The desire to have an athletic body or a large muscle mass, has led many athletes to use substances that increase their performance. Some of the most helpful are anabolic steroids.
Anabolics, as they are commonly known, are made of testosterone, a male hormone. They can be found in different presentations, such as injections, patches, creams and tablets or capsules
The problem is that the use and abuse of anabolics causes severe damage to the body. To give you an idea here we mention some:
- Hormonal (man). The abuse of anabolics interrupts the normal production of hormones in the body causing decreased production of sperm, shrinkage of the testicles, baldness and breast development (gynecomastia).
- Hormonal (women). Anabolics cause the masculinization of the body, so the size of the breasts and body fat decrease, the skin becomes rough, the clitoris enlarges and the voice becomes deeper. In some cases, they may experience excessive hair growth and hair loss.
- Heart. According to several studies, anabolic abuse is associated with cardiovascular diseases, including heart and brain attacks, even in athletes under 30 years of age. This is because they increase the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in blood, not to mention that they favor the formation of clots that damage the heart muscle.
- Liver. It is known that the abuse of anabolics can cause the appearance of liver tumors, as well as cysts in the blood of the liver. This disease is known as peliosis and favors internal bleeding.
- Skin. Those who consume anabolic tend to develop acne and cysts on the skin, as well as oily hair.
To make matters worse, anabolics suppress the immune system, so that those who consume tend to get sick easily. In addition, it is known that adolescents who consume these substances slow their physical development.
