Study Confirms Harms of Anabolic Steroid Abuse

Off Topic
1

Here’s another unbiased, well-planned steroids are evil study that was recently put out on the Internet:

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Male bodybuilders who take muscle-building anabolic steroids risk sexual problems, reduced fertility and heart trouble, a study confirms.

Among bodybuilders who voluntarily started taking anabolic steroid pills or shots for the first time, repeated testing over two years showed a dip in levels of male hormones, shrunken testicles, low sperm counts, enlarged breasts, and low blood levels of heart-healthy HDL-cholesterol.

Professor Antonio Bonetti from the University of Parma, Italy and colleagues report their findings in the International Journal of Sports Medicine.

“Our investigation peers into the world of gyms and bodybuilding, which has often been investigated, but about which it is difficult to gather information because of the conspiracy of silence surrounding the use of illegal substances,” Bonetti and colleagues write.

All 22 of the bodybuilders approached for the study were warned about the potential health risks and harmful effects of high doses of anabolic steroids, the researchers explain, and, as a result of this counseling, two decided against using steroids.

During the study, seven of the remaining 20 bodybuilders stopped taking steroids and withdrew from the study for a variety of reasons including emotional ups and downs, depression, aggressiveness, sexual problems and family problems.

“We observed severe psychological disturbances with behavioral and relationship problems: emotional inconstancy, lack of motivation during training and at work, apathy, depression, aggressiveness, the rebound effect following drug suspension, symptoms of paranoia, sexual dysfunction and family problems,” Bonetti noted in an e-mail to Reuters Health.

“These problems led one subject to alcohol abuse and another to psychiatric drug therapy; in one body-builder, symptoms of clinical depression (diagnosed before) worsened following anabolic-androgenic steroid use and he was hospitalized,” the researcher added.

“The most important modification observed was impairment in the lipid profile associated with an increased cardiovascular risk,” Bonetti said. Levels of “good” HDL cholesterol fell during steroid administration, as did levels of Apo-A1. Low levels of the blood protein Apo-A1 have been linked to an increased risk of heart attack.

Another “important long-term adverse effect” of anabolic steroid use was reduced fertility, consistent with prior studies. The bodybuilders experienced a significant decrease in sperm count and “fertility index.”

SOURCE: International Journal of Sports Medicine, September 2008.

2

Most people will not notice the word “Abuse” in the article.

Omg, if I abuse alcohol I will probably die and experience long-term adverse effects!

3

It’s in the August issue, not September.

Also, if anyone has access to the full text article through a university library online account, I’d like a link to it. My library doesn’t include that journal in my account so I can’t get it without paying for it.

4

[quote]ab_power wrote:
Most people will not notice the word “Abuse” in the article.

Omg, if I abuse alcohol I will probably die and experience long-term adverse effects![/quote]

In a nut shell. Abuse anything and you will suffer in some form or another. At least they put the word in the title.

5

That’s nothing more than a correlational study. Correlation does not prove cause and effect.

6

[quote]randman wrote:

During the study, seven of the remaining 20 bodybuilders stopped taking steroids and withdrew from the study for a variety of reasons including emotional ups and downs, depression, aggressiveness, sexual problems and family problems.

“We observed severe psychological disturbances with behavioral and relationship problems: emotional inconstancy, lack of motivation during training and at work, apathy, depression, aggressiveness, the rebound effect following drug suspension, symptoms of paranoia, sexual dysfunction and family problems,” Bonetti noted in an e-mail to Reuters Health.
[/quote]

OMG they cause everyday problems that everyday people have! They must be dangerous!

7

All they needed was Pris’ stasis/taper. The users would’ve been golden. Of course, that would’ve put a small kink in the professor’s agenda.

8

It would’ve been nice if it had been a double blind study. Slightly more safe in terms of emotional stuff.

10

[quote]randman wrote:
Among bodybuilders who voluntarily started taking anabolic steroid pills or shots for the first time

All 22 of the bodybuilders approached for the study were warned about the potential health risks and harmful effects of high doses of anabolic steroids, the researchers explain, and, as a result of this counseling, two decided against using steroids.

[/quote]

I think the above quoted lines show why this study is flawed. These guys are obvious newbies that have never cycled before. There’s a good chance these guys don’t know anything about AAS, especially the two that dropped out after hearing about the dangers.

I highly doubt the researchers advised them on proper use. More than likely they just monitored the guys. They were practically destined to fail.

It’s almost as silly as taking people who’ve never driven a car and throwing them into the Indy 500. Of course they’re going to crash.

