RIO Fitness Chicago® Exercise & Nutrition Blog

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Latest statistics show that high profile athletes make up only about 15% of Americans who take steroids. The other 85% is your average person who goes to the gym and takes steroids strictly for a cosmetic purpose; which is dangerous because many are uneducated. This could be your family members, friends, co-workers, anyone, and you may not even know it.

What are steroids?

Steroids are synthetic versions of the hormones our bodies produce naturally. Cortisone is a steroid. It signals the body to break down inflammation. Birth control is a steroid. It’s made from the female sex hormones estrogen & progesterone. Then there are the most known steroids, anabolic steroids. They are made from the male sex hormone testosterone. Anabolic steroids tell the body to increase in muscle size and strength; it also helps the body to recover from workouts faster and helps lower body fat % rapidly.

Can steroids harm you?

Doctors have been using steroids to treat patients since the 1930s. They’ve been used to treat cancer patients, burn victims, and most recently HIV/AIDS patients. Under medical supervision they can be taken safely. Although there are NO studies that have been done to show the long term effects of steroid use. Yes, NONE. There’s NO proof to show that it causes cancer or kidney damage. Only in cases with the abuse of oral steroids has it been shown to cause liver damage.

Side Effects?

Men may experience acne, hair growth/loss, increase in the bad cholesterol LDL, joint stress, testicle shrinkage, decreased sperm count (abuse can make you sterile), and gynecomastia (the increase of fatty breast tissue, aka “bitch tits”). “Roid rage,” occurs in 5% of the population. Only if you’re already an angry person, steroids may make you even angrier. *Acne (back, neck), mood swings, and sudden development of fat tissue in the chest are the main signs of steroid use.* Fortunately, once you are off the drugs most of these symptoms in men are reversible.

Women who take anabolic steroids may suffer acne, abnormal hair growth, deepened voice, joint stress, menstrual problems, and an enlargened clitoris. Unfortunately for women, most of these side effects are irreversible.

***RIO Fitness Chicago® DOES NOT endorse nor promote the use of steroids unless prescribed and supervised by a licensed medical professional!***