Steroids

Anabolic steroids are any drug or hormonal substance chemically and pharmacologically related to testosterone. They are taken to promote muscle growth.

• Sobering Statistics
• Street Names
• How are they taken?
• What are the effects?
• What are the dangers?

Sobering Statistics

Five to 12 percent of male high school students and 1 percent of female students have used anabolic steroids by the time they are seniors.

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Street Names

Steroids are commonly referred to as:

• "roids"
  
• "stackers"

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How are they taken?

• Steroids are taken orally or injected into the muscle.
• Users take steroids on a schedule known as a cycle, in which they "stack" or "pyramid" their doses.

Stacking doses means that the individual takes two or more different anabolic steroids. Similarly, using a pyramid scheme means to start at a low dose of steroids at the beginning of the cycle and slowly increase the dose as the cycle progresses.

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What are the effects?

When used in combination with exercise training and a high protein diet, anabolic steroids can:

• Promote increased size and strength of muscles
  
• Improve endurance
  
• Decrease recovery time between workouts

However, there are also several negative side effects from using steroids that you should be aware of before deciding to take them.

Physical side effects for both males and females include:

• Elevated blood pressure
  
• Elevated cholesterol levels
  
• Severe acne
  
• Premature balding
  
• Reduced sexual function

Physical side effects for males include:

• Abnormal breast development
  
• Shrinking of the testicles
  
• Infertility.

Physical side effects for females include:

• More body hair
  
• Deeper voice
  
• Smaller breasts
  
• Fewer menstrual cycles

Additional physical side effects in adolescents include:

• Stunted growth.

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What are the dangers?

Serious health problems include damage to the:

• Cardiovascular system
  
• Liver
  
• Reproductive organs

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