2024-01-30 10:14:14
How Steroids Are Turning Young People Into ‘Superman’ – With Deadly Risks
Syringes, pills… doping products are gaining ground in sports halls.
Indeed, the quest for an ideal physique pushes bodybuilding athletes to opt for faster routes through the use of performance-enhancing products.
These substances, often anabolic steroids, although providing immediate results, are dangerous and have serious consequences both on a health level and on a legal level.
But why so much enthusiasm for doping products? And what are these substances? How are they sold? More importantly, what are the health risks?
Why so much enthusiasm for doping products?
Before, doping products circulated mainly in the bodybuilding world.
The athletes aimed to reach their limits in a natural way before “poking themselves”. Today, this business no longer reserved for bodybuilders.
Doping in sports halls especially among young people is growing more and more…
It’s simple, if you do a survey in gyms to find out what the members’ objectives are, the majority will answer you: muscle mass gain.
Some people want to become Hulk with bulky muscles without making any effort…
From health or physical maintenance, we move on to the fascination of an image to cultivate!
No wonder that doping is exploding even more with easier sales on the internet or directly in the gym…
And yes, these prohibited products circulate freely in sports halls more frequently than one might think!
This interview carried out by TF1*1 illustrates this trend well with the presentation of a young bodybuilder weighing 75 kilos and 1.76 m who reached 114 kilos with doping products.
Some spend several hundred euros per month on performance-enhancing products.
How many people ?
We cannot say… There are no real sociological studies in France which provide precise figures or a typical profile of the consumer of anabolic steroids and other doping products.
But a major problem arises.
These consumers do not seem to realize that without pushing iron, they will deflate as quickly as they took it, and that the side effects can be very serious, even leading to death…
Read also: Tiktok in turmoil: the application exposes millions of adolescents to deadly and illegal steroids
What are the main performance enhancing products taken in the gym?
Doping substances vary in terms of their benefits on muscle mass, strength, endurance and even recovery.
The doping products mainly used in sports clubs are steroidal anabolics, derivatives more or less close to testosteronethe male hormone.
Originally, they were used for therapeutic purposes.
But when we realized their effectiveness in gaining muscle and strength, they were gradually diverted from their original use.
Beyond the undeniable physical progression, anabolic steroid users develop great self-confidence.
The journalist William Pereira*2 made a documentary on doping in sports halls where many doped participants testify to a feeling of overpowering, “of feeling like Superman”.
There are other performance enhancing drugs circulating in health clubs such as growth hormones, insulin and even thyroid hormones.
Here are the main bodybuilding performance enhancing products and their effects*3:
- Anadrol: Powerful anabolic steroid used to increase muscle mass and strength.
- Anavar: mild steroid promoting fat loss and preservation of lean muscle mass.
- Deca-Durabolin: Anabolic steroid popular for its effects on muscle growth and recovery.
- Dianabol: one of the first anabolic steroids, known for its rapid effects on mass gain.
- Primobolan: anabolic steroid used for cutting and maintaining muscle mass.
- Sustanon: mixture of four different forms of testosterone, used to quickly increase muscle mass.
- Testosterone: main hormone in muscle development, often used in synthetic form in bodybuilding.
- Trenbolone: Powerful anabolic steroid known for its significant effects on strength and muscle mass. It is one of the most powerful steroids to support muscle growth and one of the most popular.
- Turinabol: anabolic steroid designed to promote mass gain without excessive water retention.
- Winstrol: steroid used for cutting, improving muscle definition and strength without excessive weight gain.
Read also: How to recognize someone on steroids? 3 signs that are unmistakable according to science
But what do anabolic steroids actually look like?
Doping often corresponds to… injecting yourself!
And yes, in most cases we are not talking about capsules or powder.
Let’s take the most common anabolic steroid in the gym: trenbolone.
The injection is done intramuscularly using a 20ml vial which looks like oil.
Generally athletes favor the glutes and thighs because they are large muscles that are not visible. so as not to leave any traces.
Dangers and health risks following the use of anabolic steroids
Where to start, there are so many side effects!
Heart, liver, endocrine, sexual problems, personality disorders, dependence…
Physical but also mental health is put to the test among anabolic steroid users.
