If you haven’t heard about anabolic steroids, you must live under a stone. Their use is increasing at an alarming rate, and before you dive into the world of AASs, here is what you need to know.
AASs or anabolic steroids
Anabolic Steroids or Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AASs) are a synthetic type of testosterone, the primary male sex hormone. Testosterone affects various organs, including the liver, kidney, muscles, bones, and many physiological systems, including the reproductive system, immune system, and central nervous system.
Functions of naturally excreted testosterone in the male body include:
- Development of facial and body hair
- Increase in height
- Improved muscle mass
- Deepened voice
- Higher sex drive
Why do people use synthetic testosterone?
People consume synthetic testosterone, aka AASs, for two main reasons. Either they are deficient in naturally occurring testosterone. It is a condition in which the body fails to produce the required testosterone. As a result, such individuals fail to develop the secondary sexual characteristics mentioned above. As this is a medical condition, people facing this are usually put on hormonal therapy to increase testosterone levels.
The other scenario of testosterone use is where people consume large amounts of steroids to increase their muscle mass or gain weight. Such usage is quite common for athletes and bodybuilders.
As far as the medicinal use of steroids is concerned, its nature is augmentative and causes no potential harm as an endocrinologist supervises it. All the risks associated with using synthetic steroids are in the case of the latter use. It is mostly unsupervised, and athletes and bodybuilders opting for it have little or no knowledge of its adverse side effects.
For this very reason, such use of anabolic steroids is considered illegal and banned in many countries. If there are such strict restrictions on the use of anabolic steroids for non-medicinal use, why are there so many active steroid consumers around the globe?
According to experts, psychology also plays a pivotal role in promoting the illegal use of steroids. Body dysmorphia and unrealistic bodily expectations from social media are a few of the main psychological reasons behind it.
Young people, wrongly inspired by celebrities and social media influencers, fall prey to steroids. Low self-esteem and the feeling of inadequacy land them on anabolic steroids to achieve their dream body.
They often forget that there is a right way to gain their dream body: a strict diet and religiously following the workout routine. They see steroids as a shortcut and don’t bat an eye to the adverse side effects of the wrongful use of steroids.
Conclusion
It is important to aware of the masses in fighting the illegal and wrongful use of the steroid. Adequately dealing with the psychological factors that lead to the use of steroids among the youth is also imperative. Last but not least, authorities should look into providing high-quality steroids to minimize consumer risk. The latter should also closely and keenly look into what they buy in the name of anabolic steroids.
