What Happens To Your Body When You Take Steroids?

Whenever people want to gain muscle mass or enhance their performance in sports, they tend to think that taking steroids is the easiest route. Experts, on the other hand, warn that steroids can create havoc inside your body. Read on to find out more about the side effects of steroids — beyond, of course, the risk of being banned from taking part in most competitive sports.

What Are Steroids?

Steroids are synthetic organic compounds that are characterized by the presence of four cyclo-alkane rings that are joined to one another. Steroids differ depending on the arrangement of these cyclo-alkane rings.

Steroids function in a similar manner to the male sex hormone testosterone. Steroids can either be anabolic or androgenic. Anabolic steroids are known to promote skeletal growth. Anabolic steroids are often misused by people who want to appear bigger and more muscular.

Steroids as a general class of medication can only be used under prescription by certified medical practitioners. Steroids are typically advised for treating medical conditions such as asthma, skin conditions, chronic lung diseases, and various forms of allergies. Steroids are also prescribed by doctors for treating very specific conditions such as delayed onset of puberty, blood disorders, and certain types of breast cancer. Steroids should never be prescribed to healthy, young people with the objective of boosting their athletic performance or for building up their muscular strength. Steroids can either be swallowed or injected. Steroids can be swallowed in the form of pills or capsules.

Reasons for Steroid Abuse

Veterinarians and doctors can legally prescribe steroids for treating specific medical conditions. However, it is illegal to buy or sell steroids in the open market. When there is an excess build up of steroids in the human body, there is a high risk of harmful side effects.

Steroids are powerful hormones than can adversely affect the normal functioning of the body. When steroids are consumed by adolescents whose bodies have not yet completely formed, the risks of the side effects associated with steroids are even more pronounced. One of the most common reasons behind steroid abuse is the need for improving their athletic performance. The misuse of steroids is very commonly observed in athletes who want to boost their performance or bodybuilders who specifically want to gain visible muscle mass.

People also take to steroid abuse for reducing the body fat and for increasing their muscle size. Such people suffer from a psychological disorder known as muscle dysmorphia, wherein they feel inferior about their physical stature. Even though such people are physically well built, they feel that they are small and weak. Such people tend to abuse steroids for building up their body and to get the desired lean and muscular look.

Some adolescents also take to steroid abuse to exhibit their high-risk taking personalities in front of their peers. Such adolescents take to drinking and driving, carrying guns, and driving cars or motorcycles at high speeds without helmets.