Anabolic steroids are often associated with a strong and muscular physic of a man. But strange as it may seem, steroids may have pretty tragic side effects on the male reproductive system, overall health and appearance, such as growth of the breasts, which surely doesn’t make a man look like a real man, or even erectile dysfunction, which for many sufferers means the end of their masculinity. Lots of people know the myth, that bodybuilders are sexual impotents. But is it just a myth? Or is this belief somehow based on reality? And what about the impact of anabolic steroids on overall health?
Good Effects of Anabolic Steroids
The good effects of steroids are very well known. First of all, they are widely used in cases of AIDS, anemia, osteoporosis and for patients receiving dialysis. Then, anabolics significantly enhance muscle strength, muscle mass, make one full of energy, more aggressive, which enables better workouts in the gym.
Side Effects of Anabolic Steroids
Apart from the good sides of anabolic steroids use, there’re also side effects of them on man’s health:
- development of breasts (gynocomastia),
- liver tumors,
- jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes),
- baldness,
- immune system changes,
- acnes and oily skin.
Regarding the cardiovascular system, the following side effects can develop due to the abuse of anabolic steroids:
- high blood pressure,
- enlarged ventricles,
- increase of LDL (“bad” cholesterol),
- decrease of HDL (“good” cholesterol).
Abusing steroids can lead to the following problems in the male reproductive system:
- Shrinking of the testicles,
- Reduction of the sperm count,
- Transient infertility,
- The growth of prostate, which increases the risk of prostate cancer.
These very side effects are the source of the myths about the widespread sexual impotence of bodybuilders, although sometimes steroids are used in male sexual dysfunction treatment. It’s difficult to predict the side effects of this or that anabolic steroid without being a medical expert. Most affected athletes suffer from them due to the fact, that they prefer to consult about the use and combination of different anabolic steroids with the gym “gurus”, but not with doctors.
Anabolic Steroids Abuse
The side effects listed above may affect every bodybuilder combining and abusing anabolic steroids on a regular basis in order to enhance the effect of them and to get a muscular performance more quickly. Scientists claim, that most known side effects of anabolic steroids are transient, besides, the likelihood of whether this or that bodybuilder is going to be affected depends on their genes, diet and predisposition. But this fact is not a green light for experimenting with various steroids.
