The Negative Effects of Steroids

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BIG MUSCLES = BIG TROUBLE The famous Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Jose Conseco, and even the Olympian Marion Jones are all inspiring, talented athletes, but they have somewhat cheated themselves throughout their professional athletic career. This cheating is not surprising in today’s society among bodybuilders, pro-athletes, and “body buffs”. Their usage of anabolic androgenic steroids has allowed them to strengthen their performance as well as enhance their physical appearance. These synthetic substances are related to the male sex hormones, such as testosterone. They promote skeletal muscle growth and development of male sexual characteristics (4therapy.com 2). Anabolic steroids were developed in the 1930s by German scientists. They were originally designed to make soldiers more aggressive when they went into battle (Mintzer 30). While anabolic steroids may benefit a person with various health defects, the negative side effects can lead to an assortment of physiological, psychological, and legal consequences, which can be detrimental. Steroid consumers are vulnerable to many physiological side effects. These anabolic steroids can be taken orally with capsules, injected into muscles, or even rubbed into the skin with an ointment. Various health consequences take place in males and females of all ages. Despite the unattractive acne and breast development in men, other life-threatening effects such as stroke, heart attack, and liver cancer can occur. Cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes, have been associated with steroid abuse (NIDA 4). Steroids change the levels of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol in the blood. Usually common among consumers who take steroids orally, levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) increase and levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) decrease. This alteration in the body causes the fatty substances to deposit

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