why are steroids bad?

[awesome-o]

can someone clear this up? no one has convinced me otherwise. I know they're illegal and evil yada yada, but WHY?

"It makes the playing field uneven."
- every athlete has access to steroids, right? in theory, taking protein shakes and nutritional workout supplements makes the playing field uneven also. how about tiger woods who got LASIK surgery?

"We want to make sure all the sports records achieved today are on the same measuring stick as pre-steroids records."
- athletes didn't exercise in the off-season back then, but they do now. athletes didn't take creatine, weightgainer formula, etc, but they do now. the NHL used to have two-line passes illegal, but they do now.

"It's dangerous to use."
- people can injure themselves lifting weights, have a freak allergic reaction to multivitamins...fighters, trying to make weight, can suffer exhaustion in a steam room and pass out.

To re-hash the Barry Bonds argument, he still has to HIT the baseball. sure, steroids make him stronger, but it doesn't apply to his brain-eye-hand coordination to hit the damn ball.

[pfdude]

Shrinks your manhood.

[B40]

Gives you saggy man boobs

[Richard--X]

steroids basically make a man into a woman, and a woman into a man.

[TheRaySta]

Who said steroids are bad? :confused:

[awesome-o]

Who said steroids are bad? :confused:

nba, nfl, nhl, mlb, ncaa, nevada gaming commission, ioc, etc

[CSR]

nba, nfl, nhl, mlb, ncaa, nevada gaming commission, ioc, etc
goood nuff for me

[Flux]

because they're abused by idiots, and demonized by doctors and organizations who can't be bothered to do proper, controlled long term testing.

[gordholio]

What are their short-term effects?
Reports indicate that use of anabolic steroids produces increases in lean muscle mass, strength, and ability to train longer and harder. Many health hazards of short-term effects are reversible. The major effects of anabolic steroid use include liver tumors, jaundice, fluid retention, and high blood pressure. Additional side effects include the following: for men shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts; for women growth of facial hair, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle, deepened voice; for adolescents growth halted prematurely through premature skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty changes. Researchers report that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.
What are their long-term effects?
Long-term, high-dose effects of steroid use are largely unknown.

Source: http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/Drug_Guide/Steroids

I would say just go natural. Their are amino acids and protein powders you can buy to add muscle mass. Why take the chance on putting something into your body that has so many bad side effects?

[randomdef]

nba, nfl, nhl, mlb, ncaa, nevada gaming commission, ioc, etc

they have not said they are bad, rather they just create an unlevel playing field. the media says the are bad.

[mpt]

What are their short-term effects?
Reports indicate that use of anabolic steroids produces increases in lean muscle mass, strength, and ability to train longer and harder. Many health hazards of short-term effects are reversible. The major effects of anabolic steroid use include liver tumors, jaundice, fluid retention, and high blood pressure. Additional side effects include the following: for men shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts; for women growth of facial hair, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle, deepened voice; for adolescents growth halted prematurely through premature skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty changes. Researchers report that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.
What are their long-term effects?
Long-term, high-dose effects of steroid use are largely unknown.

Source: http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/Drug_Guide/Steroids

I would say just go natural. Their are amino acids and protein powders you can buy to add muscle mass. Why take the chance on putting something into your body that has so many bad side effects?


High blood pressure is the most prevalent risk factor for total heart failure.

[Wildfire]

Gives you saggy man boobs
Listen to this man. He knows.

[LaSombra]

Wish they weren't so expensive.

:(

http://www.ivitamins.org/

[FastFokker]

Steroids aren't bad, people use them all the time and they're in our food supply like crazy.. everyone LOVES steroids.

Oh, except for beefy guys who are suckin down the juice. :lol:

So apparently, it's just bad when it's used by a consenting adult for performance enhancement.

[toalan]

If you are young, steriods can totally screw up your hormonal system, use them enough and your body will not develop its own ability to produce testosterone. More mature people still run that risk which is why people cycle steriods, 4 weeks on 4 weeks off, on off weeks people take a crap load of still to get their own testosterone production back up and running. I heard that prolonged testosterone abuse can lead to hardening of the arteries, that is why you see alot of very muscular guys who are less than 40 have heart attacks.

