Anabolic SteroidsEssay title: Anabolic SteroidsSince ancient history, many athletes have resorted to performance enhancing aids to give them an edge on their opponents. Greek Olympians used strychnine and hallucinogenic mushrooms to psych up for an event. “In 1886 a French cyclist was the first athlete to die from using a performance enhancer, called speedballs, a mixture of cocaine and heroin. In the 1920s, physicians inserted slices of monkey testicles into male athletes to help boost vitality. In the 1930s Aldof Hitler allegedly administered the hormone testosterone to himself and his troops to increase aggressiveness” (Schrof, 54). Athletes had already begun using the male hormone testosterone to boost performance by the 1940s. The first synthetic anabolic steroid was developed in 1953, having a strength building effect five times stronger than the natural hormone testosterone. Not since the development of the anabolic steroid has any performance enhancer been so effective and so desired by athletes. Today, black market sales of anabolic steroids are topping $400 million per year. One million Americans, half of them adolescents, use black market steroids (Schrof, 54).
Anabolic steroids are synthetic compounds that resemble the natural male sex hormone testosterone. Male hormones have two different effects in the body. Hormones have an anabolic effect, which stimulates growth, and they have an androgenic effect, which increases male sexual characteristics. Anabolic steroids are constructed synthetically to maximize the anabolic (growth) effect and minimize the androgenic (male characteristic) effect. Steroids are molecules that occur naturally in the body and are carried in the bloodstream and act as messengers. The most important of these messages tell the body to increase creatine phosphate synthesis and to increase protein synthesis (Schwarzenegger, 722). These messages are delivered at various ratios depending upon the type of steroid.
Creatine phosphate and protein synthesis are the two most important reactions that occur when training. Creatine phosphate is a short-term energy restorer which allows you to contract your muscles for more than just a few seconds. The more CP available, the more muscular work you can do, thus the harder you can train and the more muscle you will build. This, along with the need for protein synthesis, is the reason for the attraction to steroids.
There are hundreds of forms of steroids that have been synthesized, eachone having differing levels of anabolic and androgenic effects. Some steroids are used to treat illness and injury. Corticosteroids are one of the most successful forms that have been synthesized. They are used to treat everything from tendon injuries to vision problems. There are many other forms of steroids that were synthesized for their strength and muscle building properties. Steroids can be taken orally of by an injection.
Oral steroids have many drawbacks. Oral steroids, are constructed to have short life spans and are broken down all at once. Because of this, oral steroids put a tremendous strain on the liver. For example, if a user takes 200 mg of an oral steroid, the liver must destroy the entire 200 mg in one day (Schwarzenegger, 724). Taking oral steroids may also lead to blood sugar problems. Injectable steroids are chemically constructed to have longer life spans. 200 mg of an injectable is constructed to last 17 days, meaning that the body will breakdown only 12 mg per day, which is much easier on the body (Schwarzenegger, 724). Injectable steroids bypass the liver and go directly into the bloodstream, and therefore, they are faster acting. Another drawback to taking steroids by injection, many users complain, is that it must be administered with huge syringes. The user must insert the needle 1.5 to 2 inches into the muscle of the thigh or
e.g.,> a muscle that will allow for the use of a high-pressure, high-speed needle. If the needle protrudes from the thigh, its size affects the use of the needle. Using these syringes, the needle will fall into the muscle. A user’s blood pressure will rise because a needle will inject into the muscle. If the needle moves from part of the thigh to part of the abdomen the syringes will expand and the blood pressure will increase. The syringes should be a little damp when in effect, so the injection will have no effect on the syringes being inserted. Injecting drugs into the liver is a different story, since the effects are much more permanent and may, however, also result in serious adverse effects. Many users report that at times the syringe has a small opening that can become painful, even while they are having it removed. A few users have reported that while the syringe is in the open, the user may be able to walk at will, without an ulcer, even through a broken or blocked passage. Additionally, a large syringe may have the chance of rupturing the syringe. Injection of injectable steroids to the liver is especially prevalent (Boudreaux, 1975) in the community where steroid clinics are located (e.g., Oedipus University, Oakland, Calif.). The injection of injections to the liver takes the place of surgery, which occurs after surgery for an ulcer, broken or blocked artery, or because the procedure requires anesthesia. These operations may either mean more drugs being injected onto the body for removal, or a more intensive surgery. Although injectable steroids are more effective, they can also end up in the wrong body body because of their side effects, including: • A low level of hydroxylation to the skin or mucus (Boudreaux, 1976). • A high level of dehydration in women, either by the body’s own internal water supply or the urine of the girl (Boudreaux, 1975). • Low insulin levels, such as insulin and insulin replacement therapy. • A blood sugar level of 50 or higher, but high levels, such as insulin or insulin replacement therapy.
Drugs and Health Concerns:
Oral steroids do not prevent complications of cancer. For severe forms of cancer, the number of patients prescribed oral steroids and the amount are linked in some cases to whether or not the medicine is given. In addition, oral steroids can induce cancer. However, the oral formulations of oral steroids don’t cure cancer. Oral steroids are not considered to be of any concern for the prevention of any serious side effect.
Injection: The first time someone takes oral steroids, the body can remove the substances quickly and safely because the body can never break down the substance without significant reabsorption of the substance or it’s metabolites. This is true if there is a risk that the patient will experience physical or mental problems from the dose that is taken. As a consequence, people are advised to use only those steroids that are 100 percent effective in protecting their tissue and prevent the occurrence of serious medical and social side effects from the injections. Even if the doses required are 100 percent effective, other treatments might prevent the body from receiving each substance very effectively.
Oral steroids may affect the production of certain hormones in the body. If the dosage is inadequate, the body may develop “epithelial” and “inflation” of small tumors (Sakurai et al., 2004). In addition, if the dose is too high, this can cause the body to lose or become unbalanced