Anabolic steroid use by nonathletes is on the rise. This is particularly true for young men. A nation wide survey of 3403 male high school seniors indicated that 6.6% of this group were current users or had previously been users of steroids and that 25% of the current users showed signs of dependency. According to this report, the improvement in physical appearance reputed to occur with steroid use, accompanied by peer approval of those physical changes, functioned as a powerful reinforcer for continued use.Heavy steroid users were more likely than light users to take two or more steroids concomitantly and more apt to take these drugs by injection rather than in pill form. Injection as a method of delivery is highly characteristic of drugs that involve addiction. The steroid “hook” is insidious and powerful: 30% of the heavy users vowed that they would not discontinue steroid use if steroids were proved to cause liver cancer, 31 % would not stop if they proved to cause heart attacks, and 39% would not stop if they proved to cause infertility.
Although definitive evidence of the long term effects of steroid use is not available, the potential for long term harm is certainly real. Predicting how and when the effects of steroids will be manifested is impossible because people respond individually to those drugs as a result of differences in body chemistry. The steroid effect is complicated further because “black market” preparations contain additives, and some preparations are contaminated. The potential for harm is readily discernible; 80% to 90% of all steroids used are purchased through the black market.
Beginning weight trainers should keep a daily log of their training activities. The advantages of keeping such a record far outweigh the minimal amount of bother, time, and effort required to make the entries during the workout. Each entry should be recorded during the rest period between sets.
The advantages of maintaining a daily training log include the following:
- You will always know which exercises you performed and the amount of weight that was used for each.
- You will always know the number of repetitions and sets that you performed of each exercise.
- The training log provides an objective account of your improvement. You can compare the amount of weight you are currently lifting with the amount at the beginning of your training.
- The training log provides an accurate history. The training log is a motivating device that provides objective feedback of performance improvement.
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