Steroids and Dating and Attraction

fastbelly

Never considered using and never will!
As far as drugs are concerned I'm a one drug type of guy now... Alcohol is my only drug.

ninerbuff

Again, steroids do not cause people to lose control over their bodies. In fact, propensity towards violence is no higher in steroid users than the general population. So if you were gonna beat your wife on steroids, you would most likely beat your wife off steroids. There is actually a higher percentage of violence associated with alcohol use, not just abuse, than steroid use and abuse.

Do you have any studies to back this up? All I can see is there is a lot of health problems from taking steroids and some users have psychological symptoms.

Here's one and I'm sure there are many more. I chose this one since it's directly through endocrinology.

http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/81/10/3754.abstract?sid=a63f3341-a82c-453c-9d4e-03224b2a4bf9

No differences were observed between exercising and nonexercising and between placebo and TE treated subjects for any of the 5 subdomains of MAI. Overall there were no significant changes in MI or OMI during the treatment period in any group. Conclusion: Supraphysiological doses of testosterone, when administered to normal men in a controlled setting, do not increase angry behavior. These data do not exclude the possibility that still higher doses of multiple steroids might provoke angry behavior in men with preexisting psychopathology.

I've trained around many a male who was juiced to the gills and only one had "anger" issues, but according to his friends he was always that way as a kid.

A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

thefuzz1290

Again, steroids do not cause people to lose control over their bodies. In fact, propensity towards violence is no higher in steroid users than the general population. So if you were gonna beat your wife on steroids, you would most likely beat your wife off steroids. There is actually a higher percentage of violence associated with alcohol use, not just abuse, than steroid use and abuse.

Do you have any studies to back this up? All I can see is there is a lot of health problems from taking steroids and some users have psychological symptoms.

I can ask you for evidence that roid rage exists, but I won't waste your time looking for it. Now as for psychological symptons, there are studies that show anabolic steroids could increase or heighten pyschological symptoms already there. Now it could also be a catalysts for "bigorexia," the obsession with becoming massive, but that would be there whether steroids exist or not. Now as for health risks, every drug has health risks, even over the counter asprin could kill you if abused.

The biggest piece of evidence, that won't cause me to spend 30+ minutes finding the reports I've read in the past, is the fact that the FDA hasn't banned anabolic steroids outright. They are still prescribed on a regular basis to hundreds of thousands of men (and women) in the United States and have multiple health benefits, including weight loss and muscle growth. When used, most side effects in men are reversible: shrinking of the testes, acne, and hair growth...gynomastia isn't reversible without surgery, but is commonly found in abusers, not users. Women could see the same side effects, which when they're perscribed steroids, they get perscribed a smaller dose. However, the deepening of the voice that women abusers get is not reversible without surgery.

A lot of the pro-steroid websites have a lot of unbias information, and even discourage steroid use for most people. Also, surprisngly, pro-steroid websites tend to be more honest about the effects, good and bad, than government run studies. You should really browse some of these websites, but stay away from the forums....too much sifting through crap to find good information.

But I'll say it again, just to reiterate since it seems like I'm encouraging people to use steroids. I am not encouraging people to break the law, just educate themselves. If you have a valid perscription from a doctor, not obtained fraudulently, then take them. However, if you would need to obtain them illegally, do so at your own risk of getting busted for a felony.

gdunn55

I know the UFC tests for steroids. Alot of controversy came about with Dan Henderson and a few fighters about using testosterone replacement therapy. Henderson is the only fighter I know allowed to do so. He has medical clearance to have TRT due to having extremely low levels of testosterone. Several fighters have been caught having TRT without consent of a doctor or the UFC.

ilovedeadlifts

Roid rage is made up.


As far as talking trash about a cop jacked up on steroids and having "roid rage". Loook up Derek Poundstone. He clearly uses and is a police officer. And from what I've seen in interviews, he's one of the nicest guys in the sport.


Sports that "test" for steroids don't do nearly enough to make sure their athletes aren't using. It's just to look good for the media. I'd say 80% of UFC fighters have cycled. Look at the delts/traps on some of those guys.

