Steroids 5 Essay Research Paper An anabolic

Steroids 5 Essay, Research Paper

An anabolic steroid user usually has one common concern on their mind. Muscle growth. Although steroids can dramatically increase the skeletal muscle mass, what are commonly over looked are the harmful physical effects their body may endure while taking anabolic steroids. The chances of death resulting solely from anabolic steroid use is extremely rare, but many serious and not so serious problems can occur. There is almost an endless list of external visible effects anabolic steroids can cause on the body. None are as serious as the effects anabolic steroids can have internally, for example, the heart and liver. Although steroids will most likely not kill you, these and other effects can result in a shortened life span. Many studies have been conducted on Anabolic steroids to determine the harmful effects they have on the body. Various results from no effect to life threatening have been concluded from these studies. To take in consideration the amount of evidence though, it is more believable that anabolic steroids do cause harmful physical effects. There is an abundance of information to sway the most curious into believing that anabolic steroids do cause harmful physical effects.

What is a steroid. An androgenic anabolic steroid is a synthetic derivative of the male hormone testosterone. These derivatives of testosterone promote the growth of skeletal muscle and increase lean body mass. Once in the bloodstream, anabolic steroids bind to hormone receptors in skeletal muscle and other cells. To explain the binding in more detail: androgens are a group of steroid hormones that include testosterone and hydrotestosterone. They have both anabolic and androgenic properties. Androgen I defined as a substance that promotes or stimulates the development of male characteristics. Anabolic refers to stimulation of skeletal muscle mass growth. It s impossible to completely separate anabolic and androgenic effects of steroids but they all have some of both. The androgen receptors are located within the muscle cells. The receptor binds to the androgen present to the cell. The androgen acts as a key to the receptor, which is a lock to a biological door. When opened, myriad biological processes are initiated, including muscle growth. The binding also stimulates the synthesis of certain specific enzymes. These enzymes, for example RNA polylemeras, promote two important biochemical reactions. Creatine phosphate synthesis and protein synthesis. Creatine phosphate is a molecule that can be metabolized in the absence of sufficient oxygen as a short-term source of energy. An increase in creatine phosphate synthesis allows for athletes to train harder and for longer periods at a time. Protein synthesis is essential for the long-term increase of muscle mass. Anabolic steroids also promote nitrogen retention in the body by allowing for better utilization of the nitrogen in ingested protein. This effect is offset by the body s homeostatic mechanisms, which are designed to maintain a stable environment. Therefore to increase mass with Anabolic steroids a user must adjust to a diet with sufficient protein and calories up to 10, 000 calories a day.

Steroids cause many harmful visible physical effects. The effects may vary from male to female as well. Some of the most common effects of anabolic steroids in men are acne steroidalis, gynecornastia, exopthalmos (protrusion of one or both eyeballs), male pattern baldness, penile atrophy, testicular atrophy, progeria (accelerated aging), muscular hypertrophy (change in muscle density), and water retention. And in female athletes: paraphonial (deepening of the voice), facial hair, hirsutism (excessive body hair) mammae atrophy, laryngeal hypertrophy, enlarged clitoris, muscular hypertrophy, and change in body proportions as well. Anabolic steroids also cause swelling of the feet and ankles, along with weakening tendons and ligaments. These are many of the visible symptoms caused by anabolic steroids.

Steroids are known to cause a shorter life span. A study was conducted to prove this. Adult male laboratory mice were given a stack comprising of testosterone, testosterone cyprenate, methyl testosterone and thandrolane for six moths. High and low dose regiments were compared in an attempt to mimic the combinations and doses that might be used in a bodybuilding cycle. One year after they were taken off steroids, 52% of the mice on the high dose and 35% on the low dose had died. Autopsies performed revealed that in both groups the mice had suffered multiple pathological conditions at the time of death including liver tumors, peliosis hepatitis, kidney tumors and various lesions of the heart, lungs, and lymph nodes. On the surface it appears to have significant implications for the life expectancies and over health of androgen users. A closer analysis reveals that this study has limitations that prevent it from being applied to athletes who use such drugs. The stack given to the mice leads to question the protocol design. Bodybuilders who used Anabolic steroids don t typically ingest multiple drugs with the same characteristics. But the study does show that if people didn t exercise and closely monitor their diets while taking doses of severe toxic steroids for the major part of their lives. Then they too might develop the diseases mentioned. Which in return would result in a shorter life span.

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