There are some kinds of steriods you can buy off the net for less than the cost of creatine. There is no real good reason to use steriods for gains in mass and strength, unless you are a body building competitor, in that case you basiclly are sacraficing your health for the image of being healthy.

[poedua]

If you are young, steriods can totally screw up your hormonal system, use them enough and your body will not develop its own ability to produce testosterone. More mature people still run that risk which is why people cycle steriods, 4 weeks on 4 weeks off, on off weeks people take a crap load of still to get their own testosterone production back up and running. I heard that prolonged testosterone abuse can lead to hardening of the arteries, that is why you see alot of very muscular guys who are less than 40 have heart attacks.

There are some kinds of steriods you can buy off the net for less than the cost of creatine. There is no real good reason to use steriods for gains in mass and strength, unless you are a body building competitor, in that case you basiclly are sacraficing your health for the image of being healthy.

Well said.

In the context on weight training , the use of steroids is an actviity for the weak ( minded ) and the lazy ..........the uninformed ( i.e high school students who use them ) ...the ignorant and the stupid IMO.

Whether it be a pro bodybuilder or a gym rat who has some ridiculous muscle obsession ...they're all just looking for some " magic bullet "" to replace simple hard work, good nutrition and dedication in an effort to build muscle.

[randomdef]

If you are young, steriods can totally screw up your hormonal system, use them enough and your body will not develop its own ability to produce testosterone. More mature people still run that risk which is why people cycle steriods, 4 weeks on 4 weeks off, on off weeks people take a crap load of still to get their own testosterone production back up and running. I heard that prolonged testosterone abuse can lead to hardening of the arteries, that is why you see alot of very muscular guys who are less than 40 have heart attacks.

There are some kinds of steriods you can buy off the net for less than the cost of creatine. There is no real good reason to use steriods for gains in mass and strength, unless you are a body building competitor, in that case you basiclly are sacraficing your health for the image of being healthy.

well, thats wrong. you won't shut down you testicular axis, it just takes longer to start producing naturally again, a very long time in some cases but never perm. people do not cycle 4 on 4 off, normally its 12 on and whatever they want off. most steroids have a half life of 5 days but some, popular ones like sustaton have a halflife of 21+ days because it uses blended ethers so its released slower.

and no, most people, even after 12 on, have natural test up and running 3 weeks after they finish as long as they use clomid and or HGC to kick start it.

I won't comment on the other parts of your post as they are personal opinion but i will say if they are based on your facts, you might want to reevaluate those opinions.

[islandboy_007]

All the friends that i have that done it now have joint pains. I guess its the fast unatural gains thats hard on the body.

[poedua]

All the friends that i have that done it now have joint pains. I guess its the fast unatural gains thats hard on the body.

I think toalan said it best.....from his earlier post....

" There is no real good reason to use steriods for gains in mass and strength, unless you are a body building competitor, in that case you basiclly are sacraficing your health for the image of being healthy. "

..............for any gym rat that either goes to school or holds down a full time job - and works out in their spare time........" There is no real good reason [ or any reason IMO ] to use steriods for gains in mass and strength "

[mpt]

I think toalan said it best.....from his earlier post....



..............for any gym rat that either goes to school or holds down a full time job - and works out in their spare time........" There is no real good reason [ or any reason IMO ] to use steriods for gains in mass and strength "

Couldn't say it better myself

[Anessa]

Look at Barry Bonds and you'll see

[toalan]

well, thats wrong. you won't shut down you testicular axis, it just takes longer to start producing naturally again, a very long time in some cases but never perm. people do not cycle 4 on 4 off, normally its 12 on and whatever they want off. most steroids have a half life of 5 days but some, popular ones like sustaton have a halflife of 21+ days because it uses blended ethers so its released slower.

and no, most people, even after 12 on, have natural test up and running 3 weeks after they finish as long as they use clomid and or HGC to kick start it.

I won't comment on the other parts of your post as they are personal opinion but i will say if they are based on your facts, you might want to reevaluate those opinions.

