After the whole Mark McGwire incident and high profile deaths of some major sporting figures (Chris Benoit comes to mind), the politicians have become unusually vocal about their opposition to steroid use in sports. But they did so because these incidents became sensationalized by the media and politicians (who of course crave attention) suddenly jumped on the bandwagon demonizing every aspect of steroid use. Now they are introducing extensive legislation to make AAS procurement extremely hard to reach and closing down all UGL (under ground labs) who make steroids (which is a good thing because most UGLs sell tainted or under dosed AAS).
However, we have to look at this pragmatically. Is steroid use extremely prevalent in sports? It used too in the past but with increasingly stringent testing procedures, it has become very difficult to take AAS during competition. Is steroid use dangerous? Yes, it definitely can be especially if you don´t know what you are doing and how much to take. Is AAS socially disruptive compared to hard drugs like cocaine, heroin, or something as common as nicotine? Well, despite a few high profile cases involving steroids, there have been only a few steroid related deaths or steroid associated violence. Nothing on the scale of hardcore narcotics.
That´s where the problem lies; misperception and mischaracterization. There is general assumption that anyone who takes steroids will become a massive, violent, out of control neanderthal who will make a lousy role model for kids and who cheats at sports. This is far from the truth and the fact is that individuals who do use steroids still have to work hard on their diet, exercise, rest and recovery and prevent side effects. It´s not a magic pill!
So how does one use steroids in their life? The most common and legal use of steroids are for people who need HRT (Hormone replacement therapy). HRT has shown great promise in helping older individuals have a better quality of life. These individuals are under constant supervision from their doctors and take controlled doses. Then you have the casual bodybuilder or strength athlete looking to increase strength or muscularity. Those goals in itself are not intrinsically harmful. God knows what kinds of snake oils people buy only to find out their hard earned money went to the toilet. Certain AAS are quite conducive to muscle growth and strength development. The trick is to use the AAS responsibly and just like patients on HRT, use controlled doses and proper precautions.
It´s no secret that manipulating your hormones can cause certain side effects. That can be said for any kind of medication. Thus one needs to mentally prepare for the consequences and take all precautions possible to ensure a safe and side effect free use of steroids. It can be done without causing any complications. However, I must reiterate that under no circumstances should anyone below the age of 21 use steroids. Even if steroid use can be done safely, the ramifications and potential problems it can cause to the underage will be damaging for life. In my professional opinion, no one should even think of using steroids until they are 25 years old and have at least 5 years training experience. Why? Because you want to reach your genetic potential first. You want to exhaust what your body is capable of and for most people, that is more than enough; steroid use shouldn´t even be an option. However for those individuals who have already reached their genetic limit and have plateaued in their gains, they can consider using steroids to help surpass their genetic level.
If you decide to use steroids, you must keep in mind that you´re diet and training have to be spot on. You need to eat clean and up your calories because of the nitrogen retention effect of steroids. Without a proper diet, any steroid protocol will leave you with all the side effects possible and no results. The same goes for training. Training while on steroid use, must be intense and consistent. In addition, if you are taking steroids, you need to take ancillaries to protect your liver, kidneys, prostrate, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, hair etc. And the most important aspect of steroid use is recovery, specifically PCT (Post cycle therapy). You need to have an appropriate PCT protocol to ensure that your body´s endogenous testosterone production is kick started. If you fail to do so, you will cause hormonal havoc in your body which will have adverse effects on your health (especially sexual health).
I will say this again, most people do not need steroids to reach their health and fitness goals. However, those who want to push past their genetic limit for their own personal self improvement (not competition), they must adhere to strict precautions and proper protocols to ensure a smooth, side effect free cycle. It is is preparation and patience that yields the best gains.
(This can be achieved without steroids!!)
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