When you take steroids they do not make you stronger unless you workout hard and eat enough calories to sustain the muscle and strength. Often times this means that a steroid user will end up spending more time in the gym. Which is why workout addicts like steroids. When they take steroids, their bodys can handle longer more intense workouts. These longer workouts and the recovery benefits of steroids combined with appropriate nutrition and ample sleep lead to a stronger athlete.
Steroids do not help your sports skills. They can actually hurt your skills because your body is getting stronger at an unusual pace. Athletes often times get muscle cramps or severe "pumps" in their muscles, because the muscle are developing at a faster rate and require more nutrition and more rest from the longer workouts.
Some Steroids are pills. But these are typically the weaker versions of steroids. Plus oral steroids are liver toxic so anyone who values thier health stays away from orals. Most steroids are taken by injection.
Steroids have many potential side effects. Side effects are genetic, meaning that some people have many sides, some people have none. Due to the side effect potential of steroids, anyone who values their health, gets their blood levels checked on a regular basis and changes the amounts of steroids that they are using based on their blood test results. Most people who have money, get blood levels checked every 2-3 months while on a cycle or at least at the begining, middle and end of the cycle, to ensure that they are using a "safe" or proper amount for them.
A savy steroid user not only knows the side effects, he also knows that other drugs can offset the negative sides of steroids. A smart user will purchase an anti-estrogen drug, and an HPTA stimulator for every cycle. These drugs are very common for steroid users, not all NEED them, but it is a good idea to have them so that the user can recover from the cycle. there are many other "anti-side" effect drugs out there. There are some for those who have a history of male pattern baldness, or high cholesterol. These are the two major negative side effects that users worry about. Anti-estrogen drugs are: nolvadex, or clomid, The HPTA drug is HCG, male patter baldness drugs are any of the anti-balding drugs currently on the market (they block dht in the scalp). The high cholesteral drugs are the same ones you see on TV or get from your doctor.
Steroid cylces are very complicated, injections are tedious and dangerous unless you know how to inject properly, and can be unsanitary if you don't know the correct cleansing processes.
What I am trying to say, is that someone who does steroids is not taking a shortcut. They are actually doing more work. They get more results, yes. But they are earning it. More work in the weight room, more discipline in thier diet, more work on their skills to keep coordination.
This is my opinion based on first hand experiance. I used steroids for 6 weeks to help me recover from a back injury. I had tried all other avenues, therapy, rest, rehab. Nothing worked. So i began researching. I don't know how I got the idea that steroids would help my back. After many months of research I decided it was my last resort. I used them for 6 weeks along with my usual rehab exercises, and my back is still feeling great (2 years later).
I am an avid basketball player. I played in HS and college. I didn't use the steroids in college, I injured my back in college (which ended my career) but I didn't take steroids till 5 years later. BUT---when i was on steroids, It did not help me on the basketball court. I was a bit stronger in the weight room, i put on a few lbs of muscle, but to my surprise they didn't help me on the court. I couldnt' shoot or dribble as well, I couldn't move as well, it was wierd.. I also got those back pumps, which hurt like hell. (back pumps are when the erector spinae muscle cramp up).
I think steroids have a place in society and sports. I do not consider them a shortcut. I do not think they should be over the counter drugs. I think doctors should be able to prescibe them to people for any reason, so that people can use them safely. I think they should be taxed and the money should be used for schools.
Having said all that, I understand your point. I hope my point is clear to you as well. I also want to say that there is a difference between use and abuse of steroids or any drug (alcohol, pot, etc...). Abuse leads to many health problems. But with proper knowledge of steroids, diet, and working out steroids are a very safe drug. (notice the use of the word "drug", im not saying they are "safe" in general, but in the context of drugs, they are safe if not abused.
I am not pro-steroids in sports though. If these guys didn't do steroids, i wouldn't care. I just know that these guys are trying to do anything to get better: diet, exercise, practice, meditation, prayer/superstition. I guess its only natural for the competative athlete to gravitate to drug usage to improve themself. I wonder how long before surgery is able to improve an athletes performance, or genetic modification. I wonder if I will be saying the same things about "performance enhancing surgery" or "perfromanc enhacing gentic alteration" that you are saying about steroids when those issues come up.
Who knows. Take care and thanks for your opinions and for making it clear that you weren't insulting me.
