Why Bodybuilders Abuse Anabolic Steroids

Why You Should Not Abuse Anabolic Steroids

Bodybuilding is a rather popular sport all over the world. Today, many men and women even see it as a lifestyle. Bodybuilding refers to exercises that include lifting weights and other resistance training. It is a favorite pastime and an extremely competitive sport for many.

Apart from that, it has many assets. It leads to an improved physique, stronger muscles, and overall body change.

However, bodybuilders sometimes turn to steroids to improve their performance. This kind of behavior leads to an abuse cycle that is hard to reverse once you start it.

What are androgenic anabolic steroids?

Anabolic androgenic steroids refer to artificially-made alternatives to the male sex hormone testosterone. Doctors primarily use them in medicine when a person shows signs of deficiency. They can treat conditions like delayed puberty and other diseases that make you lose your lean muscle mass. However, bodybuilding has increased the popularity of these products, leading to a sort of an epidemic.

Androgenic stands for “male.” These products enhance the male hormone and can lead to incredible body changes. In contrast, anabolic refers to “muscle building,” a vital part of your exercise routine.

What are the effects?

Even though bodybuilding means that you are giving your best in the gym, it is a long process. You could train every day for years and still not see the results that other athletes seem to experience. That is when people turn to androgenic anabolic steroids.

When they decide to use them, users hope for an increase in their stamina and faster muscle gains. That is what they will get. Still, there are also many side effects. While they may help you train harder in the gym, there are disadvantages which can ruin your body forever.

Some of the side effects of taking AAS include:

• Acne
• Erectile dysfunction
• Gynecomastia
• Testicular atrophy
• infertility
• Hair loss

The side effects are slightly different for women due to the fact that they drastically increase testosterone, specific side effects in women from using AAS include:

• Masculinization
• Deepening of voice
• Excessive facial hair
• irregular menstruation
• Clitoral enlargement
• Breast atrophy (loss of breast tissue)

Women who take anabolic steroids will often suffer symptoms of masculinization, some of the symptoms are not reversible.

Steroids increase the production of protein, which is vital for muscle building. Once you take them, you will almost immediately experience an increase in strength and performance. You will also notice fast muscle gains.

However, there is always a risk, and many bodybuilders abuse these synthetic drugs. They sometimes take them in cycles - they use them for a few weeks and then stop. After some time, they can start using them again.

Stacking is another popular practice. It refers to combining different steroids to maximize the effects.

Why bodybuilders abuse androgenic anabolic steroids

It is not a secret that bodybuilding is exceptionally competitive. Once you lose your training rhythm, it could be hard to get back to it. In addition to that, people are all different. Some just build muscles faster than the others.

That makes many athletes turn to these drugs. However, often they do use them properly. It leads to a cycle of abuse that is hard to break because it affects the body in all sorts of ways.

While there are many benefits regarding muscles, it is still a rather risky and illegal option. Experts have already said multiple times that there are disadvantageous effects on the brain.

There is also a risk when it comes to the user’s mental health. Furthermore, it can also lead to an addiction similar to other drug uses. If that happens, rehab centers are sometimes the only option for recovery. However, even then, the reversal is tough on the user.

The main reason behind this abuse is the performance at the gym. Once you start taking anabolic steroids, you will see changes in your muscles, stamina, and overall mood. Many believe that they help them get in the “training mode.” They could also promote a particular type of aggressiveness at the gym.

Steroids lead to the maximum use of the protein your body makes. Therefore, they help you get the muscles you want. Time is also an essential factor when it comes to the abuse. Many users just do not want to train that hard if there is a shortcut.

Finally, androgenic anabolic steroids affect your overall satisfaction while you are exercising. When you know that you have injected yourself with something like that, it cancan help you train harder with more intensity. Furthermore, it helps you see the effects more clearly, and faster.

Conclusion

While the use of androgenic anabolic steroids might seem like a good idea for some, there are just too many risks. Not only are steroids illegal, but you can hurt your body more by abusing them.

Most people do not have the required discipline for proper use. That makes steroids extremely dangerous. They are potentially harmful to athletes who already have some mental health issues. It can also lead to a variety of hazardous behavior patterns and severe depression.

Despite many warnings, bodybuilders still use steroids nowadays. The results are a deciding factor for them.

However, it is something which you can also achieve with proper diet and exercise. Abusing steroids is not a thing of the past. It is, unfortunately, still a widespread practice in gyms all over the world.