A steroid injection is a shot, which is injected to lessen aching and irritation, as well as make a diagnosis of injuries. With reduced pain, the person feels better and can help a physician perform the diagnosis. Every sportsperson or athlete wants to excel in his/her respective game. They participate to determine their potential and to achieve the sense of satisfaction that comes from winning.
This desire, for some athletes, turns into ‘winning at any cost.’ It explains the common use of anabolic steroids among athletes. Anabolic steroids are a synthetic version of testosterone – a male hormone. Natural hormones regulate and transform body processes. They are also known for performance enhancement. When naturally produced, testosterone increases muscles by producing more protein into the cells of skeletal muscles. Testosterone also increases the number of red blood cells in the body, boosts bone density, and makes body hair and vocal cords denser. Steroid administration can be done either through injectable steroids or orally. However, injected steroids remain in the body for a longer period.
Why Some Athletes Abuse Anabolic Steroids
Anabolic steroids cannot alone enhance a sportsman ability or dexterity. Many other elements play a role in factoring athletic ability including body size, age, genetics, sex, diet, and athletic training. Some athletes believe that anabolic steroids can add to their performance and therefore, abuse these drugs to build bulk mass, promote aggressiveness, and gain bodyweight.
Some athletes even choose ‘stacking’ which means the consumption of anabolic steroids with other drugs such as painkillers, growth hormones, and stimulants. They believe that a different combination of drugs will deliver more strength or muscle size than by taking just one drug.
We cannot truly determine the count of athletes who misuse anabolic steroids. Many athletic associations including the Major League Baseball (MLB), National Football League (NFL), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the Olympics ban their use. Thus, there would hardly be any athlete publicly admitting to their use. The NFL tests its athletes for unlawful use. Players with positive test results face hold-up, and after testing positive for the second time, are disqualified from the League. MLB tests its players once every year, and in case of a positive test, the League can suspend its players for up to ten days. In case of the second positive test, a player can be deferred without salary for up to one year.
How do Anabolic Steroids Affect an Athlete’s Health?
Use of anabolic steroids in games can lead to serious health and behavioral issues affecting memory and judgment. Effects of steroids can cause both short-term and long-term health problems. Noticeable reactions of steroids include acne, anxiety, appetite increase, depression, fluid retention, testicular atrophy, sexual problems, sleep issues, prostate gland enlargement, psychological dependence, kidney tumors, libido changes, etc.
Other life-threatening risks of anabolic steroids include HIV from sharing needles and damage to tendons, joints, and muscles from abuse and over-training. Moreover, steroids influence brain function, affecting the conduct of individuals.
Ending the Abuse of Anabolic Steroids
There are numerous approaches to enhance one’s appearance and performance without taking these steroids. Keep the following in mind if one takes his health and sport seriously:
- Train safely
- Eat healthily
- Take good rest
- Play safely and avoid injuries
- Get training from a reliable professional
- Talk to your nutritionist to gain healthy the natural way
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