erone does (Silverstein, p.18). Anabolic steroids were first used to help World War II victims put on weight at the end of the war. Anabolic steroids were intended for the sick people, but instead of this, healthy people often abuse these steroids because they want to gain muscle (Morris, p.230).There are three major benefits from steroid use and they are: first, athletes will attain a greater increase in lean muscle mass and strength when it is used with a combination of hard training and the drug; second, the athlete's body suffers less breakdown as this decrease in muscle breakdown and recovery time permits more frequent training sessions at higher intensity and for longer periods of time (Lukas, p.7); and third but not least benefit, the increased aggressiveness they are believed to simulate as this increased aggressiveness may drive athletes to train harder and longer without the usual fatigue (Rogak, p.11). Other positive effects of using steroids are increases in: storage of muscle glycogen; blood volume; a general boasting of the immune system; and the reduction of body fat percentage. The effects are maintained as long as the athlete continues the steroid use (Silverstein, p.17).Unfortunately, anabolic steroids have many side effects. Some short-term side effects include high blood pressure, acne, nosebleeds, hair loss, and water retention. Other serious side effects are insomnia, increased appetite, and sterility. Users that inject steroids are at a higher risk of getting AIDS or hepatitis if using needles that are not sterilized properly (Rogak, p.22). Anabolic steroids have certain and different effects on males and females. Males can suffer from temporary impotence, develop large breast, and their sperm count will go down. Female users can get facial hair, experience deepening of the voice, may develop male pattern baldness, and suffer menstrual irregularities. Also in women, some side effects are permanent. Ster...
