There’s always a price to be paid.

Let’s be frank. Steroids are as much apart of bodybuilding as lifting weights. It’s something that surrounds bodybuilding, a subject matter that has been with the sport since professional federations were established. The funny thing about steroids is that everyone’s using them. People like to fool themselves into believing that only bodybuilders take steroids, that anyone into body transformation is simply hooked on the performance enhancer. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Athletes, the average joe, there’s no difference. Many people take steroids to great effect.

And there’s the rub. We all know the positives of taking steroids.  That you’ll hope to make great muscle gains, that your body will recover from any damage it’s sustained. But what are the consequences of taking steroids?  The truth is that the word “steroids” cover a wide variety of drugs – but before we get into the gritty details (We’ll do that in an upcoming article), let’s weigh a few of the major consequences of steroid use right now…

Hair Thinning

Probably the biggest concern of anyone taking steroids is that their hair may fall out….Well, not really, but it is a side effect to be aware of. It may not be that big a deal in the long run as many men end up losing their hair when they advance in age, but premature loss can be a key sign that the biological manipulation going on in the body isn’t necessarily the healthiest thing.
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Liver Toxicity

There’s been a direct link with liver damage and the usage of anabolic steroids. Steroid use may be a cause of liver damage, but so can consuming an excessive amount of sugar. So really the lesson here is moderation of what you put into your body.
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Testicle Shrinkage

Heard all those rumors of steroids shrinking your package?  So yeah, that ended up being a bit misquoted. There’s definitely gonna be some shrinkage if you use steroids excessively, but not of the Johnson. Steroids actually shrink testicles, which is evidence of something else going on in the body. The dreaded transforming of testosterone into the female hormone estrogen.
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But don’t just take our word for it. Take a look and listen to Rich Piana’s experience with the side effects of steroid use…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp7EUvdFlaU

GI gives major props to Rich for being one of the few honest bodybuilders out there, willing to discuss the taboo subject openly – thank you Rich!  But the big question anyone has to ask themselves is how bad do they want their gains? Does Rich Piana have a point? Are you willing to go through the negatives to get the positives? Let us know your opinion in the comments below and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Sources:

“Performance-enhancing drugs: Know the risks” by The Mayo Clinic.

“Fact Sheet: Side Effects of Steroid Use” by ABC News.