used:
- "Methane" (Danabol, tablets);
- “Testosterone” (its esters: enanthate, decanoate, sustanon, propionate in ampoules);
- "Deca" (nandrolondecanoate - a powerful anabolic in injections, formerly "Retabolil");
- Boldenone (similar to Deca, but requires a larger dose);
- "Winstrol" and "Stanazolol" (powerful AC, tablets and injections);
- “Trenbolone” (injections, more often for experienced professionals).
“Methane”, “Testosterone” and “Deca” (“Nandrolone”) were basic for a dozen years before this.
Sudden death syndrome and other side effects
The drugs are produced by different pharmaceutical companies, but have similar side effects. Doctors divide them into two types: delayed and those that occur immediately. The liver is the first to suffer. The organs cannot cope with the volume of toxic substances (so-called “toxic hepatitis” in this case is a common occurrence). An increase in blood pressure is also guaranteed. But while for some it may go unnoticed, for others it is the path to a stroke.
Natalya Trelskaya, Deputy Chief Physician for Therapy of City Clinical Hospital No. 40, Doctor of Medical Sciences:
— Athletes forget that it’s not just the muscles of the arms and legs that are being built. In the same way, the heart muscle is also exposed to the drug, which thickens significantly. As a result, the muscles grow quickly, but the blood supply system cannot keep up with them (the blood vessels do not enlarge). A heavily overgrown muscle receives insufficient nutrition, which leads to heart attacks, heart rhythm disturbances, and disability. Therefore, young, seemingly healthy men and women can have serious heart problems, including sudden death syndrome. Cases where famous bodybuilders died because of this are known to everyone. (One of the high-profile cases is the death of security officer, wrestler and TV presenter Vladimir Turchinsky, who died in 2009 from a heart attack - note 66.RU.)
The use of steroids during adolescence leads to stunting of growth, so these drugs are prohibited worldwide for use by people under 18 years of age (except when the drug is prescribed for replacement purposes). In both adolescents and adults, long-term use of steroid drugs can cause mental problems. In people who took steroids for a long time, doctors noted a tendency towards depression.
Natalia Trelska:
— A person can use steroid drugs for a long time and feel comfortable. As a rule, it seems to him that he is full of energy, and may even experience euphoria. But as soon as he stops taking them, a period of recoil begins. Along with a decrease in libido comes pronounced depression, sometimes even to the point of suicidal thoughts and attempts. A person can experience mood swings - from colossal aggression to depression. Living with him during this period is very difficult, and not only he, but also his loved ones suffer from this.
To get out of this state, people usually start taking medications again. The result is addiction—without them, they no longer feel normal.
Doctors include the risk of developing cancer - liver and prostate cancer - as long-term side effects. “This could happen in a few years. The patient no longer even remembers that he was once fond of bodybuilding, and does not associate the illness with taking steroid drugs,” says Natalya Trelskaya.
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Anabolic and androgenic properties of steroids
The group of steroids is much broader and consists not only of anabolic steroids, but also of estrogens (female sex hormones) and corticosteroids (adrenal hormones). The second two types of these substances are actively used in medicine to treat various diseases, but are of no interest to weightlifters. Only anabolic steroids are significant for sports, and they are discussed in our article.
Testosterone has two main effects on the body:
- anabolic, the main effect that interests bodybuilders, its main task is to enhance the growth of muscle mass;
- androgenic or masculization effect, it is responsible for male characteristics, such as active hair growth, body structure typical for a man, narrow pelvis and broad shoulders, as well as characteristic facial features.
For athletes, it is the anabolic property of testosterone that is important, but there is not a single drug that would have only this steroid effect; androgenic characteristics are still present in them.
But the main question is not the presence of the androgenic effect, but its relationship with the anabolic effect. For example, there are drugs in which the anabolic effect is maximized and the androgenic effect is minimized, to such a state that it looks like a natural physiological background, without causing additional hair growth and other visual changes. There are also medications where, on the contrary, the androgenic effect is overestimated or it is equal to the anabolic one. In fact, some and others have one common derivative - testosterone, but the final result of its intake depends on which side of the androgenic or anabolic side was artificially synthesized in the drug. Modern pharmacology is trying to get away as much as possible from the androgenic properties of synthesized testosterone, since it is this side of it that causes a greater number of side effects, which we will write about later. It is simply impossible to completely reduce androgenic activity to zero, but a larger number of steroids have a maximally increased anabolic effect, and against its background the scanty androgenic side is virtually invisible.
