Steroids are used in positive
ways all the time in the treatment of AIDS and cancer yet they are
still widely seen as a negative factor of athletic training regimens.
You can compare the use of steroids to the ingestion of any substance
that can be potentially harmful from junk food to painkillers to
alcohol. Moderate, controlled used is okay while uncontrolled,
obsessive use can be considered abuse.
Steroid use
is fairly abundant, but most of the time the athletes that use steroids
use it in a controlled and educated manner. Those who don’t now about
the effects and
side
effects of anabolic steroid use often don’t know how to
balance their use so that the benefits outweigh the negatives.
Those that
abuse
steroids are often the high school athletes or others who do
not have access to resources to help them determine the best regimen to
give them the best benefits. Additionally, athletes who are not
physically and emotionally mature are more likely to greatly suffer
from the negative side effects of steroid use.
Anabolic steroid use,
versus steroid abuse, requires access to various steroids (to use the
one that best fits the athlete in question), and regular blood work and
monitoring from a physician. Because of these factors,
steroid
abuse can cause very damaging effects. Liver toxicity is a
common problem.
Suppression
of natural hormone production in the body can be seriously effected by
misuse of steroid regimens – this includes stunted growth
in users and abusers who are not fully grown. Other problems include
cardiovascular issues, cholesterol problems and increased
aggressiveness.
Female athletes who use
anabolic
steroids without the proper supervision or regimens for their
bodies have even more to worry about. Females can experience irregular
periods, virilization and cardiovascular problems.
While simple
use of
steroids might show these similar
side
effects, they most likely won’t be as damaging (and in some
cases are reversible) when the steroid use is closely monitored
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