Steroids

So for one of my final reviews I read the book Steroids by Jacqueline Adams. This is a very informative book giving you information about the actually use of steroids, where they came from, and many other examples are listed. Steroids were developed to help treat just about every disease and virus imaginable in 1849. Doctors determined back then that the testis on a young man could be cut up if he was in the choir so his voice would not get deeper with age. But nobody before this time could explain what actually went on in the human body with the testis to form the deeper voice and other male characteristics.

I do believe that this book does have some very valuable information in it. I also believe that this book has some information that is biased because it is written for high school students to read and obtain information. The information that I do believe is informative is talking about how the history of steroids came to be. Talking about the doctors and their research, that was interesting to learn about.

The information I found to be kind of hard to believe was all the talk about how bad steroids are for you. Yes, they are bad if you are 17 and trying to get the edge on you appoints in sports. But for the average 50 year old man who is trying to get that extra boost in the weight room so he can show off too his wife, I do not believe that this information is relevant. The effects that steroids have on younger users vs. older users is completely different. Yes, steroids to make TEENS get a little heated every now and then, but for an adult it will not affect him the same way.

This book was rather interesting to read, but I do not believe that you should just believe this book alone when researching steroids.

Weight Loss vs. Muscle Loss

In the June 2009 edition of Muscular Development it talks about how GH (Growth Hormone) can help a person from loosing muscle mass and size after weight loss surgery. I talks about how people who took GH preserved lean muscle mass, bone mass, and showed improved blood fat profiles. The people who did not take GH lost a lot more and had to regain everything after they got better from the surgery.

I believe that this is a good thing for people that are in the weightlifting, sports, and athletic field. Instead of loosing everything after weight loss surgery, you only have to recover a little bit of the muscle mass that you lost from the surgery.

Blechman, Steve. "Growth Hormone Prevents Muscle Loss After Weightloss Surgery." Muscular Development02 June 2009: 94. Print.

The "Truth"

This video is a CNN article based on a non-biased take on steroids and what they do for a person. They will tell you that they are healthy for ADULTS to take. No where do they ever say anything about it being safe for teens to use them so that is one thing they do that helps. They talk about the war on Washington talking about the use of steroids in sports and as apart of a workout system.

I honestly believe that this is one of the most factual documents I have actually heard or read so far on the topic. It actually gave you the real facts that you need to know about steroids. It helps boost good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol which is a GOOD thing for adults. All of the myths and legends you hear about steroids are basically busted based on the information that this video gives you.

Sports?

In the article "Anabolic steroids" on espn.com it talks about everything a person could every want to know about steroids. It goes into detail about how steroids work in the body, how it effects a person mentally, and why it is unsafe for teenagers and adults to use. Studies have shown that and Dr. Walder also agree and say, "Some are visible to the naked eye and some are internal. Some are physical, others are psychological. With unsupervised steroid use, wanton 'megadosing' or stacking (using a combination of different steroids), the effects can be irreversible or undetected until it's too late" (ESPN). Adult males who take steroids will more than likely have some of the following symptoms; reduced sperm count, impotence, development of breast, shrinking of testicles, and or pain while urinating. Also a person can experience "roid rage" while taking steroids were a person can heightened aggression.

Now after reading this article and talking to people that have actually used steroids I can honestly say that this is just another media plug to get people to stop taking steroids. Yes you might seem to get mad easier, but the steroids have nothing to do with your overall personality. Also the myth about shrinking testicles is not true. I have talked to people that haven taken anabolic steroids, D-bol, and other "test" (aka testosterone supplements) supplements and just about every person said that their testicles did not shrink at all. So honestly I still do believe that young adults and teenagers should not use anabolic steroids, I do believe that adults should be allowed to make their own decisions on steroid use.

"ESPN Special Section." ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures, 06 Sep 2009. Web. 1 Apr 2010. .