Transcript Steroids - WilsonJ

Steroids
How Do Anabolic Steroids
Work?
• Anabolic steroids stimulate muscle tissue to grow and
"bulk up" in response to training by mimicking the effect
of naturally produced testosterone on the body.
• Steroids have become popular because they may improve
endurance, strength, and muscle mass
• However, research has not shown that steroids improve
skill, agility, or athletic performance
How are they used?
• Cycling: a period of taking and then not taking the drugs in
the belief that the drug-free cycle allows the body to
recover normal hormone levels
• Pyramiding: taking doses in cycles of six to 12 weeks,
starting with a low dose, then slowly increasing it, and then
decreasing the amount to zero, believing this allows the
body time to adjust to the high doses
• Stacking: taking two or more types of steroids, mixing oral
and injectable forms, believing the different drugs interact
to have greater effect
What Steroids Do To a Body?
Psychological Side Effects of Steroids
• edginess, impatience, paranoid feelings
• severe mood swings including depression
• obsession with body image, having to work
out, and food
• angry and violent outbursts known as "roid
rage"
General Physical Side Effects of Steroids
 liver damage
 kidney damage
 increased blood pressure and cholesterol (risk for
heart disease)
 depressed immune system (risk for infections)
 headache and stomach ache
 nosebleeds
 severe facial and body acne
 decreased joint flexibility
Additional Physical Side Effects of
Steroids
In men:
 breast enlargement
 shrunken testicles
 lowered sperm count
 increased sex drive
 decreased sexual performance - difficulty getting
and maintaining erections
In women:
 growth of facial and body hair
 male pattern balding
 development of Adam's apple
 deepening of voice
 enlargement of clitoris
 abnormal or absent menstrual period
 infertility
In teens:
stunted growth due to early closure of the
growth centres in long bones
severe acne
What Is Human Growth
Hormone?
• hGH is only legal when prescribed by a doctor for
a medical condition.
• Doctors prescribe hGH for people whose bodies
don't naturally make enough growth hormone, a
condition known as growth hormone deficiency
• There is absolutely no evidence that growth
hormone helps to improve athletic performance
Risks of hGH
• Any type of hGH that is not obtained by
prescription is not regulated by the government
and could be almost anything.
• If you buy what may be called "growth hormone,"
"growth stimulators," or "growth factors" online,
it's likely they're not really hGH. Many websites
claim to be selling growth hormone, but they're
really selling amino acids that don't significantly
increase growth hormone levels in your body.
More risks of hGH
• If the false claims of performance benefits from
hGH don't bother you, the price probably will —
$5,000 for a month's prescription, meaning that
the street value for just a month could run
anywhere from $5,000–$10,000
• Because growth hormone can only be injected,
like some steroids, there's a risk of contracting
HIV or other diseases (like hepatitis) if people
share needles.
Strong Alternatives to Steroids
When it comes right down to it, harming
your body or getting disqualified aren't
smart ways to try to improve your athletic
performance.
Being a star athlete means training the
healthy way: eating the right foods,
practicing, and strength training without the
use of drugs.