Human beings have been seeking ways to make life easier since the dawn of our existence. It is what sets us apart from other animals, and it is the reason we have advanced so far. Shortcuts are not always so good for us. Sometimes, they only confer benefits in the short run, leading to hefty costs later down the road that the benefits dim in comparison.
Weightlifting is one of the places where people sometimes seek to take shortcuts. One of the most dangerous of these shortcuts is the anabolic steroid. Starting out with steroids as a harmful enhancement can lead you to worse drugs according to the article “Prescription Opioid Addiction Help – A MedTruth Guide.”
Dangerous Side Effects
One of the questions people ask is why steroids are bad for you if they make you so powerful and muscular. Well, they have all kinds of unpleasant side effects that you are better off without.
Anabolic steroids are different from corticosteroids, and that is the first distinction you have to know about. Corticosteroids are supposed to stop the immune system from going into overdrive, such as during an allergic reaction and prevent things like swelling. Anabolic steroids, on the other hand, are used to build your muscles.
The kind of steroids that weightlifters are a synthetic version of the hormone testosterone, which is known as the male hormone, but is produced by both females and males. There happens to be more testosterone produced by males than females. Testosterone is an important hormone in the body and trying to alter the balance of testosterone in a person’s body could have some unforeseen negative effects.
Medical Uses for Steroids
Doctors do prescribe anabolic steroids for certain conditions, such as the kind of muscle wasting that comes with diseases like AIDS. They may also use it to treat the loss of function in the testicles or stimulate puberty when it is delayed. However, doctors are never allowed to prescribe anabolic steroids to athletes so that they may enhance their athletic performance.
Steroids are illegal as long as they have not been prescribed by a doctor for a medical condition. Therefore, you should not own them, sell them, or distribute them if you are not licensed to do so. You could face a jail term, receive a hefty fine, or both.
However, the jail term isn’t the worst thing you should be worried about. There are some bad side effects that can come about as a result of steroid use. For men, your testicles could shrink, you could become impotent or infertile, get painful erections, and even develop breasts.
Psychological Effects
If that doesn’t scare you, then consider the psychological implications. If you are willing to take shortcuts for something that is so tied to the satisfaction of self-achievement as weightlifting, then what else will you be willing to take shortcuts with?
Life is all about facing the challenges that come our way and solving them. It is through the overcoming of challenges that we grow. Ask any bodybuilder that has kept the grit and determination to see it through, without any help from steroids, and he or she will gladly tell you that he or she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Unfortunately, when you start with steroids, your chances of graduating to drug abuse are pretty high, and you’re likely to want to take the easy way out in many other areas in your life. Set an example for the rest of your life instead. Use bodybuilding as the foundation of your grit and discipline. You will never regret it.
