Should you take anabolic steroids? Pros and Cons

The use of anabolic steroids is rampant and widespread now days. It was confined once to a limited elite group of highly competitive athletes, but their usage become more common among young weightlifters to increase muscle size and strength.

This doesn’t mean you should take them as well. Before you touch any anabolic steroid or think about buying one, you should know the pros, cons and side effects of steroids.

Anabolic steroids have many pros and cons, and some of them will be discussed below to help you make an educated decision:

Pros

1-Improve endurance

Anabolic steroids help the body to produce more red blood cells. The red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen to the muscles and other parts of the body. With more red blood cells, the muscles can work longer and harder because there is a more consistent supply of oxygen, so endurance significantly increases. Muscles are also able to recover faster with the help of additional oxygen.

2-Improve overall performance

Athletes and bodybuilders can increase their power, strength, agility, and speed with the help of anabolic steroids. This gives them an edge over the competition, but it is also for his reason why performance-enhancing drugs are banned from sports leagues and competitions.

3-Build more muscle mass

Studies show that steroids can increase muscle mass and overall body size, that is why they are popular with bodybuilders and those who want to bulk up. Additionally, these drugs don’t cause water retention, so you end up with a more ripped build.

4-Lose weight (fat)

Anabolic steroids increase testosterone levels, which not only increase your muscle mass, but also help burn more fat.

This means that you will be building more muscle and losing fat at the same time, which is hard to be done as a natural bodybuilder.

5- Fix hormonal imbalances

Some doctors prescribe anabolic steroids for patients who have low testosterone levels. These drugs can help in maintaining a more normal level of testosterone when used under the supervision of a physician.

Cons

1-Risk of several medical conditions

There have been reports about athletes who abused steroids and ended up suffering from severe medical conditions and even death.

Some of theses medical conditions are:

liver cancer, organ damage, psychological defects, hormonal changes, and sometimes infertility.
Greater risk of Hepatitis B and C.
Increase the risk of tearing tendons.
Have enlarged breasts for men and increase facial hair in women.
Growth can be stunted at a young age.
damage veins.
Sudden death.
Balding and hair loss.
Aggression and Depression.
Paranoia and Insomnia.
Nausea and Vomiting.
High Blood Pressure.
Aching Joints.
Jaundice or Liver Damage.
Urinary Trouble.
Heart Disease and Cancer.
Susceptibility to HIV and other transmitted diseases. (Needles)

And the list goes on and on, so be careful before taking any anabolic steroids and ask your doctor first.

2-Mental addiction

Anabolic steroids themselves don’t cause physical addiction as opioids. But they miss up with your mind because when you get off them at the end of a cycle, you will lose most of your size and strength. This will make you depressed as you are used to lifting a certain weight and having more size.

This feeling will make you depressed and want to get back to your old self. So, you get on another cycle and another one and you won’t be able to quit.

Related: The most powerful anabolic steroids: Benefits & Side effects

3-They are illegal

In many countries, you can be arrested for the possession or selling of anabolic steroids. There have also been professional athletes who have been stripped of their medals and awards and banned from their respective sports when it was proven that they used performance-enhancing drugs.

So, do you think anabolic steroids should be legalized? Do you think they are okay to use if they are regulated properly and are done under the supervision of a doctor, despite their harmful side effects?

I don’t think so…

The use of anabolic steroids can affect your life in so many ways and have many consequences on your regular life. From this article, we have learned that the best thing to do is to avoid the use of anabolic steroids.