How far do you go to get swoll???

Elizabethhollmann

I'm a girl who loves me some sports and i don't know about the states you live in but here in Wisconsin we're pretty damn passionate about them. And so, I'd be lying if i said I didn't hold the athletes who play for my teams near and dear to my heart. That being said...my baby heart was broken BROKEN!!!!!! when I found out about Braun's alleged steroid use..

In my mind he's innocent until proven guilty because I don't think he could do this to me... and I don't think he's that dumb. But that's another story. The alleged scandal has caused me to look into steroid use and what effects it has on the bod... here's a fun article I found...what do you think?

Kudos to anyone who has the balls to admit they're roidin'....oh wait.... nevermind...

lol sorry bad joke...

god i'm tired...

Anyways...here's the article....

Steroid use has been vilified in the press—rightly so, many argue, since some steroids artificially enhance athletic performance and have dreadful side effects. But steroids aren’t always bad news. On the plus side, they can save an asthma victim, fight an allergic reaction or make you governor of California.

Reality Check
Not all steroids are designed to pump you up.

The drugs that get all the bad press, especially when abused by a high-profile athlete, are androgenic anabolic steroids. “Androgenic” means they simulate the male sex hormone, testosterone and promote male characteristics; “anabolic” means that the drugs help build muscle tissue.

There are also steroids that simulate the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. Such drugs are used in birth control pills and are helpful in treating menstrual problems such as cramps and PMS.

Corticosteroids, the most widely used class, are valued for their anti-inflammatory action. These strong drugs can be lifesavers when inflammation is at the root of the condition, as in asthma attacks, rheumatoid arthritis, brain swelling and severe allergic reactions. They are also used topically in hydrocortisone to treat skin irritations like mosquito bites and poison ivy. Corticosteroids are not anabolic.

Reality Check
Unless you have a medical condition, your body produces all the steroids it needs.

In a manner of speaking, everyone is on steroids. That’s because the adrenal glands produce cortisol, a naturally occurring steroid hormone. When not enough cortisol is produced or an emergency condition (e.g., an allergic reaction to bee stings, an asthma attack) requires more anti-inflammatory action than cortisol can provide, synthetic corticosteroids are prescribed.

The adrenal glands also stimulate production of sex hormones. Legally, doctors should only prescribe anabolic steroids when a boost of testosterone is needed, as to treat disorders related to growth or sexual development, or when muscle mass is depleted, as in AIDS patients.

Reality Check
Anabolic steroids are a drug of abuse.

The Anabolic Steroid Control Act was passed in 1990 and updated in 2004 to curtail the illegal use of anabolic steroids. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimated in 2004 that 3.4 percent of 12th-grade boys had used them. Anabolic steroids are taken either orally or by injection. In an attempt to offset side effects, users typically go on and off the drugs in weekly or monthly cycles. Another method is “stacking,” or using several different types of anabolics to lessen side effects particular to a brand.

Reality Check
Anabolic steroids may increase the risk of coronary artery disease.

Taking anabolic steroids may contribute to the risk of having a heart attack or even a stroke. That’s because these drugs lower “good” cholesterol (HDL) in the body and increase levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). Anabolics also cause high blood pressure.

Reality Check
The risks and side effects of anabolic steroid abuse are well documented.

The short-term effects are not good, and little is known about how dangerous the long-term effects may be. One bit of irony is that high-school boys often take the drugs to build size and muscle; yet, in adolescents, anabolics can cause the closure of growth plates at the ends of bones, permanently inhibiting one’s capability to grow.

That’s not to say that “juicing” is not worth the risk of shrunken testicles, man breasts, acne, infertility, baldness, painful erections and having the eyebrows of an orangutan. It’s your call, tough guy.