Anabolic Androgenic Steroids: The Perils of Steroid Abuse in Bodybuilding

There is this argument amongst body builders that body building steroid isn't bad for a person who is building their muscles and they need it to keep that attractive body but is this true or false. To look at this, I will like to mention a case report in 2019 where a man was unresponsive as he had suffered cardiorespiratory arrest at his home bathtub. EMTs tried to perform Cardiopulmonary resuscitation but they were unsuccessful.

Upon forensic examination, overdose was ruled out as toxicology revealed no narcotics in his blood. Instead, the presence of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS), including stanozolol, testosterone, tamoxifen, mesterolone, and nandrolone, along with a small amount of alcohol, came to light. Intramuscular delivery of these steroids over the previous six months had taken a toll on his organs. Internal examinations indicated organ congestion due to impaired blood flow, an enlarged heart with tissue scarring, and a concerning 75% blockage caused by Atherosclerosis.

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The victim had no family history of dyslipidaemia, premature atherosclerosis or cardiac events but he had experienced one episode of precordial pain some months before. So the autopsy showed that the 24 year old body builder died of cardiac arrest from steroid abuse. We cannot deny the fact that in the process of building bodies, a lot of weight lifters and body builders use excessive steroids and this usually lead to fatal heart complications.

Steroids function similar to Hormones in the body, and one of the functions of hormones is to allow the brain control bodily functions. While the nervous system can tell muscles to contract and relax, it cannot tell them to grow but this is where hormones come into play. The brain will signal the gland to release the hormone into the bloodstream so it can be used by the needed body region.

For instance, the brain asks the testes to release the hormone testosterone which flows freely in the blood until it finds androgen receptors on muscle cells allowing the muscle cells to increase the production of actin and myosin proteins which form the filament that becomes myofibrils, which then turn to become muscle fibers, and then muscles. The more testosterone that is released, the more the muscle cells continue to increase

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When people continually take this steroid, they signal the skeletal muscle cells to keep releasing the protein to grow the muscles. On the surface, this is a brilliant idea because when looking at the mirror, your body can be very fascinating but in reality, this affects the heart just like it affects the skeletal muscles in the body. This is because the muscles have androgen receptors so this causes the heart muscles to grow. It is no doubt strong heart muscles are good at certain points, because they help the heart pump blood better but then it can start to become a problem as it leads to cardiomegaly.

Research indicates that athletes using AAS often exhibit higher hemoglobin levels compared to non-users. Yet, this apparent advantage comes with a price, manifesting in side effects such as acne, testes atrophy, reduced testosterone levels, and mood swings. Furthermore, Androgenic Steroids disturb cholesterol balance, elevating LDL cholesterol while diminishing HDL cholesterol due to the action of Hepatic triglyceride lipase.

Steroids may seem enticing for achieving a visually appealing physique, their unchecked use poses severe health risks, especially to the heart. Striking a balance between aesthetic goals and long-term well-being is crucial, as the pursuit of an attractive body should never compromise one's health. Consulting with healthcare professionals and adopting safer, sustainable fitness practices remains paramount in navigating the complex terrain of bodybuilding.

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Read More

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https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20961790.2019.1595350
https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/anabolic-steroids
https://www.drugs.com/drug-class/androgens-and-anabolic-steroids.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4111565/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538174/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279000/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4810760/