So you have been working hard in the gym trying to improve your appearance and performance. Things aren’t moving with the aspired speed. There are other ways to achieve your goal at a much shorter time and minimal side effects, correct?
Wrong! Cutting corners always comes at a price. In addition to the bumpy ride and money spent on APED, you will get some results in improving your “appearance” but at the expense on your performance; both physically and mentally.
Normally cutting corners might get you back in track albeit it at a price. When it comes to using/absolute abusing APEDs, the price is higher, and recovery is significantly longer..
What are APEDs?
- Anabolic-androgenic steroids. These are synthetic substances similar to the male sex hormone testosterone. They promote the growth of skeletal muscle (anabolic effects) and the development of male sexual characteristics (androgenic effects) in both males and females
- Non-steroidal anabolics: include insulin, insulin-like growth hormone (IGF), and human growth hormone (HGH)—substances that are produced by the human body and are prescribed for legitimate medical uses but also sometimes misused for performance enhancement.
There are several misused APEDs, these include:
Oral Steroids
• Anadrol (oxymetholone)
• Anavar (oxandrolone)
• Dianabol (methandienone )
• Winstrol (stanozolol)
• Restandol (testosterone undecanoate)
Injectable Steroids
• Deca-Durabolin (nandrolone decanoate)
• Durabolin (nandrolone phenpropionate)
• Depo-Testosterone (testosterone cypionate)
• Agovirin (testosterone propionate)
• Retandrol (testosterone phenylpropionate)
• Equipoise (boldenone undecylenate)
Other Mia-used medications
Many who practice using APED’s would be keen to try other medications that accentuate the function in terms of enhancing their body image. Some are thermogenics. These are compounds used to decrease body fat or to promote leanness versus muscle mass in endurance athletes.
Examples:
- Xanthines: compounds that increase attention and wakefulness and suppress appetite. Examples are caffeine, the asthma drug theophylline, and theobromine—a substance found in chocolate, coffee, and tea.
- Sympathomimetics: drugs that are similar in structure and action to epinephrine and norepinephrine—natural chemicals in the body that increase heart rate, constrict blood vessels, and raise blood pressure. An example is ephedrine, which is derived from the ephedra plant. Ephedrine/ephedra used to be included in dietary supplements that promoted weight loss, increased energy, and enhanced athletic performance. In 2004, the FDA banned the U.S. sale of dietary supplements containing ephedrine/ephedra due to various possible health risks including cardiovascular and nervous system effects.
- Thyroid hormones: substances that regulate metabolism by altering the function of the thyroid. Cytomel is an example.
Cycling, stacking, pyramiding, and plateauing:
There are several traditionally used methods to inappropriately use these drugs; cycling involves taking multiple doses of steroids over a specific period of time, stopping for a period (so called “clearance”), and starting again.
Stacking means taking two or more different anabolic steroids, mixing oral and/or injectable types, and sometimes even taking compounds that are designed for veterinary use.
Pyramiding is taking APEDs for 6 to 12 weeks, tapering gradually rather than starting and finishing a cycle abruptly. At the beginning of a cycle, the person starts with low doses of the drugs being stacked and then slowly increases the doses. In the second half of the cycle, the doses are slowly decreased to zero. This is sometimes followed by a second cycle in which the person continues to train but without drugs. Steroid users believe that pyramiding allows the body time to adjust to the high doses, and the drug-free cycle allows the body’s hormonal system time to recuperate.
Plateauing is another medically unjustified hormonal manipulation whereby steroids are staggered, overlapped, or substituted with another type of steroid to avoid developing tolerance.
Side effects:
The use of anabolic steroids is associated with a wide spectrum of side effects, some of which are mild and others are severe or even life-threatening. Some are temporary and others are semi-permanent or permanent.
One review found 19 deaths in published case reports related to anabolic steroid use between 1990 and 2012.
APEDs effects on body:
Cardiovascular System
Inappropriate use of anabolic steroids could affect the cardiovascular system by raising the blood pressure and interfering with the cardiac function leading to heart failure and cardiac events, in addition to the development of the deranged lipid profile and increasing liability to Venus thrombosis and embolism.
Hormonal System
Abnormal use of steroids leads to disturbance in the hormonal function including testicular atrophy decreased quality and quantity of sperm production degrees libido especially after withdrawal symptoms in addition to sexual dysfunction.
Females with anabolic steroids miss-use will potentially have an adverse effect of these APEDs on the hair leading to frontal boldness, in addition to deepening of the voice. With continued administration of steroids, some of these effects become irreversible. It is commonly believed that anabolic steroids will produce irreversible enlargement of the clitoris in females.
Liver damage
Chronic use of APEDs is associated with impaired liver function, hepatic cysts, and in rare cases, malignancy
Musculoskeletal System
Unjustified use of anabolic steroids in adolescence might potentially lead to premature closure of the growth plates for the bones leading to short stature. In addition, excessive use of anabolic steroids needs to change in stiffening, which might lead to a tendon injury.
Skin
Acne, unsightly and uncomfortably oil skin. Yellowish discoloration in advanced cases of liver damage
Behavioral changes
An experienced andrologist would be able to spot APED users from a distance. There’s a clear agitation and aggression in extreme cases. In addition, anabolic steroid abusers would suffer from anxiety lack of sleep and depression.
Although testosterone replacement in cases of deficiency has a proven fact on improving the cognitive function in the construction ability, younger people using anabolic steroids excessively might suffer from cognitive dysfunction Maile lots of attention span and concentration ability.
How to treat an existing case of a PED miss-use:
This is naturally and multidisciplinary team Approach. This includes the following:
- Endocrine treatment to restore the answer genic function for those with withdrawal symptoms
- Antidepressants for those who do not respond to Endocrine replacement therapy
- Psychological assessment and support for those who are suffering from body dysmorphia.
In summary:
Are the use of appearance and performance-enhancing drugs as an increasing phenomenon at an alarming rate with serious potentially permanent consequences affecting young Adolescence and adults. There needs to be white education about their potential side effects and in case of medical needs for these medications this should take place under strict supervision. Those who are interested in enhancing their appearance and performance should concentrate on the physiological increase by Healthy diet and exercise.
Otherwise, cutting corners by unjustified usage of these medications would possibly give short term results and definitely give long-term consequences
Reference: drugabuse