AmberJslimsAWAY

If this guy didn't look like such a tool in his face, I'd be all over it... that's really all I have to contribute

Aperture_Science

I thought 'roid rage was something you go when you had hemorrhoids?!?

ilovedeadlifts

Never considered using and never will!
As far as drugs are concerned I'm a one drug type of guy now... Alcohol is my only drug.

Congrats on using one of the most dangerous drugs in the world that causes more deaths than the majority of drugs.

songbyrdsweet

If they used prescriptive steroids, yes. If they abused steroids, probably not, because they cause SO many health problems. It's not even a respect thing, but more of a...you have an enlarged heart/liver, shrunken testicles, propensity for early heart attack, etc.

ilovedeadlifts

If they used prescriptive steroids, yes. If they abused steroids, probably not, because they cause SO many health problems. It's not even a respect thing, but more of a...you have an enlarged heart/liver, shrunken testicles, propensity for early heart attack, etc.

Prescribed steroids and the steroids that a lot of people take are gonna be the same thing (testosterone ethanate), just maybe a different dose.

Please site your sources for the "enlarged liver/heart" The testicles atrophy while on cycle, then come back fine once you go into PCT.

get your facts right before having a strong opinion on something.

gdunn55

Roid rage is made up.


As far as talking trash about a cop jacked up on steroids and having "roid rage". Loook up Derek Poundstone. He clearly uses and is a police officer. And from what I've seen in interviews, he's one of the nicest guys in the sport.


Sports that "test" for steroids don't do nearly enough to make sure their athletes aren't using. It's just to look good for the media. I'd say 80% of UFC fighters have cycled. Look at the delts/traps on some of those guys.

You can't mean someone as big as Lesnar ever cycled. *snicker*. I'm sure some have cycled and probably clean themselves out months or weeks before the tests for fights.

While this has been kinda informative and I'll probably do more research, I probably still won't use them unless it becomes a necessity. I don't compete in anything (body building, MMA) and even the races I do is just to push myself.

And I've seen Poundstone wrap a frying pan like it was a tortilla. Dude is scary strong but very nice from what I've seen.

ilovedeadlifts

^^I don't really see a point in people doing them recreationally just to look better. I understand people using for the sake of competition, and to get the most out of their body.

I've seen that vid as well. Poundstone is a monster.

songbyrdsweet

If they used prescriptive steroids, yes. If they abused steroids, probably not, because they cause SO many health problems. It's not even a respect thing, but more of a...you have an enlarged heart/liver, shrunken testicles, propensity for early heart attack, etc.

Prescribed steroids and the steroids that a lot of people take are gonna be the same thing (testosterone ethanate), just maybe a different dose.

Please site your sources for the "enlarged liver/heart" The testicles atrophy while on cycle, then come back fine once you go into PCT.

get your facts right before having a strong opinion on something.

I don't have to cite sources...that's not an 'unknown'. Growth hormone causes everything to grow...organs, bones. That's why men like Ronnie Coleman have abs over what looks like a pregnant belly. Their organs (and usually brow bone) become enlarged.

Also, the difference between use and abuse IS dosage.

jedibunny

QUESTION FOR THE WOMEN: Would you ever date/marry a man who has used/uses steroids or prohormones? Would you be able to respect them? Because after the first impressions of physical attraction, a conscious effort has to be made to overcome that, once knowing he shoots himself in the butt with steroids lol. Would that be morally a dealbreaker for you? Granted, this may be a morality issue, as I'm sure lots of people here use recreational drugs and whatnot and steroids can be arguably defended as safer than prescription pill poppers looking to get high.

Storytime.

My fiance and I met in a video game and started talking, talking more, flirting, and eventually calling each other, then of course it was on to the pics. He was buff. He worked out twice a day and appeared healthy and happy. I wasn't into working out at all, but he really did look great, and so I didn't at all mind his being busy for up to four hours a day at the gym... it was just his thing. I had my own things.

