Understanding the Pros and Cons of Anabolic Steroids
Anabolic steroids are synthetic drugs that are meant to imitate testosterone and human growth hormone. They are prescribed by doctors to people with slow growth but they are also commonly used in fitness to boost the fast growth of muscles, fasten the recovery process, and increase strength. Most anabolic steroids that are sold on the web are legit and legal while others are fake and can be extremely harmful to health.
But even with legal steroids, misuse can ruin your life. That is why they should be used with ultimate care and close observation to see and understand the reaction.
There are many cons of anabolic steroids, but there are pros as well. Hence, those who intend to use anabolic steroids for fitness should read and understand these pros and cons before making a decision.
Pros of Using Anabolic Steroids
Many manufacturers and sellers of anabolic steroids market them as very helpful for fitness. Together with medical experts, they say that steroids have the following pros:
- Weight loss and muscle gain - This is the ultimate goal of many athletes and fitness enthusiasts. High level of human growth hormone and testosterone is combined with workouts and diet to promote fast loss and growth of more muscles. Hence, the athletes become ripped.
- Immense strength and endurance - More muscle mass and high level of oxygen supply increase strength and endurance, but this also works better when a person engages in workouts regularly, which is the case with sportspeople.
- Quick muscle recovery - Another main reason why athletes and fitness enthusiasts take steroids is to shorten the recovery process after extreme workouts. With anabolic steroids in action, the growth of muscles and a high supply of oxygen is all that the muscles need to recover within a very short time.
Cons of Anabolic Steroids
On the flip side, there are tons of adverse effects that are caused by anabolic steroids. But this is to a high extent subject to how you will use them and their reaction with your body.
- Risk of getting ill - Users increase chances of contracting illnesses such as hepatitis B, liver failure, heart attack, stroke, and cancer. Besides that, there might be allergic reactions immediately or soon after using certain anabolic steroids.
- Hormonal changes and infertility - Many medical studies have linked anabolic steroids with changes in hormones and infertility. What people do not know is that the steroids work by altering the hormones, so it is an immediate side effect. In extreme cases, long-term use might cause infertility in both men and women through hormonal changes.
- Aggressive personality - Another worrying side effect of anabolic steroids is increased agitation in users. Remember that these supplements affect the hormones, and they are known to make some users extremely aggressive even in instances where it is not required.
Conclusion
Using anabolic steroids for a good reason and sparingly can help in many ways for athletes and fitness enthusiasts, but abuse can lead to adverse health effects as indicated in this article. Users must be careful and ensure that they liaise with a medical doctor for the best results.