All About Steroids
What are 'anabolic steroids'?
Anabolic steroids is testosterone. And when you take steroids, obviously, it gives you more testosterone, makes you stronger, faster, quicker, all that type of stuff.
What effect do anabolic steroids have on the body?
Well the short term effects of anabolic steroids would be, you know, muscle gain, strength gain, or depending on what sport you do, you know speed. But also baldness, acne - some of the short term effects. You know, so there is for some athletes some good things and some bad things. You know, I'm not a doctor so I wouldn't get into what it's doing to the insides so much and the studies are still out. But steroids for, you know, a lot of people that are sick with HIV, it does help. But I don't think we need it on the sports field, you know, playing on a level. You know if you're playing sports it should be level, in the sense of no extra steroids or vitamins that enhance you, you know, just play off of what God created, gave you, your folks did.
Are steroids illegal in the US?
Yes, steroids are illegal. You don't want to mess with them, it's a felony.
How prevalent is steroid use in the US?
I see it every day in the gym. I see guys using it and then you hear about it in the news with all the pro athletes. It's a shame in the last couple years on how much exposure it has gotten and hearing about kids, I'm doing a seminar for a kids' school tomorrow and I was called by a friend of mine who said to his son said "You can't play pro sports unless you use steroids." This kid was seven. I'm like, I didn't know about steroids until I was 17 or 18 and now it's like today's kids at 7 or 8 thinking you can't play pro sports unless you do drugs. I mean, basically, that's what it is - a drug and that's heartbreaking to think that.
What detrimental effects do steroids have on the body?
Steroids hurt your kidneys, blows out your liver. I have seen a lot of guys in the industry of health and fitness end up at 30, 35 years old, trying to get new kidneys. It's just crazy. It does kill you. No matter what somebody says, steroids can kill you. I know some people say “Well if you just take a certain amount of this or that” - you abuse anything? It's going to kill you. Aspirin will kill you if you take too much. I see the effect of steroids. What are you really trying to do with the steroids? You can't keep what you get and that's the main thing. With my training, I'll get to keep everything. I'll look like this next year, it won't change. But, with these guys that do steroids, they're going to get big, then they're going to get small - their joints weaken, their ligaments weaken, they get injured more.
How long have steroids been around in pro sports?
Since the Olympics, 1940's. Hitler. Hitler started with steroids back in the old days. Trying to get their athletes going. The Russians, the Chinese. That's where it really originated from.
Why do athletes take steroids, knowing the dangers?
Why do athletes take steroids? I think the point is when you're that college athlete, it's your senior year, and if you can run that forty, in four five, instead of four seven, it's a chance you make pro, and if you take the stuff, that might get you there. It may get you there, may not. Maybe your just not genetically prone to run that four five. And with using that it's not going to get you there, anyways. But the chances of making pro or being a pro athlete in today's society, it's like their gods. Their in the paper everyday, their getting a crazy amount of money, that's the temptation. If you can get any little help, they'll do it.
What are other types of steroids used to enhance performance?
Well I think steroids is a title for it. You know underneath that you got Deca, Annovar, Winstrol. They do different things. Some cut you up to you're tighter looking, others give you purely just strength and size. So there's hundreds of types.
What are the warning signs that someone is on steroids?
Mid age acne, they look purple, some guys in the gym walking around, they actually look purple. It's high blood pressure, not good looking.
