My personal interest in this subject is the simple fact that I love working out. I love the feeling of the pump I get when I’ve completed a leg, chest, or arm workout. The blood is flowing, veins are bulging, the sense of accomplishment is met, and the enegery surrounding me in the gym is oustanding. Unfortuantely, I’m not as strong as my fellow gym rats. I’m constantly subjected to seeing people like the creature above this post. Do I envy their succes? Absolutely. Should I stay away from what the media considers evil and a danger to society, or will I cave into the pressure of looking like some of my hero’s. What am I talking about? ANABOLIC STEROIDS!
My main goal of this blog is to help people get rid of the negative sterotype people have of steroids and educate them on how beneficial it can be, but also show them the abusive side and why people only associate steroids with being bad.
Firstly, does anyone know what anabolic steroids are, what they do, or how they work? Here’s a quick history lesson for you.
In 1935, Adolf Butenandt, A german scientist who specialized in the primary male hormone, testosterone, created a synthetic version we now call anabolic steroids. 
There are two different types of sterods: Anabolic and Corticosteroids. One helps repair broken down muscle tissue from working out and the other helps reduce inflammation in the body. The one we’re discussing is Anabolic steroids.
When you work out, the tiny fibers in your muscle break down causing micro tears. Through a process called cellular repair and the help of protein synthesis your body naturally helps your muscle tissue recover. This usually takes about 48 hours.
Steriods help speed up this process and recovery time can be as small as a day, sometimes sooner. Because the recovery time is shorter, the body is able to workout longer, more intensely, and more frequently. It also helps produce results faster.
5 Reasons why Anabolic Steroids are beneficial to the body:
- It is prescribed by doctor’s to older men who lose the ability to produce their own or have low levels of testosterone.
- Used to treat muscle loss
- Used to help with delayed puberty
- It is also used to push the human body past it’s natural peak ( The 4th reason is only recommended when taking a Physiologic dose or a dose that doesn’t supersed the body’s limitations.)
- When you work out intensely, for some unknown reason, your testosterone level siginificatly drops and your body releases another hormone called Glucocortiroids. Glucocortiroids breaks down your muscle tissue. Taking Anabolic steroids helps recover your muscle tissue and restores your testtosterone level.
Justifications for taking Steroids:
Steroids are most popular usage is in competitive sports. ie. Bodybuilding, Weightling (Olympic/Strongman/Powerlifting), and baseball. The sports that deal with weights usually only have a couple year window to get to the top. Steroids help them with their succes at an earlier age.
Physical Effects:
Men – Taking an excessive amount of steroids can lead to fat under the nipple area and shrinking of the testicles. It can also cause increased acne of the back and face. Men are also latched to that idea of “roid rage.” Studies have proven that steroids make men more agressive, however, these studies have only shown men who have a past associated with aggressive behavior will become more aggressive. In a study of 109 men taking steroids only 5% were shown to be more aggressive. Women – Women have shown to develop male pattern baldness, facial hair, permanent deeping of the voice, smaller breasts, and obtain an increased size of their clitoris. 
Some steroids have also been linked to tumors on the liver and kidney’s, and may cause a heart attack. The abuse of steroids to cause those are speculated to have been daily use over a period of years, around 10.
Picture of Ronnie Coleman. Besides Arnold, he is the most famous Bodybuilder with 8 consecutive Mr. Olympia Titles: 
Unfortunately, there are too many variables in determining the true effects steroids have because scientists can’t prove casue and effect. Large studies aren’t conducted, because in 1990 steroids were outlawed under the Steroids Control Act of 1990 . The Human Studies Committee won’t permit any large or longterm studies to researched.
My Take: Personally, I have no desire to be the biggest or fastest guy out there, and for that, I have no reason to take steroids. I’m perfectly fine doing things the natural way. With that being said I don’t look down on people who do use them. You can’t take steroids and instantly become a bonified monster in the gym, they just don’t work that way, and honestly that’s why it get’s so much hate. Yes, it may be cheating if you’re playing a sport but it takes twice the dedication to obtain champion level goals, and no matter what, you can’t take that away from the people that have spent their life trying to reach new heights in their respective sports.
Links:
Steroid Documentary presented by the National Geographic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONSF_HPGx-Q
http://www.essaytown.com/paper/steroids-synthetic-testosterone-first-developed-1935-german-22955
technologicalsocialchange 