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 FEBRUARY 14, 2005 The Dangers of Getting "Juiced" with Steroids The release of former Major League baseball player Jose Canseco's controversial new book "Juiced" has brought steroid use among athletes back under public scrutiny. Whether you believe his allegations or not - we believe there has been widespread use of steroids among professional baseball players for years - this is a good time to review the many dangers of using anabolic steroids. Steroids have a wide variety of side effects. The excess of male hormones circulating in the blood can cause a personality change toward increased aggressive behavior. Part of the increase in strength attributed to steroids is due to this aggressiveness. The athlete lifts more because he attacks the weights harder. This aggressiveness may lead teenagers to get into fights and become hard to handle. In high doses, steroids have been reported to cause psychotic episodes. One of the more serious side effects of steroids is on male reproductive organs. Because of the high level of circulating testosterone, the testicles no longer need to manufacture this hormone, so they begin to shrink. This reduces sperm production and may lead to both impotence and sterility. In addition, steroids lead to changes in the structure and function of the kidneys, liver, and heart. These changes can cause chronic health problems in later life, and markedly increase the risk of cancer and irreversible degeneration of the heart muscle. Steroid users may also develop a severe form of acne over the upper torso and become prematurely bald. They also are more susceptible to injuries of the bones and tendons because these support structures aren't strong enough to anchor overdeveloped muscles. |
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