“I have an “eternal course”, and I will not get off it”
How quickly and how clearly side effects appear depends on several factors: the quality of the drug itself; whether the maximum permissible daily dose was exceeded and by how much; how long the athlete has been using the drugs. Among the athletes we interviewed were those who, according to them, were on “eternal courses” (constantly taking steroids). They compensate for the side effects of steroids with other medications.
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Sergey:
“I don’t restore my own testosterone secretion at all—I have an eternal course for the rest of my life.
The only thing I do is prevent testicular atrophy by taking Human Chorionic Gonadotropin so that I can have children when it comes to my mind. Full recovery after the course is nothing more than self-deception, since the person will take the course again and kill his secretion again. Thus, it only creates additional hormonal swings, which is even more harmful than the course of steroids itself. According to doctors, it is possible to prescribe drugs such as Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, but the problem is that over time its effect weakens, and in order to maintain it, you will have to increase the dose again and again (which will be accompanied by side effects). Therefore, the scheme proposed by Sergei is effective only for the first time.
When to start PCT?
PCT after a cycle can only be started if testosterone levels are low, when the effect of anabolic steroids has stopped. If this condition is not met and PCT is started earlier, there will be no recovery. The injected artificial anabolic should disintegrate, and its concentration in the blood should decrease to 100 mg.
According to scientific studies, such a dose does not suppress the HPA arc. On average this lasts from 2 to 3 weeks. This is necessary for the body to produce its own testosterone. You can start PCT after a course of oral steroids within 24 hours.
In other words, when determining the time to start using PCT, several factors are taken into account:
- LPR—steroid half-life;
- dose received;
- Additional factors include body weight, body reaction, etc.
PPR is the time period during which the drug is eliminated from the body by 50%. Courses of taking steroids can be carried out in combination, so the calculation of starting PCT after a course of testosterone will also depend on this. It is easier to calculate the start of PCT with a solo course.
“Everyone goes to Asia for steroids”
Athletes say that ordering a drug banned in Russia through an online store is not a problem, if only you had the money. According to doctors, the main problem with such drugs is that it is most often impossible to determine their composition and manufacturer. Especially when it comes to dietary supplements that pass pharmaceutical control.
Nevertheless, Asian drugs are becoming increasingly popular among Russian athletes. Some even specially fly to Thailand, where steroids are freely available, and send them by parcel to Russia in their name.
Dmitriy:
— Athletes travel to Asia to take a course or simply improve their health. Asian doctors are well versed in what should be done, how it should be, and how to correctly formulate a course. If we talk about Russia, our market for steroid drugs is not developing, because these drugs are banned. In Yekaterinburg, everything is even worse: the market here is artisanal.
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Online stores recommend starting with something simple and advise choosing a course starting from 15 thousand rubles.
Anton, athlete:
— The drugs are prohibited by Russian law, but with the development of the Internet, nothing complicated can happen. Compared to some other drugs in pharmacies, steroids are cheap in online stores. Of course, everything depends on the quantity and quality of drugs, but people with average incomes can easily afford pharmacology. On average, the price per month is from 5 thousand rubles. For professionals, these numbers are very high.
Dmitriy:
— You can buy fierce chemicals for 5 thousand rubles, but you can not save on your health, and then the course will cost 50–100 thousand rubles.
The athlete adds that there is no problem getting the right drug in Yekaterinburg. As a rule, every fitness club has a person with the right connections. The main question is to draw up the right course to avoid side effects.
What do anabolic steroids give during training?
They help increase the number and thickness of muscle fibers. As soon as the steroids are stopped, the number of muscle fibers begins to drop. Even the most modern PCT will still allow some muscle mass to be burned. This happens because the body naturally, after stopping the pills, cannot provide an increase in hormones for super muscle growth.
The hormonal chain hypothalamus + pituitary gland is responsible for regulating the production of the male hormone testosterone in the body, and the testicles are responsible for the production of the hormone (this is the so-called HPA arc - hypothalamus-pituitary-testes). The connection here is reverse. When there is a lot of testosterone in the body, by order of the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland instructs the testicles to reduce testosterone synthesis. And if the course of treatment is heavy or long, then the synthesis will stop altogether.
