If you are into body building, or even the average teenage guy, you look at photos of guys like Arnold and drool. You work out hard, but within weeks you get impatient and begin entertaining the possibility of taking anabolic steroids to boost your growth. FYI, steroid is the Greek word for hormone.So, is all the hype real? Do they work, are they as dangerous as people say?We’ve all heard about the congressional hearings on steroid use in Major League Baseball, and no doubt many have taken sides on the issue. Drug abuse in sports has been in the media a lot in the past couple of years with stories like when Floyd Landis lost his Tour de France title after testing positive for testosterone. That one really disappointed me and I didn’t want to believe it, but after watching the stage where he blew away the competition I had to admit my doubts.
Natural or steroid? Hank Aaron is no longer on the top of the all-time home run list since Barry Bonds surpassed him as the home run king. The problem is, everyone thinks he doped, and with good reason.
If you’re old enough to remember Bobby Bonds, Barry’s dad, (the first two photos) it makes it even harder to believe Barry’s denial. The photos show the difference in Bonds from one year to the next, and I’ll leave the doping verdict up to you.
Sammy Sosa is another one, once a skinny little 165 pound player, but a couple of years ago he was up to a ripped 240 pounds. Sprinter, Ben Johnson, back in the 1990’s, tested positive for steroids at the Olympics, and later admitted that everyone uses drugs, but that someone spiked his sample. Of course they did, Ben.
Both Sosa and Bonds were both very thin when they came into the league, but no longer. It is of course natural to get bigger as you mature, but that will begin to decline after age 30. But not these guys, as they passed their third decade, both of them began to grow in size and strength. Sosa went from 165 as a rookie to about 240 the year he was battling a naturally huge Mark McGuire for the single season home run title.
There’s no denying it; steroids enhance recovery, allowing an athlete to train harder and heavier, which builds strength and packs on lean muscle. Despite two decades of evidence to the contrary, prior to the early 1980’s doctors said steroids did nothing, but athletes and bodybuilders disagreed. If you don’t think it works check this out:
The first two photos are real… sorry about #3 there, I just had to throw that in.
Anyone with half a brain knows bodybuilding is about pharmaceutical assistance. Ever since they were discovered, steroids have been a way of life for bodybuilders. If you spend any amount of time in a gym with serious lifter you’ll hear, and see the sale and use of steroids, appetite suppressants and all manner of muscle building or fat shedding drugs. Walk into any really good gym at 2 o’clock in the afternoon on a Monday and look around. If you see a guy with freakishly huge muscles and veins as big as garden hoses in there pumping iron do you really have to guess where his paycheck comes from?
If you talk to any athletic trainer he/she will warn you about the dangers associated with the use of steroids, i.e.
- High blood pressure and heart disease
- Liver damage and cancers
- Stroke and blood clots
- Urinary and bowel problems, such as diarrhea
- Headaches, aching joints, and muscle cramps
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sleep problems
- Increased risk of ligament and tendon injuries
- Severe acne, especially on face and back
- Baldness
For men specifically,
- Reduced sperm count
- Impotence
- Increase in nipple and breast size (gynecomastia)
- Enlarged prostate (gland that mixes fluid with sperm to form semen)
For women,
- Reduced breast size
- Enlarged clitoris (a very sensitive part of the genitals)
- Increase in facial and body hair
- Deepened voice
- Menstrual problems
The emotional effects can be,
- “Roid rage” – severe, aggressive behavior that may result in violence, such as fighting or destroying property
- Severe mood swings
- Hallucinations – seeing or hearing things that are not really there
- Paranoia – extreme feelings of mistrust and fear
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Depression and thoughts of suicide
- An angry, hostile, or irritable mood
Now if that doesn’t scare you it’s time to join the Army.
For all these reasons, we at The Athletic Trainer strongly recommend natural body building if you are going to pursue a bigger you.
Josh Trentine, is a natural bodybuilding competitor who has been competing successfully for years without the use of performance enhancing pharmaceuticals. Instead, he uses high intensity training and good nutrition. They really work and Josh has proven it. He turned pro in 2007 in both the NGA and IDFA after taking 1st places in both the 2006 Natural USA and 2006 Canadian Classic. He’s the CEO of Overload Personal Training and if you ask me, I’ll take his body over the steroid freaks any day.
If you’re over 40, it is even more difficult to recover from a hard workout, but there are always better, safer and more intelligent ways to keep yourself healthy than the use of dangerous drugs.
If you’re going to be successful in sports it takes practice and hard work, not to mention talent, and skill. Using steroids is and badly interferes with fair competition. More importantly, they are dangerous to your health. There are many healthy ways to increase your strength or improve your appearance. If you are serious about your sport and your health, keep the following tips in mind:
- Train safely and carefully, without the use of drugs.
- Stick to a healthy diet.
- Make sure you get plenty of rest.
- Set realistic goals and pat yourself on the back when you attain them.
- Get some good training supervision, coaching, and seek out a reliable professional.
- Use protective gear to avoid injuries.
- Talk to certified trainer about a safe ways to gain strength, nutrition, your health, and preventing injury.
If you, or someone you know is using steroids, get help. Talk to your friends and teammates about what you’ve read. Take a stand against the use of steroids and other drugs. Real athletes use their natural abilities and hard work to win. There is no quick and easy way to become the best.
For more information, contact the following organizations:
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
888/644-6432
Web site: http://www.nida.nih.gov/
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI)
800/729-6686
Web site: http://www.health.org
