Steroids - Effects on the Body

Effects on the Body

Anabolic-androgenic steroids increase strength and lean muscle mass. However, flooding the body with any hormone at ten to twenty times greater strength than normal is dangerous. Anabolic-androgenic

A teenage ballplayer in the Dominican Republic is shown holding two bottles of injectable drugs: a horse vitamin supplement and an animal steroid. Some aspiring ballplayers purchase the drugs, intended for animals, to bulk up and improve their
A teenage ballplayer in the Dominican Republic is shown holding two bottles of injectable drugs: a horse vitamin supplement and an animal steroid. Some aspiring ballplayers purchase the drugs, intended for animals, to bulk up and improve their athletic performance. They think it will help them get into the Majors. © Peter Power/ZUMA/Corbis.

steroids produce a long list of potential side effects. Some of these effects can be deadly. Others are just plain unpleasant.

Steroids Do More Than Just Build Muscles

Side effects for men abusing anabolic steroids include:

  • acne and oily hair
  • gynecomastia (GY-nuh-koh-MASS-tee-uh), the formation of female-type breasts on a male body, which is a permanent condition that can only be reversed with surgery
  • testicular atrophy (tess-TIK-yoo-lar AH-truh-fee), the shrinking of the male testicles, which sometimes results from overdoses of testosterone or anabolic-androgenic steroids; this condition may not be reversible
  • low sperm count
  • disruption of the natural "growth spurt" in young users, which leads to abnormal shortness throughout life
  • male-pattern baldness
  • insomnia, which is difficulty falling asleep or an inability to sleep
  • ruptured tendons
  • increased chance of heart attack
  • increased chance of liver cancer or bleeding in the liver, especially with pill forms of steroids
  • bursts of aggressive behavior (called "roid rage")
  • mania (a mental disorder characterized by intense anxiety, aggression, and delusions), loss of touch with reality, and delusions or false beliefs. (Note: anabolic-androgenic steroids are classified as hallucinogens, which are substances that bring on hallucinations that alter the user's perception of reality.)
  • boils or infections at injection sites, as well as infections elsewhere from dirty needles
  • human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis infections from sharing needles
  • depression, sometimes leading to suicide, when steroid use is stopped
  • loss of enthusiasm and sex drive when steroid use is stopped.

Side effects for women abusing steroids include:

  • growth of coarse hair on the face and body
  • enlargement of the clitoris (a part of the female genitals)
  • deepening of voice
  • male-pattern baldness
  • mood swings and aggression
  • insomnia
  • loss of menstrual period (also referred to as a "menstrual cycle")
  • infertility or the inability to have children.

Bulk v. Height

One of the most devastating side effects of steroid abuse occurs in the youngest users. If teens begin using steroids before they have stopped growing, the flood of hormones will alter the normal growth process. Under normal circumstances, height increases as the soft ends of the bones grow longer. However, high levels of testosterone shut down the production of new bone. The body is fooled into thinking that the user has already reached maturity. As a result, growth stops prematurely.

Robert Hazelton testifies before the House Committee on the Judiciary about the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004. A former boxer and steroid user, Hazelton explains how he lost his legs because of steroid use. AP/WideWorld Photos.
Robert Hazelton testifies before the House Committee on the Judiciary about the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004. A former boxer and steroid user, Hazelton explains how he lost his legs because of steroid use. AP/WideWorld Photos.