This causes varying degrees of testicular atrophy. Many bodybuilders notice this during training. Even if the size does not change, atrophy has begun, but it is a completely reversible process.
“It’s a myth that there are no victories without steroids”
Dmitry has been involved in sports for more than 20 years, he has won prizes at European championships several times and now says that it is possible to achieve results in big-time sports without steroids. The main thing is to train systematically and follow a diet. He calls athletes who use steroids “weaklings,” and the thesis that it is impossible to win competitions without steroid drugs today is a myth.
Dmitriy:
— If you look at the bodybuilding stars of the 90s - Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone, then, of course, there was chemistry. There is no doubt about this. And even now all the television stars in Europe are taking courses. But building a human body is not only about training, it is also about brains. The path of the samurai begins with the education of the soul. Therefore, the right approach is a regimen, nutrition, and work on yourself... I know this from myself, because I won championships - and was absolutely clean, I didn’t even take sports nutrition.
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Sports nutrition is a supplement that is used by athletes as a supplement to their regular diet. These include protein, creatine, gainers... Most often, these substances are obtained from natural products, are certified and are not addictive (with the exception of pre-workout complexes, where there may be psychological dependence). Even professional bodybuilders use them, but protein shakes, of course, do not give the same effect as steroid drugs.
Olga Kokorina, nutritionist, fitness coach:
— Protein shakes were invented so that athletes could get more calories and easily digestible protein as quickly and easily as possible. For example, an athlete who participates in the Tour de France cycling race needs to consume 12 thousand calories per day to cope with physical activity. It is clear that he simply cannot eat so much chicken and buckwheat, and sports cocktails supply all the necessary components in already broken down form. The body does not even need to separate proteins from fats, so it absorbs the necessary elements faster.
People who are far from sports sometimes confuse supplements from a sports nutrition store with steroids, but in fact there is nothing in common between them. Sports nutrition is in the public domain, these are legal products, they do not contain steroid components or substances that could affect the hormonal system. Therefore, according to the experts we interviewed, if you want to properly “pump up” with the help of some supplements, it is better to stop at a safe sports nutrition. In combination with regular training and a balanced diet, after two to three years they will help you achieve the desired result without steroids.
Steroids work even if you don't go to the gym at all
Fitness expert Sergei Strukov comments: “The forbidden works, any muscleman knows that methane will block the coolest combination of additives.
The following study was conducted: they took three groups of people. One did nothing and took steroids (testosterone enanthate, 500 mg per week), the second both trained and took steroids, the third just trained without steroids.
At the same time, the results are interesting: those who take and train gain the most muscle mass, but in second place are those who only inject, and only in third are those who work hard in the gym without steroids.”
In other words, if you see a huge muscleman, this does not always mean that he built these muscles for himself with sweat and blood. Even by training with one left hand once a week (or not training at all), he adds mass better than those who push without steroid injections.
The whole truth about steroids
The whole truth about steroids
Perhaps you are dissatisfied with your appearance and dream of having the same muscular body as famous athletes, or the same slender figure as top models. Or maybe you want to succeed in sports and become stronger, more agile and resilient? If so, you may be tempted to try pills or injections, which your friends may tell you will help you achieve the results you want in a short time. One medical journal states, “About a million adolescents [in the United States] between the ages of 12 and 17 take potentially dangerous stimulant drugs” (American Academy of Family Physicians). The most popular stimulants are anabolic steroids. What is known about them? Why do people take them? And how not to succumb to this temptation?
Miracles of Transformation
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, “anabolic steroids are synthetic substances similar in action to male sex hormones (androgens). They contribute to an increase in the volume of skeletal muscles (anabolic effect), as well as the development of male sexual characteristics.” In boys, as they grow up, a precisely “programmed” increase in the level of these sex hormones causes a number of changes in the body, thanks to which they turn into men. Synthetic steroids were created in the 1930s to treat men whose bodies did not naturally produce enough of these hormones. Today, steroids are used to combat wasting in people infected with HIV and other patients. However, these substances have also found use among those who do not need medical attention. Since the 1950s, steroids have appeared on the black market, and aspiring athletes have taken to ingesting and injecting these stimulants to transform their bodies. However, not only athletes began to take steroids. In the United States, about three percent of boys and girls ages 9 to 13 use these drugs, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics. Nora Volkova, director of the American National Institute on Drug Abuse, announced at a recent congressional hearing that “in the last year [2004], approximately 79,000 high school students took anabolic steroids.” Steroid use is also rampant in the UK. Here's what the New Statesman says: "In 2003, a new group of needle exchange regulars emerged in Merseyside and Cheshire, outnumbering even heroin addicts."
