Steroids and Sports

Successful athletes rely on practice and hard work to increase their skill, speed, power, and ability. However, some athletes resort to drugs to improve their performance on the field or the court.

You may have heard them called 'roids, juice, hype, or pump. Anabolic steroids are powerful drugs that many people take in high doses to boost athletic performance. Anabolic refers to the "building body tissue." Anabolic steroids help build muscle tissue and increase body mass by acting like the body's natural male hormone, testosterone.

Lower doses of anabolic steroids sometimes are used to treat a handful of very serious medical conditions. They should not be confused with corticosteroids, which are used to treat common medical conditions such as asthma and arthritis. Although Corticosteroids are strong medications, they do not have muscle-building effects. Anabolic steroids are the ones abused by athletes and others who want a shortcut to becoming bigger and stronger.

Although steroids cannot improve an athlete's agility or skill, there are many who swear by it. There are in actuality many factors that help determine athletic ability, including genetics, body size, age, sex, diet, and how hard the athlete trains. It is clear that the medical dangers of steroid use far outweigh the advantage of gains in strength or muscle mass.

There are several problems that regular steroids usage can have on one's body. As there are many changes take place inside the body, these may not be noticed until it is too late. Some of the effects go away when you stop but this may not be for every type of steroid used.

Males
One of the more disturbing effects of steroid use for males is that the body begins to produce less of its own testosterone. As a result, the testicles may begin to shrink. Men also tend to lose hair, both body as well as the hair on your scalp. The following is a list of some of the other effects of steroid use for males:

Reduced sperm count
Impotence
Increase in nipple and breast size
Enlarged prostate

Females
There are many women who seek to try out steroids in their tryst to develop their own biceps. Since steroids act as a male hormone, females may experience the following side effects:

Reduced breast size
Enlarged clitoris
Increase in facial and body hair
Deepened voice
Menstrual problems

The list about steroid facts may be endless. However, if you truly want to experiment, its best if you do so under medical consultation, or lese its only a matter of time before you see some strong consequences. Worth spending a thought!