For centuries both men and women have had an obsession with physical fitness and physique. An athlete’s goal in the gym is to become a stronger, faster, and more physically fit individual in order to excel at his or her sport and best the competition. A bodybuilder’s goal may be to isolate certain muscle groups and maximize his growth and definition in order to achieve higher scores at competitions. An average gym attendant’s goals may be any combination of these. With that said, for decades sports athletes, body builders, general gym members, models and even Hollywood film stars have been using P.E.D.s, performance enhancing drugs, in order to achieve their perceived goals. Anabolic steroids are a very common form of P.E.D.s. Anabolic
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Although this is widely known information, heart disease is still a leading killer in the United States. Regular exercise is known to increase cardiovascular health and many people do work out in order to maintain a healthy heart. What many people do not know is the detrimental effect steroids may have on the human cardiovascular system. There have been several cases where an otherwise healthy looking athlete has suddenly dropped dead due to sudden cardiac arrest. Many of these deaths have been attributed to extended use of anabolic steroids. This is because prolonged use of steroids affects the heart’s ability to dilate blood vessels, resulting in increased blood pressure (Golestani et al. 4-5). Other heart related issues that have been associated with anabolic steroid use include increased levels of bad cholesterol and irritability due to higher than normal blood pressure (Golestani et al. 1). “Cardiac arrhythmias are also associated with anabolic steroid abuse (Golestani et al. …show more content…
3). Studies have shown that athletes who abuse steroids are more likely to “show a predominant desire to outperform opponents,” which is interpreted by the athletes peers as egotistical behavior. These steroid abusing athletes are also regarded as “relying more extensively on reactive aggression than on instrumental aggression” (Chantel et al. 4). These negative social interactions further cast a dark image on those who abuse steroids. Male breast growth is just another negative way that steroid abuse affects the human body. This is known as gynecomastia. It happens when steroids are converted into fat cells and estrogen, resulting in increased breast tissue, enlarged areolas, and puffy nipples. Contrary to popular belief this condition is often times permanent and can only be corrected through surgery (Brusca et al.
Although this is widely known information, heart disease is still a leading killer in the United States. Regular exercise is known to increase cardiovascular health and many people do work out in order to maintain a healthy heart. What many people do not know is the detrimental effect steroids may have on the human cardiovascular system. There have been several cases where an otherwise healthy looking athlete has suddenly dropped dead due to sudden cardiac arrest. Many of these deaths have been attributed to extended use of anabolic steroids. This is because prolonged use of steroids affects the heart’s ability to dilate blood vessels, resulting in increased blood pressure (Golestani et al. 4-5). Other heart related issues that have been associated with anabolic steroid use include increased levels of bad cholesterol and irritability due to higher than normal blood pressure (Golestani et al. 1). “Cardiac arrhythmias are also associated with anabolic steroid abuse (Golestani et al. …show more content…
3). Studies have shown that athletes who abuse steroids are more likely to “show a predominant desire to outperform opponents,” which is interpreted by the athletes peers as egotistical behavior. These steroid abusing athletes are also regarded as “relying more extensively on reactive aggression than on instrumental aggression” (Chantel et al. 4). These negative social interactions further cast a dark image on those who abuse steroids. Male breast growth is just another negative way that steroid abuse affects the human body. This is known as gynecomastia. It happens when steroids are converted into fat cells and estrogen, resulting in increased breast tissue, enlarged areolas, and puffy nipples. Contrary to popular belief this condition is often times permanent and can only be corrected through surgery (Brusca et al.