Posted by: Curt | Under: 40's/fit, 50's/fit, General Fitness, Health, Prime/fit, Youth/fit | (0) Comments
After being in the gym for the past 30 years or so, I’ve heard all the stories about steroids- good and bad. I have to tell you, most of them are bad. Some are really bad, like death bad. So when I came across this article over at MSN, I had to link it. Usually after someone has been working out a while and hits a plateau, they start thinking about a quick fix. Well, there is no free lunch. You will always pay one way or the other. Don’t risk your long term health just to look good on the beach for the summer.
Summer is here, and I live in a beach community where the muscle-bound guys get the best girls. I was thinking that if I used steroids to get into shape it would be okay. I’ve heard that most of the bad effects are reversible and the real problems come only with long-term use.
I think I know how Dr. Billy is going to respond, but I’m hoping Leyner has a different point of view.
Please let me know ASAP. I am ready to start pumping iron.
— Eddie Wilson, Bradley Beach, New Jersey
Dear Juiced in Jersey,Well, you’re correct. There’s absolutely no way I’ll support even transient use of anabolic steroids. I would imagine that a simple list of the adverse side effects of steroid use would be enough to dissuade anyone. But I guess infertility, increased cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, liver cancer, fluid retention, infection, rage, aggression, mania, delusions, and suicide aren’t enough. Some argue that many side effects are reversible, but last time I checked, heart attack, stroke, cancer, and suicide were permanent.
Studies have shown that anabolic steroids cause irreversible enlargement of the heart. The risk of premature death among competitive powerlifters using steroids was shown to be 4.6 times higher than normal, and professional wrestlers are said to have a death rate about seven times higher than that of the general U.S. population.
…So, Eddie, let me take one last shot at appealing to your logical side. No, wait, forget that… let me appeal to your vanity, which is where this question came from in the first place. How does breast enlargement, shrunken testicles, male-pattern baldness, severe acne, and cysts sound to you? These are proven side effects—right away, no waiting—that probably won’t be too attractive to the women you meet on the beach. And if you actually care a little bit about your workout, here’s one last thing for you to think about: Steroid use also causes an increased risk for developing tendon ruptures. Sever studies have shown cases of triceps, biceps and bilateral quadriceps ruptures. I don’t know if you’ve ever had the pleasue of speaking to someone who has experienced a bilateral quad rupture, but they say the pain is worse than childbirth, and the recovery time is months. Just keeping you informed so that you don’t turn yourself into a ticking time bomb…
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