Let me set the record straight regarding a few truth's and a few myth's, most specifically regarding anabolic/androgenic hormones:
1) There are two different "classes" of steroids. Anabolic, and Cortico.
Corticosteroids are used to get rid of inflamations of a wide variety and are actually "catabolic" meaning that they break tissue down rather than build it up. A common one is called Prednisone...which is widely prescribed to both children and adults in mass quantities, depite the fact that they are known to be both hepatoxic and renal toxic after prolonged usage.
Anabolic steroids are "tissue-creating" hormones. Their molecular structure is identical, or closely related to the male hormone testosterone, which is responsible for all male characteristics. These are only prescribed for a limited amount of reasons, a few of which are :
1)Hypogonadism: the inability of the testicles to produce sufficient testosterone for the body because of either injury, or other hormone-related disturbances in the HPTA (hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular-axis). Your own OmahaBeef is hypogonadal via injury and I recieve bi-monthly testosterone injections.
2) Diseases that cause rapid decrease in body tissue are treated with AAS.
3)Children who are unable to properly grow and/or begin the sequence of puberty.
Side Effects of Anabolic Steroids...facts and myths:
1) Shrunken testicles....FACT: When the hormones are introduced to the body that are not originally its own, the pituitary gland detects and abundance of the anabolic hormone. As a saftey precation, the body "shuts down" the testicles in order to not "overload" the system. The result is inactive testicles that reduce in size approximately 20-25% at worst. Upon stopping the use of outside hormones, the body kicks back into gear and the testicles start back up again and regain their size. Drugs such as HCG (the pregnancy hormone), Clomid (the fertility drug), and Nolvadex(for breat cancer) are often used by bodybuilders to help re-start the system as quickly as possible.
2) Shrunken Penis.....MYTH! : There is no data whatsoever done by any medical research NOR any evidence given from actual bodybuilders that this occurs. Rather, it is often said that steroid users report more frequent, harder, and more sizable erections while on steroids...particularly testosterone.
3) Roid Rage....MTYH! : There is also ZERO eveidence that anabolic hormones produce some sort of tantrum, uncontrollable rage, angry demetia or whatever the media wants you to believe. ZERO. NONE. The myth began during the 70's and 80's when men on trial for violent crimes attempted to concoct a defense in a court of law. They were often backed up by psychologists who would testify that ""theoretically"" testosterone is what separates the passive shyness of females from the aggressive behavior of males in the animal kingdom. As typical with our mass media...the press took the ball and ran with it, and anti-doping officials and supporters flew this flag as much as possible to create the Anabolic Steroid Control Act in 1990.
If you ask 99% of steroid users how they "feel" on cycle, they will tell you they feel more calm and the feeling of "well-being" has increased.
3) Steroids cause baldness....Myth AND Fact! : Male pattern baldness is purely genetic, and in a regular person, the hair will fall out in due time. When anabolic steroids are used, dihydrotestosterone is increased and someone who has the gene for baldness WILL BALD FASTER THAN NORMAL. If a person does NOT have the gene for male pattern baldness....no amount of steroids in the world will cause them to lose their hair (see: Jay Cutler).
4) Anabolic steroids will make your heart/liver/kidneys fall out and die....
A) There is ZERO evidence of cardiac failure attributed to steroid use directly. However, in theory, there ""could"" be problems with people using supraphysiological amounts for an unlimited amount of time, especially the hormones that are not identical to testosterone itself but are yet anabolic. For example...anabolic hormones MAY increase LDL and decrease HDL...which later down the road could increase the likleyhood of heart attack/ failure. You can also achive such an affect by simply eating like the typical American and being a lazy-ass in general
B) Liver: ORAL...(pills) steroids are molecularly structured to survive 2 passes through the liver to be metabolized. In high, frequent, and long-term use...the 17-AA molecular structure CAN IN FACT be hepatoxic. However, it is NOT the hormone in itself which is the culprit for the liver toxins. Tylenol, Ibuprofin, and any other over-the-counter drug in pill form has the exact same molecular structure and CAN CAUSE THE EXACT SAME DAMAGE as taking an oral steroid. Didn't know that did ya? NOW....steroids given via intramuscular injection are NOT...repeat....NOT...hepatoxic, because the hormone is in its purest form and does not need to be metabolized whatsoever, especially if it is testosterone itself.
Kidney: Kidney failure can be from a number of factors, but steroid use is not one of them. Competetive bodybuilders occasionally suffer from renal problems not because of anabolic hormones, but rather CONSTANT AND EXTREME USE OF DIURETICS! Andreas Munzer is a perfect example. He was on every steroid in the book for years and enjoyed excellent health. To achieve a better placing, he used an ungodly amount of prescription diuretics...even more than the typical bodybuilder....and it resulted in his death. Though the autopsy report clearly stated that he had died of renal failure, the anti-steroid campaign adopted Munzer as one of thier poster-boys for the ASCA of 1990.
Lyle Alzado...the famous Oakland Raider...has also been the rallying cry for the anti-doping legions. Lyle died of brain cancer, and though his own doctors and every medical expert in the world mentioned the impossibility of steroid use causing it, Lyle asserted that the steroids are what caused his own demise.
5) Steroids are addicting....MTYH!: Though a user may feel psychologically addicted to using these drugs, there is no form of withdrawl from a physical standpoint. If you look at the federally controlled substances, steroids are practically in a category of their own...ie they have the potential to be abused, yet they do not cause the same craving or withdrawl as say...heroin.
Food for thought:
*In 1990, when Congress was trying to effectively ban steroids and federally control them, both the AMA (American Medical Association) and the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) fought tooth-and-nail to keep steroids OFF the controlled substances list...because there was zero medical evidence backing up what Congess wanted to hear, and controlling them would misallocate DEA resources that could be fighting things like coke, meth, heroin, etc.
*There are millions of steroid users in the UnitedStates at any given time. The average steroid user is a college-educated, married father in his 30's with no criminal history. The media would rather you believe them to be a hulking Jeffrey Dahmer.
To conclude, I am writing this extensive post because there is far more misinformation out there at your disposal than actual information. I highly recommend the book: Legal Muscle...by Rick Collins. I can say from personal experience that it is quite the eye-opener! I neither condone nor condemn those who use steroids. I am very much a social libertarian. Though I am very much into lifting weights, I do not use steroids because I have other priorities in life and the legal risks outweigh the benefits of using them. Period.
OmahaBeef