Steroids in Sport

Mazzeo(2018) cites that “Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are synthetic derivatives of testosterone and are a class of compounds studied and synthesized to stimulate body and muscular growth” (Vasic & Jakonic, 2007). The most well known about drug in all of sports is steroids, which may be used as a blanket term for many different types of performance enhancing drugs. Steroids cause the hypothalamus in the brain to produce a hormone which acts on the pituitary gland to increase the production of certain hormones that initiate the process of producing testosterone within the testes. The workings of steroids for certain is largely unknown and therefore they can be extremely dangerous substances causing a variety of side effects that include acne, stunted growth, hair loss, heart enlargement and a host of organ crippling side effects. There are a variety of ways that steroids can be obtained with some being safer than others, people may be able to obtain them from a doctor after being prescribed for something that they no longer need treatment for, with a growing market of older people selling on steroids that they do not require to gym goers and performance chasers, as well as being bought abroad and on the black market which incur another safety risk as they may be counterfeit or copies of original pharmaceutical products using similar packaging made as cheaply as possible. Whilst steroids may be dangerous when abused they do have beneficial effects that many believe outweigh the potential negative side effects, some of these are Increased muscular strength, increased blood volume, increased metabolic rate and improves sex drive. Whilst steroids are inherently dangerous substances there is considered to be a correct way to use them, some generally accepted rules may include, not using counterfeits, using the right steroids for the job, using the correct dosage, correct cycle times, correct training and making sure your blood is tested to insure correct hormone balances.

Mazzeo. F (2018) Anabolic Steroid use in Sports and in Physical Activity: Overview and Analysis

Vasic. G & Jankoic. D NAJČEŠĆE KORIŠĆENI STEROIDI KOD SPORTISTA