Yes for most people steriods will have very little ill effects, with proper medication they can get their testosterone system up and running in weeks. But who are the guys most likely to abuse steriods and not have a proper PCT, it is teenagers, their endocrine system is not fully mature and are at high risk for problems.

12 week cycle is pretty hardcore, stuff like clomid and novedex(sp?) are prescription drugs for women who are recovering from breast cancer and whatnot. I said 4 weeks in my post because for newbies 4 weeks is ideal, you get good gains and can catch any problems with blood tests before most permanent stuff happens.

The only thing that I have conviction about with regards to steriod is that you should only use them after you have reached 21, preferably after the age of 25.

I have never used steriods, and I will never use them. To me working out is about feeling good about yourself, my health and my physical appearance. I can do all that by just eating well, resting well, and lifting 5 days a week. I have no idea what i would do with another 30 lbs of muscle. Honest to god if I was really good looking I would use steriods to get into the cover of men's health, or if I was a really good athlete I would use steriods to get a MVP, or if naturally i was already huge I would use steriods to win Mr. Olympia(sp?), But I am none of the above so for an average looking guy with average athletic skills and average amount of natural muscle steriods does very little for them.

[Div]

Like everything else, there are several different opinions about 'roids. TLC had an interesting show a couple of months ago that looked at the pros and cons. Here's an article that feels they aren't all bad - http://www.internet-articles.com/nutrition-exercise/steroids.php

IMO, they aren't worth it. Workout for the other benefits.

[rocafellarec]

basically anyone who does steroids to enhance their body is a ****ing MORON.

[toalan]

basically anyone who does steroids to enhance their body is a ****ing MORON.

That is pretty harsh, I think there are good reasons to take steriods,if you honestly need to be huge for your job (athlete,model,actor,bodybuilding competition,stripper,jiggalo) or you are expecting to get roughed up 24/7 in prison.

[UrbanPoet]

i dont wanna get flamed... but there are ways to use steroids and not have any long term effects.

[poedua]

That is pretty harsh, I think there are good reasons to take steriods,if you honestly need to be huge for your job (athlete,model,actor,bodybuilding competition,stripper,jiggalo) or you are expecting to get roughed up 24/7 in prison.

I'd disagree . And actually, I find your examples to be quite the contrary - they're poor reasons, at best.

The only " good reason " to take steriods, - and there is only 1 can think of - is if an MD prescribes it for you therapeutically for isssues related to health and/or illness.

The examples you provided are all situations iin which steroids can be replaced with simple hard work in the gym. Steroids used in a non-medical therapeutic context equates to a fixation with weight training / body image and a weak work ethic - pure and simple laziness and impatience IMO.

[poedua]

i dont wanna get flamed... but there are ways to use steroids and not have any long term effects.

This is called " rationalization " ......with a measure of cognitive dissonance thrown in just to be sure IMO.

[awesome-o]

it looks like the consensus is that the general population should steer clear of steroids. fair enough.

how about pro athletes -- they clearly have much to gain from the use of them. ergo, what do sports leagues have against it?

[Tiberius]

Bottom line - they aren't healthy to use.

Could you argue that if you did a "little" just to get in better shape, etc... but the problem with allowing them in "competitive sports" is twofold:

1) People would take them in insanely unhealthy ways to try to max out their performance... the motivation to do so would usually be money (to make it as a professional athlete for instance)

2) Those who actually care about their body and don't want to screw it up would be put in a situation where they are competing against a bunch of juiced-up freaks - meaning they suddenly would not be able to be top notch professional athletes, etc... forcing them to juice up just to "raise their game" and be able to perform at the top level again.

If you allow them - it instantly means that only people who are willing to pump their body full of hormones, drugs, etc. will be able to compete in athletics... everyone else may as well not bother trying. The only competitive sports stars we have would be juiced up freaks... I don't see that as being a good thing. It is NOT the standard to which people should try to rise to (the best athletes should not be required to have to "juice up" to continue doing what they do so well)

[UrbanPoet]

I'd disagree . And actually, I find your examples to be quite the contrary - they're poor reasons, at best.

The only " good reason " to take steriods, - and there is only 1 can think of - is if an MD prescribes it for you therapeutically for isssues related to health and/or illness.

