Although performance enhancing drugs may give an athlete the competitive edge, they also may expose an individual to serious health risks. According to the MayoClinic.com website, the long-term effects of performance enhancing drugs have not been rigorously examined, and the short-term benefits may not outweigh the risks. Common health problems associated with taking performance enhancing drugs, for both men and women, include increased aggression, bouts of depression and severe acne.
Aggressive Behavior
According to a 2003 study by R.C. Daly and colleagues published in the journal "Psychoneuroendocrinology," the administration of acute, high-dose anabolic-androgenic steroids in normal male volunteers caused changes in free thyroxine that significantly correlated with changes in the participants' aggressiveness or tendency to become angry, violent or irritable. A 2005 article by Adam J. Trenton and Glenn W. Currier published in the journal "CNS Drugs" states that significant psychiatric symptoms--such as aggression and violence, mania and occasionally psychosis and suicide--have been linked to steroid abuse. Trenton and Currier note that long-term steroid abusers may experience feelings of dependence or withdrawal upon discontinuing anabolic-androgenic steroid use.
Psychological Effects
A 2005 study published in the journal "Toxicology Letters" by C. Maravelias and colleagues from the University of Athens' Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology states that psychiatric and behavioral disorders, including depression, are common adverse effects associated with anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse in athletes. According to a 1996 study by Brian Corrigan published in "The Medical Journal of Australia," numerous psychiatric disorders have been chronicled in athletes using anabolic-androgenic steroids, including schizophrenia, hypomania and mania, delirium, depression, paranoia and even suicide. The University of Maryland's Center for Substance Abuse Research states that depression is commonly seen among users upon cessation, which may contribute to dependence on the drugs. Other psychological effects associated with anabolic-androgenic steroid use include paranoid jealousy and impaired judgment associated with feelings of invincibility.
Severe Acne
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a division of the National Institutes of Health, anabolic steroid abuse has been linked with a broad range of adverse health effects, including acne, cysts and oily hair and skin. The Association Against Steroid Abuse notes that physical changes among anabolic-androgenic steroid users--including severe acne breakouts on the shoulders and back--typically are the most pronounced short-term symptoms, as they're not easily concealed by the novice user. The severe acne breakouts that often accompany anabolic steroid abuse can leave scars on the face, back and elsewhere, and may negatively influence self-esteem, which perpetuates the cycle of drug use and abuse.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Performance-Enhancing Drugs: Are They a Risk to Your Health
- "Psychoneuroendocrinology"; Anabolic Steroid Administration in Male Normal Volunteers; R.C. Daly et al.; April 2003
- "CNS Drugs"; Behavioural Manifestations of Anabolic Steroid Use; Adam J. Trenton and Glenn W. Currier; 2005
- "Toxicology Letters"; Adverse Effects of Anabolic Steroids in Athletes; C. Maravelias et al.; September 2005
- "The Medical Journal of Australia"; Anabolic Steroids and the Mind; Brian Corrigan; 1996
