For you who are in to building muscles and gaining muscle mass you might consider the possibility of using steroids, more so the anabolic variety. The use of anabolic steroids has been credited with the rapid development and increase in muscle mass and size. The steroids also tend to minimize the painful effects of the strenuous workouts that are normally involved. This is a potentially problematic issue; not knowing where your pain threshold ends or commences. It is not the only effect associated with steroid use.



Anabolic steroids are designed to work on the same principle as that which is involved in the intake and use of testosterone. One of the roles of testosterone in the body is the development of muscle mass and size. Some anabolic steroids were designed to act as treatments for conditions including endometriosis, various breast cancers and anemia.

Athletes have taken to abusing these substances given that they spur the growth of a larger body that can make use of more proteins. They also help in developing more tissues at a faster rate thus rapid muscle development. Eventually these highly sought after advantages later turn into major disadvantages including a possible shrinking of the genitals and subsequent impotence, and an influx in the amount of body hairs.

The use of anabolic steroids in men has been known to cause a hormonal imbalance. With regard to the reproduction cycle, it has been established that the testes glands in steroid users react by lowering their testosterone production capacities given that the body has an influx of the same albeit in an artificial form. The glands seem to respond to an apparent signal that indicates that natural production of the hormone is supposed to be cut down. This reaction results in the shrinking of the testicles and a subsequent fall in the amount of sperm produced. Impotence is largely expected to occur in such men. Anabolic hormones are also prone to breaking down into the female hormone estradiol. This newly formed hormone is the one responsible for the development of breasts in men.

These are not the only potential risks that men are exposed to when they start using steroids for bodybuilding. Some other symptoms that are associated with a long term use of the anabolic steroids include painful sensations during urination, an increase in the amounts of facial hair, emergence of baldness on the head, an enlargement in the size of the prostrate gland, and more regular and painful erection.

Anabolic steroids have been known to be the cause of more serious health effects. The most serious among these are the possible complications to the liver including tumors and cancers. The heart is also enlarged and its arteries hardened. These are both preliminary conditions that herald the onset of heart complications and disease. The end result is mainly heart failure. Another serious effect is that of 'roid rage' where athletes have been known to become more and more aggressive even to the point of committing suicide. The use of needles to inject intramuscular preparations can be the cause of HIV/AIDS and other diseases like Hepatitis if sterilization is not taken seriously.