The examples you provided are all situations iin which steroids can be replaced with simple hard work in the gym. Steroids used in a non-medical therapeutic context equates to a fixation with weight training / body image and a weak work ethic - pure and simple laziness and impatience IMO.

Are you sure man?
Taolon does have a point...
do you think ronnie coleman and dorian yates have a poor work ethics?
What about Arnold, bruce lee, and Frank Zane?
All of these guys had amazing physiques and athletic capabilities... They only took the roids b/c it pushed them further to another level b/c of comeptition.

Even if these guys never juiced they would still have developed physiques that would have been unattainable by anyone in this thread even if we juiced.....

[bdckr]

Are you sure man?
Taolon does have a point...
do you think ronnie coleman and dorian yates have a poor work ethics?
What about Arnold, bruce lee, and Frank Zane?
All of these guys had amazing physiques and athletic capabilities... They only took the roids b/c it pushed them further to another level b/c of comeptition.

Even if these guys never juiced they would still have developed physiques that would have been unattainable by anyone in this thread even if we juiced.....
I'll give you that steroid use is not equivalent to laziness.

But I think that aside from professional athletes and those who make a living from the performance/appearance of their bodies (and even then it's just a more complicated argument), there's no rational justification for the use of steroids.

It comes down to:
1) there are short term benefits
2) there are short term side effects
3) long term risks are unknown
4) it's illegal without a prescription from a doctor (http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/disp.pl?doc=c-38.8%2F229687.html;query=anabolic;lang=en)

3 and 4 make it completely irrational for any recreational lifter/athlete to be using steroids to improve performance. If you're guessing that you can use it safely without problems... then the only decision I'd trust you with is whether you want fries with that.

[poedua]

Are you sure man?
Taolon does have a point...
do you think ronnie coleman and dorian yates have a poor work ethics?
What about Arnold, bruce lee, and Frank Zane?
All of these guys had amazing physiques and athletic capabilities... They only took the roids b/c it pushed them further to another level b/c of comeptition.

Even if these guys never juiced they would still have developed physiques that would have been unattainable by anyone in this thread even if we juiced.....

Good point . Perhaps I should elborate.

From my earlier post..............

for any gym rat that either goes to school or holds down a full time job - and works out in their spare time........" There is no real good reason [ or any reason IMO ] to use steriods for gains in mass and strength "

....my specific comments are intended for the average gym rat and athlete , as I noted above....where weight training and body image fixations seem to flourish. I can see your point about bodybuilders.

However, I still stand by my general comments as well. If ronnie coleman and dorian yates and Arnold, bruce lee, and Frank Zane all worked to the limits of the capacity of the human body to add muscle ...steroids wouldn't be needed - or would they ? What do you think ? They take steroids - not because mass can't be obtained any other way - but because steroids do it " faster ". Is faster synonymous with ' lazy ' ? Perhaps. Perhaps not. You're right, it's a debatable point.

If steroids can add 30 lbs. of mass in 4 months...do you think it's impossible not to add 30lbs. of mass without steroids in say 8 months ? Same result - 30 lbs - steroids just gets you there quicker - with the benefit of synthetic hormones.

[toalan]

bruce lee was on roids? maybe that is why he died so young.

I am certain that arnold's and bruce's steriod usage was child's play compared to Dorian and Ronnie. I think Arnold and lee could get into their shape without roids.

Adding 30 lbs of muscle on an already muscular guy in 8 months is damn near impossible, but 30lbs in 4 months with roids is quite possible.

For guys who are thinking about using roids, you owe it to yourself to try all the supplements out there before using roids as a last resort. Protien, creatine, Nox and whatnot do a decent job for the average joe, if want more potent stuff then get some pheremones (they are illegal now but you can still get them). Roids should be the last avenue for results.

It is not all about roids, guys like Dorian and Ronnie probally use as much Human growth hormone are they do steriods.

[Audiogenic]

If you are not in competition towards securing the rest of your life.....it's not worth the effort.

[UrbanPoet]

bruce lee was on roids? maybe that is why he died so young.