What is the secret of the popularity of steroids?
Why have steroids become so popular? A successful athlete can win unfading fame and become immensely rich. Steroids are considered a kind of golden key that can instantly open the door to this cherished dream. One famous coach expressed the attitude of most athletes when he said: “Winning is not the main thing, it is the only thing you need to strive for.” Nora Volkova, mentioned above, Fr. A survey conducted by Bob Goldman, a sports medicine specialist, only confirms this grim conclusion. He asked young athletes if they would use a banned stimulant drug under the following conditions: no one would know about it, they would win every competition for the next five years, but then die from the side effects. More than half of the respondents answered this question positively. However, steroids can seem very tempting even to those who do not strive for success at any cost. Here's how Volkova explains it: “People take steroids to improve their body and achieve visual attractiveness.” In many countries, beauty has become an idol. Harrison Pope, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard University School of Medicine, Fr. And steroids give them a chance to hide their insecurities under massive biceps and impressive muscles. For the same reasons, girls also fall under the insidious charm of steroids. Charles Yesalis, a professor of health and human development at Penn State University, said about steroid use: “During the 1990s, the number of girls taking steroids increased significantly, and today the number has broken all records.” Some girls use steroids to become more resilient and achieve success in sports. However, the majority, apparently, take them in the hope of achieving a slim, strong body, the same as those of modern models and film actresses, whose images can be seen everywhere. “Young girls use steroids more as a means of losing weight and controlling weight,” says Jeff Hoerge from Rutgers University in New Jersey (USA).
Side effects
If you are ever tempted to try steroids, carefully consider the following factors. Those who take them even for a short time increase the risk of heart attack, liver and kidney damage, and the development of serious mental illness. Women who take steroids experience menstrual irregularities, excessive body hair, male pattern baldness, and a permanent decrease in voice quality. In men, steroid use can lead to abnormal enlargement of the mammary glands and atrophy of the gonads. Both men and women can experience sudden attacks of irritability and aggressiveness. And, paradoxically, the use of steroids often stunts the growth of adolescents. What Bible principles will help young Christians who want to please Jehovah God to deal with the use of steroids? The Bible clearly states that life is a gift from Jehovah (Acts 17:25). The above factors show that those who use steroids without medical indications are harming their health. So ask yourself, “Would it be an expression of gratitude to Jehovah for how wonderfully he has provided me if I took potentially dangerous drugs?” In addition, it is important to consider that steroids make a person more irritable and aggressive. The wise King Solomon wrote: “An angry man starts a quarrel, and a hot-tempered man sins much.” The Apostle Paul warned that those with anger in their hearts will not inherit God's kingdom. Is it worth the risk for something temporary? But what if you're tempted to try steroids to excel at sports? The Bible encourages us to “conduct ourselves honestly” in all things (Hebrews 13:18). If you achieve good athletic performance thanks to steroids, will it be fair to your teammates and will you be able to maintain a clear conscience?
Do steroids affect impotence?
Answer: Yes, but there is a big BUT!
For a complete answer, you need to know what impotence is and the reasons for its occurrence? Impotence or erectile dysfunction
is the inability of a man to achieve and maintain an erection.
There are a lot of reasons for the occurrence of impotence, but there is one single reason, which is not only the main one, but also the cause of the causes, as well as the consequence and accompaniment of all diseases, and not only those associated with impotence - this is a psychological disorder (depression, stress, psychological trauma, etc.) .d.). Steroids themselves have only a minor effect on impotence. The fact is that after using steroids, temporary impotence may occur due to a hormonal explosion in the body. Subsequently, libido is restored, the recovery period depends on genetics, as well as on how strong the steroid was and in what doses it was administered. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ So where do the rumors come from then?
