Chemical Effects Of Anabolic Steroids

According to the Chemistry in Context textbook, steroids are a class of naturally occurring or synthetic fat-soluble organic compounds that share a common carbon skeleton arranged in four rings. It states that no other group of chemicals is more controversial because their common uses range from contraception to vanity promoters. Even though steroids have many different purposes, they are related in that their molecular framework consist of 17 carbon atoms arranged in four rings. Some steroids can be helpful such as the systemic steroid called prednisone, which can help or treat asthma. Other steroids such as anabolic steroids can be harmful when used for muscle building for example. They were originally developed due to men not being able to produce sufficient testosterone for normal growth and development. Now they are used by many athletes, bodybuilders and weightlifters to improve their athletic performance or to increase muscle size and reduce body fat (“Anabolic Steroid Abuse”). Anabolic steroids work in the body by helping the muscle cells produce more protein which also allows the body to produce more ATP which muscles need to move (Horwitz). …show more content…
High blood pressure can cause hemorrhagic stroke, damage the inner lining of arteries which can lead to atherosclerosis which can result in a heart attack or stroke. Medical texts suggest that anabolic steroids may lead to high blood pressure due to their sodium-retention properties. This is because they inhibit the enzyme 11-beta hydroxylase, which increase the production of deoxycorticosterone, a mineralocorticoid in the adrenal glands, which concludes to sodium and water retention. Some users attempt to correct this by adding diuretic drugs but this just leads to other problems such as mineral imbalance