I am certain that arnold's and bruce's steriod usage was child's play compared to Dorian and Ronnie. I think Arnold and lee could get into their shape without roids.

Adding 30 lbs of muscle on an already muscular guy in 8 months is damn near impossible, but 30lbs in 4 months with roids is quite possible.

For guys who are thinking about using roids, you owe it to yourself to try all the supplements out there before using roids as a last resort. Protien, creatine, Nox and whatnot do a decent job for the average joe, if want more potent stuff then get some pheremones (they are illegal now but you can still get them). Roids should be the last avenue for results.

It is not all about roids, guys like Dorian and Ronnie probally use as much Human growth hormone are they do steriods.

Bruce lee supposedly expiriented a bit with steroid use... He used winclen and that other one to improve his speed.

as for guys that are thinking about steroids? I think only people with a minimum of 8+ years of hard core training should consider it only if they are pursuing it professionally.
by hard core i dont just mean going to the gym 4 times a week doing random routines... But rather an intense study on all the best techniques developed through sport science and kniesology.

Do this until you reach your absoloute peak.
Here are some pics of natural body builders.
http://www.naturalolympia.com/images/BicepShot.jpg
this guy is natural... winner of the 98 natural olympia.
So it is possible to obtain a freakishly insane level of athleticism through natural training.

[dark169]

it looks like the consensus is that the general population should steer clear of steroids. fair enough.

how about pro athletes -- they clearly have much to gain from the use of them. ergo, what do sports leagues have against it?

the problem with their use in prosports is that we tell our kids that if you train hard and have that natural nack you too can play in the big leagues. We (sociaty) tends to want out athiletes to be people not druged up medicaly engineered homerun hitting machines.

you tell your kids that hard work pays off, yet they look at the pro athletes who although they may have worked hard to get to the top 1% of their sport, the cheat to get to the top 0.1%.

[tmpz]

Here's a documentary by TLC:

WARNING: May contain some graphical content ;)

The Man Whose Arms Exploded Part 1 (http://spikedhumor.com/articles/16982/The_Man_Whose_Arms_Exploded.html)

The Man Whose Arms Exploded Part 2 (http://spikedhumor.com/articles/17027/The_Man_Whose_Arms_Exploded_Pt_2.html)

The Man Whose Arms Exploded Part 3 (http://spikedhumor.com/articles/17128/The_Man_Whose_Arms_Exploded_Pt_3.html)

[randomdef]

Bruce lee supposedly expiriented a bit with steroid use... He used winclen and that other one to improve his speed.


win clen? so thats either winstrol or clenbuteral. i don't think so, dbol maybe, but thats it buddy. and that really wouldn't of improved his speed.

[toalan]

Bruce lee supposedly expiriented a bit with steroid use... He used winclen and that other one to improve his speed.

as for guys that are thinking about steroids? I think only people with a minimum of 8+ years of hard core training should consider it only if they are pursuing it professionally.
by hard core i dont just mean going to the gym 4 times a week doing random routines... But rather an intense study on all the best techniques developed through sport science and kniesology.

Do this until you reach your absoloute peak.
Here are some pics of natural body builders.
http://www.naturalolympia.com/images/BicepShot.jpg
this guy is natural... winner of the 98 natural olympia.
So it is possible to obtain a freakishly insane level of athleticism through natural training.

damn that dude is small, he won natural olympia? Ronnie or Dorian is easily twice his size.

[UrbanPoet]

damn that dude is small, he won natural olympia? Ronnie or Dorian is easily twice his size.

This dude is Natural.
Ronnie and Dorian are chalk full of roidy goodness. :lol: :lol:

I prefer looking up to Natural bodybuilders b/c... hey they are natural! im never gonna juice.

[UrbanPoet]

win clen? so thats either winstrol or clenbuteral. i don't think so, dbol maybe, but thats it buddy. and that really wouldn't of improved his speed.

he used to wear a belt on his stomach to "melt away" his fat... Not every single thing brucelee did was correct or perfect!

Just like how martial artist love to do 100 knuckle/finger pushups at a time... Doesnt do anything besides improve your endurance and pain threshhold.

[gordholio]

I would never want to look like these muscle freaks.