It would be interesting to see a similar study done with guys who are considered “vets” on this forum. The results would be drastically different I’m sure.

11

So the told them beforehand they were going to have certain psychological affects and lo and behold they had them. It sounds to me like they talked their subjects into a placebo effect.

They don’t even say what steroids they took. I have known guys who were given cortisone who were all pumped and psyched because all the doctor told them was “we are are going to give you a steroid”.

The conversation with one went like this:
“They gave me a steroid for my shoulder yesterday” “I feel pumped yeah!”

I look at the bottle of pills and say “It’s only cortisone it’s not that kind of a steroid”

“No man it’s a steroid the doctor told me so” “I feel pumped man!” “I’m raging!” “This shits great man!” “Yeah! fuck YEAH!” “I’m raging”

It was at this point that I gave up on the conversation, handed him back the bottle of pills and said “Maybe you’re right”, “I can see it!” “Those steroids are working you’re looking ripped”.

My friend nodding in approval said “You see.” “I’m pumped!” “Man I’m raging!” “I’m going to see if I can get the doctor to give me more when the pills run out”

That conversation is why I don’t put a lot of faith in what people say steroids are doing to them. I think most if not all the behavioural changes people say they are having from steroids are placebo effect.

12

[quote]Sifu wrote:
So the told them beforehand they were going to have certain psychological affects and lo and behold they had them. It sounds to me like they talked their subjects into a placebo effect.

They don’t even say what steroids they took. I have known guys who were given cortisone who were all pumped and psyched because all the doctor told them was “we are are going to give you a steroid”.

The conversation with one went like this:
“They gave me a steroid for my shoulder yesterday” “I feel pumped yeah!”

I look at the bottle of pills and say “It’s only cortisone it’s not that kind of a steroid”

“No man it’s a steroid the doctor told me so” “I feel pumped man!” “I’m raging!” “This shits great man!” “Yeah! fuck YEAH!” “I’m raging”

It was at this point that I gave up on the conversation, handed him back the bottle of pills and said “Maybe you’re right”, “I can see it!” “Those steroids are working you’re looking ripped”.

My friend nodding in approval said “You see.” “I’m pumped!” “Man I’m raging!” “I’m going to see if I can get the doctor to give me more when the pills run out”

That conversation is why I don’t put a lot of faith in what people say steroids are doing to them. I think most if not all the behavioural changes people say they are having from steroids are placebo effect.[/quote]

It’s funny. People hear “steroid”, and they associate it with muscle growth, not knowing that cortisone is actually a catabolic steroid that helps with imflammation, but breaks down muscle tissue in the surrounding area. That’s why they limit shots to the inflamed area, because it starts causing more damage the more shots you get.

13

[quote]imhungry wrote:
Sifu wrote:
So the told them beforehand they were going to have certain psychological affects and lo and behold they had them. It sounds to me like they talked their subjects into a placebo effect.

They don’t even say what steroids they took. I have known guys who were given cortisone who were all pumped and psyched because all the doctor told them was “we are are going to give you a steroid”.

The conversation with one went like this:
“They gave me a steroid for my shoulder yesterday” “I feel pumped yeah!”

I look at the bottle of pills and say “It’s only cortisone it’s not that kind of a steroid”

“No man it’s a steroid the doctor told me so” “I feel pumped man!” “I’m raging!” “This shits great man!” “Yeah! fuck YEAH!” “I’m raging”

It was at this point that I gave up on the conversation, handed him back the bottle of pills and said “Maybe you’re right”, “I can see it!” “Those steroids are working you’re looking ripped”.

My friend nodding in approval said “You see.” “I’m pumped!” “Man I’m raging!” “I’m going to see if I can get the doctor to give me more when the pills run out”

That conversation is why I don’t put a lot of faith in what people say steroids are doing to them. I think most if not all the behavioural changes people say they are having from steroids are placebo effect.

It’s funny. People hear “steroid”, and they associate it with muscle growth, not knowing that cortisone is actually a catabolic steroid that helps with imflammation, but breaks down muscle tissue in the surrounding area. That’s why they limit shots to the inflamed area, because it starts causing more damage the more shots you get.[/quote]

Even funnier, ask them what a steroid is. Unless they answer “an organic compound with 4 carbon rings”, then you know that getting into a debate with them is pointless. This method works as kind of a “ignorance litmus test” for people who you know are in the dark when it comes to anything biology/physiology related.

14

I hate the media.