Milos Sarcev answers: is roid rage real?
One of the longest standing stereotypes about steroid use and bodybuilding is roid rage. The concept that when a person abuses steroids, they will start to have intense mood swings that often induce anger. But is roid rage real? Or is it just an outdated stereotype that the populous hangs onto? In our latest GI Exclusive, Milos Sarcev goes into detail about roid rage in bodybuilding.
Milos Sarcev has overseen many clients throughout his long career in bodybuilding. Part of his job as a guru and coach is to create protocols for his athletes. This includes supplementation, and yes, often PEDs such as steroids. There are many concerns and stereotypes that fly around the mainstream media regarding steroid use. That’s why we ask Milo – in his long career as a coach, has he ever seen adverse reactions in his clients who take steroids?
He answers quickly and easily. No, he has not seen any seriously negative effects from steroid use in his athletes. The only time he had seen something go south is due to the athlete not taking the correct doses. If his clients follow his protocols to the letter, they have no issues.
But what about roid rage? An often overblown stereotype about bodybuilders (and steroid users) is that they become much more impatient and angry. Is this a real symptom of long term steroid use in bodybuilding?
Milos Sarcev admits that some people do have mood changes from using steroids. He also explains how certain compounds illicit different responses mentally in clients. Milos himself had never experienced major mood swings or anger due to his steroid use. He has also hardly noticed a difference in clients when they are off cycle vs on cycle.
The big place he sees mood swings is actually in diet. He describes that even an all natural bodybuilder’s mood can change drastically during peak contest prep.
“Diet wise, yes,” Milos Sarcev states in our interview. “You can have a natural guy that doesn’t take steroids. I put them on a training diet for ten days. They would rage and want to kill you. Because they are just starving.”
So perhaps the stereotype surrounding bodybuilders and anger issues is less due to roid rage and more due to the rigorous final weeks of cutting before competitions. It’s been well documented and explained that especially the final week, also known as “hell week,” can take a major mental and physical toll on athletes.
You can check out Milso Sarcev’s full comments on roid rage in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