About a month after things got serious he, with no provocation (as I had no idea), came out and said "I need you to know that I'm taking steroids. I don't want you to not feel the same way about me because of it." Did that change the way I felt about him? Absolutely not - I'd fallen head over heels and wasn't getting up. Was I surprised? Yes. Granted he did look buff and did spend lots of time at the gym and did have a competitive streak to him, so the pieces fell into place pretty easily after the initial surprise wore off; it made sense. I did not condone it. I got worried. I didn't know anything about them aside from what I had heard about from sports, so being a good little bookworm I did some research in medical and biochemical journals. I found a lot of information and shared it all with him so I could have a conversation with him about it. He loved that I was concerned, but didn't quit... not for some time. The articles were inconclusive about the resultant harm that could come from use, but they also spoke loudly and clearly about dependency issues; steroids themselves aren't necessarily addictive, but they do build up in the system so that in order to get the same effect as you did initially, you have to use more. Users (including my fiance) talked about "cyclical" use: one cycle "on" and one "off" to reduce that buildup effect. He was sure he wasn't doing himself harm no matter what I made him read. I was concerned. I wanted him to stop, but knew what would happen when he did.

He did stop - but not out of concern for his health; instead, he stopped because he couldn't afford it any longer after losing his job. He became very, very moody. He gained weight. He got depressed and let it affect everything in his life, even our relationship, for a time. Then we moved in together, he found a job, and he cheered up a bit.

He's still not the carefree happy-go-lucky person he was, partially because he feels like without the steroids he doesn't have motivation to work out... and working out makes him feel better about himself. Part of my journey on MFP is to prove to myself AND him that drugs are unnecessary when it comes to feeling better about yourself! He's starting to see it, which is awesome, and his life is generally becoming sunnier... I'm seeing hints of the Real Him beginning to shine through again and it makes us both so much happier.

The point is: steroids take a LONG time to get over.

And to answer the OP's questions,
1. Yes, I would obviously date/marry a guy who used steroids. I would also and did encourage him to stop.
2. Yes, of course I respect him. He respects me, and I've made a lot of bad choices in my past.
3. Morally not a dealbreaker. My morals revolve around doing good and seeing people benefit from good. I don't think drugs factor into that because people don't take drugs to be "bad." Dealing is another issue, but he's never done that and wouldn't.
4. Steroids ARE safer than prescription pill popping. When I was depressed I'd take way more painkillers than I needed. Never again... it nearly killed me. Steroids don't kill. They just depress when removed after extended periods of use.


...and as a related aside, I'm still terribly attracted to my fiance even though he's not as "buff" as he was when we met.

CLARIFICATION: he was doing the injections, not pills. I love him still and I loved him then.

ilovedeadlifts

I don't have to cite sources...that's not an 'unknown'. Growth hormone causes everything to grow...organs, bones. That's why men like Ronnie Coleman have abs over what looks like a pregnant belly. Their organs (and usually brow bone) become enlarged.

Also, the difference between use and abuse IS dosage.

You need a source if you're making false claims.
Steroids and HGH are two different things.

gdunn55

^^I don't really see a point in people doing them recreationally just to look better. I understand people using for the sake of competition, and to get the most out of their body.

I've seen that vid as well. Poundstone is a monster.

There's something about being able to telling someone I done this by eating right, working hard, and none of it is chemical except for the Creatine, Beta Alanine, and additional protein I ate.

ilovedeadlifts

There's something about being able to telling someone I done this by eating right, working hard, and none of it is chemical except for the Creatine, Beta Alanine, and additional protein I ate.

Steroids don't take away from the hard work. You still have to eat right, work hard, and live for that goal.

gdunn55

There's something about being able to telling someone I done this by eating right, working hard, and none of it is chemical except for the Creatine, Beta Alanine, and additional protein I ate.

Steroids don't take away from the hard work. You still have to eat right, work hard, and live for that goal.

Again, my ignorance on the subject is showing.

So if I still have to put in all that I'm doing now, what's the steroid do?

ilovedeadlifts

So if I still have to put in all that I'm doing now, what's the steroid do?

Makes you recover faster.
Makes you stronger.
Takes you beyond your genetic potential.

You still have to put the work into it, but they can allow you to go to the next level that might not have been attainable naturally.

PitBullMom_Liz

But all of you would marry Christian Bale. LOL

I wouldn't marry him but I'd certainly use him and abuse him until he broke. ;-)