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What Are Steroids?
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/fit/steroids.html
"Steroids" has more than one meaning. Your body naturally produces some steroids, to help you fight stress and grow bigger during puberty. (But your body knows just the right amount that you need, so there's no need to take any extra.) There's also a type of medicine called steroids that people might take if they have pain, asthma, or a skin problem. But these aren't the kind of steroids getting attention in sports.
When people say steroids (say: stare-oydz), they often mean illegal anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids are artificially produced hormones that are the same as, or similar to, androgens, the male-type sex hormones in the body. The most powerful of these is testosterone (say: tes-tos-tuh-rone). Anabolic steroids can be taken in the form of pills, powders, or injections. Anabolic steroids are always illegal, meaning that you could get arrested for buying, selling, or taking them.
Some athletes take anabolic steroids because of their testosterone-like effects, such as increasing muscle mass and strength. This might sound like just a guy thing, but girls also have used steroids to get stronger and change the way they look. And it's not only professional athletes who have taken these illegal drugs. Investigations and studies have shown that teens, college athletes, and others have taken steroids.
There are supplements available that contain anabolic steroids. You might see ads for these on the Internet or in the back of sports or body building magazines. Some have been banned in the United States while others are still legal. Legal or illegal, these supplements can cause health problems. Kids should not take any steroid supplement, even those that are still on the market.
Dangers of Steroids
Anabolic steroids cause many different types of problems. Less serious side effects include acne, oily hair, purple or red spots on the body, swelling of the legs and feet, and persistent bad breath. A kid or teen who takes steroids might not grow as tall as he or she was supposed to grow. Some other serious and long-lasting side effects are:
premature balding
dizziness
mood swings, including anger and sadness
seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations)
extreme feelings of mistrust or fear (paranoia)
problems sleeping
nausea
vomiting
trembling
high blood pressure that can damage the heart or blood vessels over time
aching joints
greater chance of injuring muscles and tendons
jaundice or yellowing of the skin; liver damage
trouble peeing
increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer
These risks affect girls:
increased facial hair growth
deeper voice, like a man's
shrinking of the breasts
period changes
Specific risks for boys include:
shrinkage of the testicles and penis problems
pain when urinating (peeing)
breast development
Because steroids can be injected (given in a shot), users run the risk of getting illnesses that can be passed through needles that are dirty, or shared. These include HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, a serious liver disease. Though some problems may show up right away, others may not appear for years. One former Oakland Raiders lineman who died of brain cancer believed that steroid use during his football career was one reason he got the disease.
Using Steroids Isn't Playing Fair
Your health is the No. 1 reason not to use steroids or a steroid supplement. But there's another very important reason: It's just not fair. When people use steroids, it gives them an unfair advantage against others who trained and practiced without using illegal steroids.
And because all levels of sports - from high school to the pros - are testing athletes for steroid use, there's a growing chance the person will get caught. If caught, he or she will face a lot of embarrassment and could be banned from the sport.
But maybe worst of all, any achievements the athlete made while on steroids could be questioned. Someone might say, "He didn't really deserve to be on the All-Star team, he was on steroids." Or, "She shouldn't have that trophy, she was cheating." So win on your own power - without steroids. Then, you can hang on to all your honors - and your health!
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: June 2005
http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/steroids.html
Steroids, sometimes referred to as roids, juice, hype, weight trainers, gym candy, arnolds, stackers, or pumpers, are the same as, or similar to, certain hormones in the body. The body produces steroids naturally to support such functions as fighting stress and promoting growth and development. But some people use steroid pills, gels, creams, or injections because they think steroids can improve their sports performance or the way they look.
Steroids can also have serious psychological side effects. Some users become aggressive or combative, developing "roid rage" — extreme, uncontrolled bouts of anger caused by long-term steroid use.
Steroid users who inject the drugs with a needle are at risk for infection with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the virus that causes AIDS, if they share needles with other users. People who use dirty needles are also at greater risk for contracting hepatitis, a disease of the liver, or bacterial endocarditis, an infection of the inner lining of the heart.
Steroids: Stacking and Addiction
Some people combine or "stack" anabolic steroids with other drugs. Other steroid users may "pyramid" or "cycle" their steroid doses, starting with a low dose of stacked drugs and then periodically increasing and decreasing the dosage of the steroid, which users believe helps their bodies recuperate from the drugs.
Because even scientists don't understand exactly how steroids interact with each other or possibly cause reactions to other medications, it's possible that a person who stacks or cycles steroids can take a deadly combination. Emergency departments have reported cases of vomiting, tremors, dizziness, and even coma (unconsciousness) when patients were admitted after taking combinations of steroids.
A lot of people tell themselves they'll only use steroids for a season or a school year. Unfortunately, steroids can be addictive, making it hard to stop taking them.
Steroid users can spend lots of time and money trying to get the drugs. And once users stop taking steroids, they're at risk of developing irritability, paranoia, and severe depression, which may lead to suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide. Some of the long-term effects of steroids may not show up for many years. People who use steroids also appear to be at higher risk for using other drugs, such as alcohol or cocaine.
What Is Human Growth Hormone?
You may have heard of something called Human Growth Hormone, or hGH, in relation to sports supplements and maybe even related to steroids. Like steroids, hGH is only legal when prescribed by a doctor for a medical condition. Doctors prescribe hGH for people whose bodies don't naturally make enough growth hormone, a condition known as growth hormone deficiency. However, recent trends show an increase in growth hormone being abused as an athletic supplement.
A lot of myths surround hGH and its effects on athletes. As with steroids, there is absolutely no evidence that growth hormone helps to improve athletic performance. Here are some risks you should be aware of:
Any type of hGH that is not obtained by prescription is not regulated by the government and could be almost anything.
If you buy what may be called "growth hormone," "growth stimulators," or "growth factors" online, it's likely they're not really hGH. Many websites claim to be selling growth hormone, but they're really selling amino acids that don't significantly increase growth hormone levels in your body.
If the false claims of performance benefits from hGH don't bother you, the price probably will — $5,000 for a month's prescription, meaning that the street value for just a month could run anywhere from $5,000–$10,000.
Because growth hormone can only be injected, like some steroids, there's a risk of contracting HIV or other diseases (like hepatitis) if people share needles.
Strong Alternatives to Steroids
Anabolic steroids are controversial in the sports world because of the health risks associated with them and their unproven performance benefits. Most are illegal and are banned by professional sports organizations and medical associations. As seen in the high-profile cases, if an athlete is caught using steroids, his or her career can be destroyed.
When it comes right down to it, harming your body or getting disqualified aren't smart ways to try to improve your athletic performance. Being a star athlete means training the healthy way: eating the right foods, practicing, and strength training without the use of drugs.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: September 2006