Published: Sunday, May 19, 2020
Editor’s Notes
This article has been reviewed by Science X.
Editorial process
Policies.
Editors have highlighted
The content must have the following attributes to ensure its credibility:
fact-checked
Trusted source
Written by a researcher
Proofread
The Conversation, Colin Michie
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 public domain
The desire for a sculpted physique is driving some amateur gymgoers to experiment with synthetic steroids–specifically, testosterone supplements. Social media is driving this trend, with thousands and thousands of posts about ways to increase testosterone levels. Influencers are also promoting the benefits of the synthetic hormone, even recommending products anyone can buy online without a doctor’s prescription.
While synthetic testosterone may improve your looks in the short-term, it can have serious long-term effects on your health.
Testosterone, a steroid hormonal substance, is essential for the proper functioning of our bodies. Men and women both produce testosterone. However, men have around 15 times as much testosterone circulating in their bodies than women.
It also controls bone growth and helps build muscle mass. It improves strength, athletic endurance, and cardiovascular fitness.
Many factors can naturally increase testosterone production–including exercise, stress and sex.
But taking a synthetic supplement that boosts testosterone levels, especially in quantities greater than those produced by your body, can have serious health effects.
It may initially increase your sex desire and build muscle mass in the body over a period of several months. Men may experience acne, male pattern baldness and breast enlargement. Amenorrhea in women can cause a loss of period, an increase of body hair, a deeper voice and an enlargement of clitoris.
These side effects are not as serious as the long-term and repeated harm that abuse can have on the body.
Steroid abuse causes the heart to change, increasing its size, blood pressure, and making arteries less elastic. These changes can make the heart work harder, which increases the risk of sudden death. Most abusers continue to experience cardiovascular changes.
Long-term use of steroids can cause damage to the kidneys and liver.
Testosterone also has psychological effects such as increased aggression, depression, and anxiety.
Importantly, testosterone supplements stop the brain’s normal drive for this hormone. Hypogonadism is caused by this, where tissues that produce testosterone normally shrink. This causes a decrease in the sperm and testicular volumes of men.
Hypogonadism can also cause a variety of withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can include depression and a reduced libido, unless more testosterone is taken.
As a result, many men who abuse steroids become hypogonadal. They will need lifelong testosterone replacement.
Growing Problem
After the 1972 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned testosterone and anabolic steroids. They argued that while these substances increase physical performance they can also have serious health consequences.
Anabolic steroids are still being used by some athletes more than 40 year after the international ban. In 2021, for example, it was reported that between 29% and 40% of Iranian professional athletes had abused these drugs. In 2023, an Australian study of 32 female athletes found that 43% had admitted to using performance and image-enhancing substances.
Professional athletes make up a very small part of the global doping issue. Non-athletes are now using testosterone cosmetically to boost their self-confidence or physical appearance. This has made the abuse of anabolic steroid a major public issue. According to some reports, around 1,000,000 people in the UK take anabolic steroids like testosterone.
Why would anyone use testosterone, especially when it is known to cause serious health issues? Experts have been attempting to answer this question for many years.
One reason could be that users believe that health problems are a problem of the future, and that they’re willing to accept a risk if that means better performance or an improved appearance in short-term.
Addiction to anabolic steroid may be a factor, as it can influence judgement and reduce awareness of potential harms.
This “Goldman dilemma”, which is a hypothetical question, may provide some insights. Bob Goldman, physician and publicist between 1982 and 1995 asked elite athletes a hypothetical question. Would they take a magic drug that guaranteed Olympic gold medals, but would also kill them five years later.
He reported that approximately half of the athletes interviewed chose the “gold for life” option. This proportion was lower in a repeat study of 2012-13, with 7%-14 %,–, and elite athletes were the most likely.
It is undeniable, that testosterone abuse and the use of its synthetic counterparts can cause harm. Yet many people continue to abuse them. The international bans on testosterone haven’t been very effective. There is a need to do more to educate the public about the many long-term health effects of testosterone abuse.
This article was republished by The Conversation under the Creative Commons License. The original article can be read.
Source: Medical Xpress