A decrease in testosterone production
When supplementing with synthetic testosterone, the hypothalamus will limit the production of natural testosterone. The effects of this phenomenon of inhibition by counter-reaction are numerous:
- reduction in the size of the testicles leading to a reduction in sperm production
- appearance of sexual behavior disorders such as loss of libido and impotence
- development of prostate cancer
- infertility
If taking anabolics is too powerful and administered over a long period of time, these side effects may be irreversible. Eventually, the body may no longer be able to produce the correct level of testosterone.
Liver problems
Taking anabolic steroids, especially tablets, will increase the production of liver enzymes and disrupt the functioning of your liver. Side effects also include an increased risk of liver cancer and hepatic adenomas.
Cardiac dysfunctions
The heart is a muscle and will therefore also be impacted by taking anabolic steroids. If the heart becomes too big, the consumer may find himself in danger of death… among the possible risks:
- development of bad cholesterol and increased triglycerides
- heart attack following weakening of the coronary arteries
- other heart conditions such as atrial defibrillation or arrhythmia
- alteration of the mitochondrial membrane leading to the phenomenon of sudden death
In France, we do not have figures on the number of deaths due to the consumption of anabolic steroids. We only know that it exists, especially among young people, but no official data has been published.
Endocrine disorders in women
In women, the effects on the endocrine system are numerous:
- Hair loss
- excessive hair growth
- oily skin
- virilization of the voice
- menstrual cycle disorder
- clitoral enlargement
- increase in infertility and spontaneous abortions
Addiction and behavioral disorders
Remember that steroids, whatever their form, are a drug that will lead to dependence. On the one hand, physical dependence will be expressed by the need to take steroids despite the appearance of side effects.
And on the other hand, psychological dependence will take different forms:
- irritability
- depression
- nervousness
- increasingly significant mood swings
- aggressive, even bipolar behavior
- in extreme cases, personality disorders
Where to get doping products?
That’s the problem… It is far too easy to stock up on anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing products for bodybuilding via the internet or directly in the gym.
Obtaining supplies on the internet is very simple via social networks or on specialized forums.
Sellers publicly offer their products for sale and in less than five minutes, it is possible to purchase performance-enhancing products or obtain powders and solvents necessary for the manufacture of anabolic steroids and other products.
This online sales practice is all the more dangerous because the consumer who receives the products directly in their mailbox finds themselves isolated and left to their own devices.
Additionally, substances purchased online can be particularly dangerous! The molecules present in these products obtained on the black market can be overdosed or underdosed, further aggravating the risks taken by consumers.
The anarchs are also not left out.
Journalist William Pereira*4 notably reported this testimony of a young person who was scammed when purchasing testosterone.
He ended up with vials of cooking oil… And despite this scam, that didn’t stop him from trying to get some testosterone all the same…
Many consumers are supplied directly in sports halls.
This practice is exploding in clubs where young bodybuilding practitioners, primarily consumers, become veritable traveling pharmacies!
This business can go very quickly with word of mouth.
In some clubs, they are even the coaches who serve as suppliers to members…
Is doping legal?
The answer is NO, doping is illegal.
This is also why athletes who test positive for doping are most of the time suspended or fined.
In the case of bodybuilding, the other side of the coin is especially noticeable in the numerous harmful effects caused by these substances that we have already mentioned…
Beyond doping, the trade in anabolic steroids is also illegal.
According to the Ministry of National Education, Youth, Sports, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games*5, “traffickers are exposed to prison sentences and fines: five years and fines of €75,000which can be increased to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine of €150,000 when the acts are committed by an organized gang or when they are committed against a minor or by a person having authority over one or more sportsmen “.
In conclusion, it is better to preserve your health than to play at being the Hulk!
Doping products, particularly anabolic steroids, are used to improve physical abilities, as well as to improve recovery after intensive training.
Unfortunately, the danger to health is very present… The body will react after the administration of these molecules by modifying its functioning.
The risks can be very serious and put your life in danger! So, don’t play with your health, and don’t touch it.
Also, don’t reason: “just one dose and I’ll stop”. The risks of addiction are high, you may not feel the harmful effects in the short term and if you suffer from bigorexia [LIEN article sur la bigorexie]it will be even more difficult to stop…
As for sports halls, a national doping prevention plan proposed by the Ministry responsible for Sports should see the light of day during the year 2024*6.
The objective is to raise awareness and inform athletes as well as to label fitness centers on the basis of their involvement in prevention.
Hoping that this prevention plan bears fruit and gets things moving…
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