Ok, as we said, steroids do make your muscles grow more (that's the good part), but they affect ALL the body's muscle growth (including the heart of course, and thats the bad part). The heart is a muscle that is also affected by steroids and the health consequences can be very very serious.
Fact 1
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A group of bodybuilders who used steroids were compared to bodybuilders who had never used steroids. The men's hearts were examined using echocardiography, (a type of sonar picture that allows doctors to see the heart without having to use any invasive procedures).
They found that during steroid cycles the users had left ventricles (the main pumping chamber of the heart) that were 25% greater in mass than the non-users! This increas in mass caused the walls of the steroid user's heart muscle to be almost 20% thicker while on steroids! Although the heart was bigger during active steroid use, the cardiovascular fitness of these individuals was nearly 18% less than non-users.
When the steroid users were off the steroids, their heart size decreased, but never fully returned to its normal size!(1,2) Now, if some of you think that it was just a "coincidence" and nothing more, read very carefully the second fact.
Fact 2
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A study published in the journal "Cardiology" (1997;88:50-51), offered a unique perspective of the effects of long term anabolic steroid usage and heart function. The study was unique because it involved fraternal twin bodybuilders, one of whom has used steroids for 15 years, while the other was drug free. Both of these men had trained for over 20 years.
They were described in the study as "extremely large with profound muscular hypertrophy". They had won several state and national titles in bodybuilding and powerlifting. The twins had bodyfat levels below 10 percent, and followed the same diet and training regime on a yearly basis.
The primary test to access their cardiac function was echocardiography. (As I previously said, it's a machine that uses reflected ultra sonic waves to show the structure and function of the heart.)
Both men showed normal blood pressure readings. The drug-free twin showed a testosterone level of 6.2 nanongrams per mililiter of blood, and the steroid twin had a higher than normal level of 11.5 ng/ml! (The normal range for testosterone is 2.8-8.8, and as you can easily understand, the steroid twin had testosterone levels almost 3 times the high normal level)
The echocardiography tests showed that both men, with similar genetic backrounds and the same training and diet regimes, showed little difference in gross heart function. However, the steroid user showed a LARGER left ventricular wall size with a decreased ventricular compliance. (That means that the pumping chamber of his heart was LARGER than his brother's, while also being a bit stiffer!)
The heart stiffness that occurs in steroid-using bodybuilders is thought to be brought on by an increased sensitivity of heart muscle to catacholamines, such as epinephrine, induced by steroids. And guess what friends, this scenario may have played a role in the sudden deaths due to heart failure that have occured in a small percentage of regular steroid users.
Fact 3
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Cohen and co-workers at the University of Witwatersrand Medical School in Johanesburg, South Africa, examined the influence of self administered amabolic steroids on lipids in bodybuilders.
Ten men used a steroid drug and eight men served as controls (placebo). The two groups were equal in their physical and competitive characteristics. The scientists found that serum lipoprotein (L-a) a genetic determinant of risk for cardiac disease, was reduced. (HDL-C over LDL-C was reduced).
That means that lipid profile investigations of individuals taking anabolic steroids have shown that high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, a.k.a good cholesterol), decreases, while low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C a.k.a bad cholesterol), increases! (3)
Fact 4
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A study published in the British Medical Journal (313;4-5:1996), looked at five cases of steroid using bodybuilders who had showed up at an infertility clinic. While the men in this study took extensive doses of several anabolic steroids, none of them claimed to know about the fertility reprecussions associated with long term use of the drugs. Incredibly, all of these men, showed ZERO sperm counts!
Fact 5
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This fact has to do with GH. Shortly before his death, one famous former pro football player (a big name in 80's), attributed his brain cancer to a long course of anabolic steroids which he claimed to have used for nearly 26 years. But in other statements, this unfortunate pro footballer, suggested that his more recent use of human growth hormone was the thing that really kindled his fatal brain T-cell lymphoma.
More recently, one very famous bodybuilder (I won't say his name but I bet most of you will understand immediately to whom I am refering), said that according to his doctors who treated him for leukemia, it was not his use of anabolic steroids that caused the disease, but rather the growth hormone injections he has also taken!
(Also you have to know that there is research showing an increased incidence of leukemia in Japanese children being treated for growth hormone deficiency and dwarfism!) (4)
Conclusion
After reading these 5 facts friends, I hope you have realized that steroid use is totally worthless for you. There is no point in getting a great body, then also a "sick" body. There is no point in looking good now, just to look terrible after 10-20 years. (If you can stay alive.)
Fact 2
And guess what friends, this scenario may have played a role in the sudden deaths due to heart failure that have occured in a small percentage of regular steroid users.
There is no way to prove this and is a bad judgement call IMO.
These are my 2 favorite side effects from that article:
e) Unexplained darkening of the skin
f) Bad breath
It's either steroids or a guy eating garlic pizza at the beach.
yeah its stuff like that which made me question the validity of the article, hes great at talking outta his arse! I've heard that some AS abuse can cause darkening of the skin and bad breath, but not sensible 10 week test cycles!
the main bit that caught my attention was the growth and brittleness of the heart ventricles
and this bit...
Quote:
And guess what friends, this scenario may have played a role in the sudden deaths due to heart failure that have occured in a small percentage of regular steroid users.
but he had no evidence to back that up, so i'm not so sure if there is any truth in that statement
04-07-2005, 03:01 PM
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