It's all about the main cause of disease.
Imagine how you have been bodybuilding for several years, have excellent results (no matter with or without steroids), you are proud of yourself, you are beautiful. But suddenly something broke you, for example, something from your personal life, you forget about the gym, you get depressed, you forget about proper nutrition, or nutrition in general, and as a result, you lose a couple of tens of kilograms of your beautiful body. Can you imagine? Do you think you will have healthy sex after this? The same goes for athletes who take steroids - so he gained 20 kilograms, and he liked it, then he took more, and gained 10-15 more, and then he lost all 40... Consequence: We hope you didn’t just say to yourself: “Nah.. Then is bodybuilding even necessary? But if we scared you, then calm down, firstly, not all our people are so nervous, and secondly, the percentage of impotence among athletes who took steroids due to excitement and their psychological instability is many times higher. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Why then be afraid? Infertility
On one of the forums, a young man turned to a “guru” for help, the essence of his letter was as follows - his spermatozoa were immobilized.
At the same time, he underwent spermography before starting a course of taking steroids and everything was fine with him. Those. the only way for him to have children will be through artificial insemination of his partner, and nothing else! It should be noted that the only advice that the “gurus” gave him was to consult a doctor. Why is this happening?
The video above states that no studies have been conducted on the effects of higher doses of these medications. And this, in principle, is not surprising; what fool would sign his own death warrant? Therefore, to this day it is generally unknown how the body will react to these drugs, especially since each organism is individual.
Steroid is a drug
Our body is an amazing thing; we always get used to what brings us pleasure.
See “victims of steroids”, there are also people who died from them. By purchasing from intermediaries, you risk purchasing a counterfeit, which at best will be a dummy tablet or an ampoule with a harmless liquid, and at worst... Development of cancer
Steroids are not the cause of cancer, but they can contribute to a significant worsening of an existing disease and faster development of swelling.
The risk of developing virilization in women
Virilization is the appearance of male characteristics (changes in voice timbre, hair growth, body type, etc.), due to increased production of androgenic hormones, which in turn can lead to changes in the menstrual cycle in women, uterine atrophy, muscularization , changes in the ovaries.
Development of cardiovascular disorders
Many steroid drugs can significantly increase the level of triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood and at the same time significantly reduce the natural level of high-concentration lipoprotein (HDL), which protects the arteries from excess cholesterol plaques.
At the same time, there is an increase in the level of low-concentration protein (LDL), which contributes to the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of the arteries. All this increases the risk of disruption of the cardiovascular system. Increased heart size
It is believed that steroid use can cause hypertrophy of the heart muscle, but this fact remains unproven.
The fact is that an increase in heart size is a natural development when engaging in active sports, including bodybuilding. That is why it is very difficult to determine the participation of anabolic steroids in increasing heart size. Effect on the immune system
Steroids have a positive effect on the body's immune system.
Moreover, many of these drugs are used by cancer patients and HIV-infected people to boost immunity. However, according to some athletes, after they stop taking steroids, their tendency to catch colds increases. It is worth noting that no studies have been conducted on this problem, so it is impossible to draw any general conclusions. Kidney Damage
Taking steroids places enormous strain on the kidneys as they filter and remove toxic waste products from the body.
Due to high blood pressure and strong fluctuations in the body's water and electrolyte balance, their work may be disrupted. Many athletes taking steroids experience dark urine, and in extreme cases, blood. Growth retardation
Adolescents and children who take steroids experience changes in their growth processes.
First, there is a short-term acceleration of bone growth, then with a longer course of administration, earlier closure of the epiphyseal adhesions at the ends of the bones may occur, that is, the growth process is suspended. Further growth is excluded. Oxandrolone is the only drug that does not create this problem. Prostate Enlargement
One of the most troubling concerns associated with steroid use is the risk of prostate enlargement and prostate carcinoma (malignant tumor).
However, studies do not find a connection between these phenomena and taking these drugs. Moreover, prostate problems occur mainly in older athletes. Baldness
In athletes who are genetically predisposed to baldness, this process is significantly accelerated. This is because the receptors in the head have a strong chemical affinity for dihydrotestosteroin (DHT). This is why (as with acne) DHT is responsible for hair loss, as steroids in the body are converted into significant amounts of DHT.
