Steroids, Growth Hormones, and Testosterone

This is a bit of a hot topic, and I get asked about these often... so let's get into it!

Let me start out by saying first and foremost… that I do NOT in any way shape or form respect or condone the use of steroids, growth hormones, and testosterone for cosmetic/bodybuilding or athletic performance use.

This is SUCH a TERRIBLE idea, and there are WAY too many people out there who jump head first into supplementing these with absolutely no idea what they are doing, and are ignorant to the incredible harm they are doing to themselves.

All three of these come in either natural or synthesized forms. Anytime you introduce a foreign hormone into the body there is the risk of severe side effects. Playing doctor to yourself and messing with your body’s chemistry is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS endeavor.  

Keep in mind I grew up around the world of bodybuilding. Unfortunately there are an overwhelming number of bodybuilders who utilize these hormones. I have seen men/women on every type of steroid, growth hormone, testosterone, and other anabolic supplement there is. I have seen the effects it has had on them, their loved ones, and their lives. Most of them have had to have kidneys replaced, liver failure, some have had heart attacks. They’ve gone to jail for violence, battery, and physical abuse. Some have killed on account of misuse of these hormones. Many have died from them. Unfortunately all three of these have become only more and more accessible as time goes on. There are over the counter testosterone supplements that can be purchased which are actually worse in many cases than taking genuine natural testosterone, as they contain unnatural filling agents that only add more pollution to your body.

All three of these can be prescribed by doctors. That being said… there are legitimate uses for all of these. There are situations where a person may have deficiency in growth hormones in their body, stunting the growth of vital organs and muscles. There are people who are recovering from severe injuries where steroids are prescribed to aid in the healing process. There are cases where a deficiency in someone’s testosterone levels can be supplemented if necessary. In all of these cases however, the individuals who are recommended for the use of such hormone therapy should be, and are very closely monitored by their doctor both in dosage, and frequency of use. They CAN be used for good.

The problem however is that there is an alarming number of people who consider use of these hormones for cosmetic and athletic purposes. This is not what they are intended for. It’s like a demolition crew using an atom bomb to tear down a building. It’s such overkill, and will do way more damage than good.

While I have met many women over the years that have used steroids, I do tend to see the trend lean more towards men. Most guys get frustrated or impatient with their training results from either a cosmetic, performance standpoint, or both. They jump the gun, take the shortcut, the easy way… and will start on one or more of these.

They never stop to look at the basics, to analyze their current workout/diet situation, and look for holes in it, or they are just unwilling to put forth the honest effort and time it takes to achieve the results they want. Most people can make simple adjustments that would garner better results for their efforts without the use of these extreme supplements, or even regular supplements for that matter!

Are you cycling your workouts and changing your routine regularly? Are you tracking them, and being progressive? Are you eating 100% clean, and providing your body the protein, carbs, and other nutrients it needs to perform the workouts you are putting it through? Are you getting the rest your body requires to regenerate and grow? Are you overtraining? Are you undertraining? These and so many other questions need to be addressed FAR before you’d ever consider taking even ordinary supplements let alone anything as extreme as hormonal supplementation.

I’d say 99% of the people who start taking these, have absolutely ZERO idea HOW to take them appropriately and efficiently. How do they know how much to take, how often to take it, and in what doses? The answers to these questions would all lie in regular blood work testing their various chemical levels. Vital information they do not have access to. They’re guessing, assuming, or taking advice from others who are on them… who THINK they know what they are doing, but don’t. The result that comes from this ignorance is someone playing around with their body’s chemical/hormonal balances, and doing great harm to their vital organs along the way.

None of these hormones come cheap either. You will spend anywhere from $5,000.00 to $20,000.00 a YEAR to keep up with them, which presents another problem… What do you do when you can no longer afford to stay on them? Your body develops a very strong dependency to these hormonal supplements. It begins to rely on them, and stops producing these chemicals naturally. Any “positive” effects you may have achieved are now going to do a BIG u-turn and go in the complete opposite direction. Organs fail, muscles shrink, fat cells increase, bones weaken, and depression sets in.

Some will attempt to go on these hormones thinking they’ll just stop once they’ve achieved their desired goal, as a kick start, and then maintain it naturally from there on out. For the reasons mentioned in the above paragraph… this does not work.

