Many athletes and bodybuilders make use of steroids to give them more muscle mass. However, steroids can be harmful if taken for a prolonged periods of time and does come with various side effects. Some people may respond better to prolonged use than others, but ultimately even the most resistant athletes and bodybuilders succumb to come of these side effects.

Side Effects in Females – Masculinization

Females who take steroids over a long period of time start to experience increased masculinity. Facial hair increases and so does the amount of body hair, while male pattern baldness is also visible on many females who take steroids. Changes in the texture of skin as well as break outs and acne seem to increase as well.

Side Effects in Men – Feminizing

Due to the conversion of excessive amounts of testosterone in to estrogen, a lot of feminine characteristics are visible on men that use steroids for long periods of time. Men may notice a lot of unpleasant changes in the body such as the formation of breasts, decreased size of testes, decreased libido, reduced sperm count and possibly even impotence. However, most of these side effects can be treated with medication.

Cardiovascular Issues

Steroids have been know to increase what is called the “bad” cholesterol in your body. This also increases the overall level of cholesterol in your body which in turn creates clogged blood vessels. This is extremely risky as it could leave steroids users wide open to things such as cardio attacks and heart problems. The good news is that it can be controlled with medication, but only if it is detected before the user has a stroke or heart attack.

Stunted Growth Rates

This is especially true in teens. Using steroids at such a young age cause a premature closure of growth rate in teenagers. Teenagers who are athletes at school should take note of this and try to steer clear of legal steroids until they are older as it could eventually lead to stunted growth.

Kidney problems

Steroids are generally toxic substances and due to the nature of the supplement it places a lot of pressure on your kidneys. This in turn causes imbalances in the electrolytes and raises the blood pressure. User who experience excessive swelling in the lower ankles and legs may have a kidney problem.

If you are a steroid user, take note of the side effects so you know exactly what you are getting into before taking them.