4 Facts About Anabolic Steroids You Didn’t Know

Anabolic Steroids are some of the most feared yet respected drugs on this planet. Everyone knows steroids are powerful substances that can be dangerous when abused, but they remain mysterious and not much else is known about the truth of steroids. Countless athletes and bodybuilders have been busted for doping in the history of sports. Yet in this dark side of athletics, there are facts and there are lies. Here are 4 facts about Anabolic Steroids that you didn’t know.

1- Steroids do not cause death
While many people believe that steroids can cause death, it is simply untrue. In history, there has not been a documented case of steroids being the sole cause of death. In conjunction with other drugs such as alcohol, tobacco and hard drugs, steroids can be very dangerous. But by itself, steroids do not have the ability to kill humans. Steroids are hormones taken into the body which cause a great increase in muscle size, strength and endurance. In fact, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the amount of emergency room visits attributed to steroids was only 314 in 2009. For comparison purposes, alcohol had 302,591 visits, Tylenol had 287,245 and marijuana had 159,311 visits. Many deaths attributed to steroids as the cause are actually due to either hard drugs, a combination of drugs and hormones or because of dangerous fat burners. Steroids can have dangerous health side effects, but death is not one of them.

2- Roid Rage
Another fact of steroids is that there is no such thing as “Roid Rage”. Similar to reefer madness, Roid Rage is a term commonly attributed to steroid users becoming aggressive and acting violently due to taking the drug. Many steroid horror stories paint Roid Rage as being a dangerous side effect that could hurt anyone in the path of steroid users. Steroid users are portrayed as monsters such as the Hulk who acts impulsively and violently. The truth of the matter is that steroids simply amplify an individual’s current personality. An angry individual will get angrier, thus the misconception of Roid Rage. However, a calm and level-headed person will simply be more calm and level-headed. There is no drastic state change that occurs from steroid use. There is simply an amplification of one’s current state.

3- The Truth of Who Uses Steroids
It is often said that the only people using steroids are huge bodybuilders and muscle monsters. This, however, is far from the truth. In reality, there are more people who use steroids that do not look the part than those who look like they use steroids. There are many old men who are administered Testosterone through their local doctor for hormone replacement therapy. Because men’s testosterone levels plummet when they get older, many doctors prescribe them testosterone legally. There are also many individuals who take hormones so they can live a healthier life at an older age.

4- Steroids Will Not Permanently Change A Physique
Many think that taking steroids once will cause a permanent growth of muscle that will last even after steroid use is ceased. The truth, however, is that the body can only hold onto a certain amount of muscle tissue naturally. Crazy Mass said, “Any amount of muscle gained above an individual’s genetic limit will be lost after steroids are no longer used.” However, if an individual uses steroids again, the muscle will come back rapidly at the amount it was before use was ceased. In order to gain an appreciable amount of mass, an individual must take a large amount of steroids, often staying on for very long times. In fact, certain individuals will never come off of steroids in order to hold onto the immense amount of muscle that they have.

It is evident that steroids are a very misunderstood drug. There are many misconceptions about steroids even amongst the medical community. However, steroids are dangerous and can cause serious damage to the body is they are abused.