If you are willing to put THAT kind of money into your appearance, or athletic performance then the SMART thing to do is to start by making an appointment with a nutritionist or dietitian. Have them do blood work on you, and determine what nutrients/chemicals you are over/underproductive in. ONLY THEN will you be able to accurately assess what supplements you should be taking in, and in what quantities. Check back in for another work up every 3 months or as the professional recommends. This is such incredibly invaluable information for ANYONE athletic or not. It’s much less expensive than paying exorbitant amounts of money for supplements that may or may not help you get to you to your desired state. It’s a very expensive guessing game. Wouldn’t it be worth the money to just go find out what you need?

The next thing would be to hire a professional trainer who is educated in helping you achieve the goals you have set for yourself through both natural diet, and exercise. A good trainer should educate you along the way, and teach you the proper way to reach, and maintain your goals. This is something that I as a trainer try very hard to do.

Everybody is built differently. Some are more inclined to put on muscle easily, have a naturally higher metabolism, be faster, or  jump higher… it’s what makes us all unique. Some have to work harder to achieve their desired results than others. Some people will only get so muscular, so thin, or so fast… Some people are genetically capable of achieving results that others are not. You may not like it, but that’s life!

All you can do is your best, and be happy with knowing that all you’ve achieved you’ve worked for honestly on your own every step of the way, and never took a short cut. You can never truly be proud of your accomplishments if you achieve them by cheating or taking the easy way.

Growth hormones and steroids get a lot of exposure in the press, so there is a little more awareness about the negative effects they cause. Testosterone however gets downplayed a lot and yet can cause all the same harmful side effects as GH, and steroids when misused. Just because something is legal doesn’t make it good for you. Cigarettes are legal.

So what are all of these terrible side effects I speak of? Well it’s no coincidence that all three of these hormones when used blindly and ignorantly can all produce the same side effects as one another. These aren’t even all of them, but here are some…

·         Can cause or aggravate sleep apnea (brief, repeated cessation of breathing during sleep)

·         Stimulate noncancerous (benign) growth of the prostate and cause or worsen urinary symptoms

·         Stimulate growth of existing present cancer you may not even be aware of, or have been diagnosed with yet.

·         Enlarge breasts (gynecomastia) and yes… even in men.

·         Cause testicle shrinkage (testicular atrophy)

·         Limit sperm production (infertility)

·         Stimulate excess blood production (polycythemia)

·         Deficiency in natural production of the hormone being supplemented causing a dependency of the substance

·         Liver damage/failure

·         Kidney damage/failure

·         Coronary heart disease

·         Contributes strongly to male sexual dysfunction

·         Skin reactions

·         Fluid retention

·         Baldness

·         Diabetes

·         Colon Cancer

·         Prostate Cancer

·         Lung cancer

·         Breast cancer

·         Excessive sweating

·         Joint and bone aches

·         Enlargement of the heart

·         High blood pressure

·         Hardening of the arteries

·         Heart palpitations

·         Elevated cholesterol levels

·         Mood swings

·         Violent behavior

·         Psychological distortion

·         DEATH!!!

Sounds fun huh?! Not ONE of these side effects are worth the cosmetic, or athletic benefits you might receive for taking them. It is an incredibly HUGE price to pay for the mere sake of such vanity and narcissism.

I take great pride in being a 100% natural bodybuilder. I have never once in my life taken a single one of these. I am often asked if I do, and am extremely offended at the very notion. I have a very low opinion of those who misuse these. I have worked very hard to achieve all that I have with myself physically.

People don’t realize that I have had the benefit of being taught the right way to do things from lifting to diet/nutrition from day one. There’s been no experimenting, or guessing game. Most people can spend 5 to 10 years of working out before they truly learn the right way to do things, and what’s right for their body.

Knowledge is truly power, and this is one area I have had the benefit of being educated on at an early age. An edge so very few have had the benefit of. I am very fortunate to have had that, and now make a living sharing the knowledge I’ve gained over 16 years of experience.

If where I am at physically is the furthest I can achieve naturally… then so be it. I value life, happiness, and my sanity way too much to sacrifice it all merely for the sake of being bigger than I currently am. It’s a fool’s game, I’m not playing it, and neither should you!