{"id":621025,"date":"2024-05-19T03:30:01","date_gmt":"2024-05-19T00:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-gymgoers-should-be-wary-of-using-testosterone-supplements-to-boost-their-gains\/"},"modified":"2024-05-19T03:30:01","modified_gmt":"2024-05-19T00:30:01","slug":"why-gymgoers-should-be-wary-of-using-testosterone-supplements-to-boost-their-gains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-gymgoers-should-be-wary-of-using-testosterone-supplements-to-boost-their-gains\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why gymgoers should be wary of using testosterone supplements to boost their gains"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3c17098e79a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3c17098e79a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-gymgoers-should-be-wary-of-using-testosterone-supplements-to-boost-their-gains\/#Growing_problem\" >Growing problem<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2024\/steroids.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2024\/steroids.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2024\/steroids.jpg\" alt=\"steroids\" title=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The desire for a sculpted physique is driving some amateur gymgoers to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/health\/article-13336759\/Gymgoers-unknowingly-pumping-steroids-docs-say-kill-them.html\">experiment with synthetic steroids<\/a>\u2014specifically, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6920068\/\">testosterone supplements<\/a>. This trend is largely being driven by <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a>, with thousands of posts discussing ways to boost testosterone levels, and high-profile influencers promoting the supposed benefits of using the synthetic hormone\u2014and even recommending products that anyone can purchase online without a pre<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a>ion.<\/p>\n<p>But while synthetic testosterone might improve your appearance in the short term, its long-term consequences to your health should not be ignored.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK526128\/\">Testosterone<\/a> is a steroid hormone that plays a role in the function of all of our organs. Both men and women produce testosterone, though men&#8217;s bodies have about <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6391653\/\">15 times more<\/a> circulating testosterone than women.<\/p>\n<p>Not only does testosterone drive sexual development and puberty, it also helps us build lean muscle mass and controls bone growth. This improves our strength, athletic endurance and cardiovascular fitness.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/33467296\/\">Many factors<\/a> can naturally increase testosterone production\u2014including exercise, stress and sex.<\/p>\n<p>But using a synthetic testosterone supplement to boost levels\u2014especially in amounts that exceed those produced by the body\u2014will have many effects on your health.<\/p>\n<p>Initially, it may lead to an increase in sex drive and help your body <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2254887422000923?via%3Dihub\">build more muscle mass<\/a> over several months. It <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2254887422000923?via%3Dihub\">may also cause<\/a> acne, male-pattern balding and breast enlargement in men. Women may experience amenorrhea (loss of their period), an increase in body hair, deeper voice and enlargement of the clitoris.<\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                        <!-- Google middle Adsense block --><\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                                                            But these side-effects are minor when compared with the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/38170017\/\">serious consequences<\/a> that long-term, repeated abuse has on the body.<\/p>\n<p>Steroid abuse <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/sms.14172\">changes the heart<\/a>, causing it to enlarge, blood pressure to rise, and arteries to become less elastic. All of these changes make it harder for the heart to perform, increasing <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2254887422000923?via%3Dihub\">risk of sudden death<\/a>. Cardiovascular changes persist in the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/sms.14172\">majority of abusers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Damage to the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2254887422000923?via%3Dihub\">liver and kidneys<\/a> frequently develops in people who use steroids long-term.<\/p>\n<p>Testosterone has psychological effects, too\u2014including increased aggression, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2254887422000923?via%3Dihub\">depression and anxiety<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Crucially, testosterone supplements turn off the normal drives for this hormone in the brain. This causes hypogonadism, a condition where the tissues that normally produce testosterone shrink. In men, this leads to a fall in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7174889\/\">sperm count and testicular volume<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Hypogonadism also contributes to a wide range of withdrawal effects. Some of these <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/38590148\/\">symptoms include<\/a> depression and reduced libido\u2014unless, of course, more testosterone is used.<\/p>\n<p>Many men who have abused steroids will <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3255409\/\">become hypogonadal<\/a> and require life-long testosterone replacement as a result.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Growing_problem\"><\/span>Growing problem<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The International Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Agency <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20201112011132\/https:\/\/www.wada-ama.org\/en\/content\/what-is-prohibited\/prohibited-at-all-times\/anabolic-agents\">prohibited testosterone<\/a> and other anabolic steroids following the 1972 Olympics. Their reasoning was that although these agents increase physical performance, they also have serious consequences on health.<\/p>\n<p>Yet more than 40 years after that international ban, anabolic steroid use continues among some athletes. For example, between <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/34540733\/\">29% and 43% of professional athletes<\/a> in Iran were reported to have abused these agents in 2021. And an Australian study of 32 athletes (mostly women) in 2023 found that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jsams.org\/article\/S1440-2440(23)00383-3\/fulltext\">around 43%<\/a> of those interviewed had reported using performance- and image-enhancing drugs.<\/p>\n<p>However, professional athletes are now just a small proportion of a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(08)60801-6\/abstract\">global doping problem<\/a>. Cosmetic uses of testosterone by non-athletes who want to improve their self-confidence and physical appearance mean that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/co-endocrinology\/abstract\/2023\/12000\/surveys_on_androgen_abuse__a_review_of_recent.5.aspx\">abuse of anabolic steroids<\/a> is now a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(08)60801-6\/fulltext\">public issue<\/a>. Some <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ukad.org.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/2020-04\/UKAD%20IPED%20Report.pdf\">reports estimate<\/a> that around <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/wchh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/tre.762\">1 million people<\/a> take steroids such as testosterone in the UK.<\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                        <!-- Google middle Adsense block --><\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                                                            But given the well-known risks and harms of using testosterone, why would anyone choose to use it\u2014and continue to use it even when they <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/38268076\">experience serious health problems<\/a>? This is a question that experts have been trying to answer for years.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps one reason is that users perceive health issues to be a future problem\u2014and that these issues are an acceptable risk to take if it means a better performance or appearance in the short-term.<\/p>\n<p>Addiction to anabolic steroids may play a role, as it may <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4437834\/\">influence judgment<\/a> and minimize awareness of the potential harms.<\/p>\n<p>The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29498027\/\">&#8220;Goldman dilemma&#8221;<\/a> may also provide some insight. Between 1982 and 1995, Bob Goldman, a physician and publicist, put a Faustian hypothetical question to elite athletes: would they be willing to take a magic pill that would ensure Olympic gold medal success, but which would also cause their death five years later?<\/p>\n<p>He reported that about half the athletes interviewed accepted the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/deathinlockerroo00gold\/mode\/2up\">&#8220;gold for death&#8221;<\/a> option. In a 2012\u201313 repeat of the study, this <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s40279-018-0881-9\">proportion was smaller, at 7%\u201314%,<\/a>\u2014with elite athletes the most likely to choose &#8220;gold for death&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s undeniable that abuse of testosterone and its synthetic mimics can lead to harm, yet many continue to abuse it. International bans have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/38170017\/\">not been effective<\/a>. With a growing number of non-athletes abusing testosterone, more needs to be done to inform the public of its many consequences to health in the long term.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n                                                Provided by<br \/>\n                                                                                                    The Conversation<br \/>\n                                                                                                        <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\"><br \/>\n                                                        <svg><use href=\"https:\/\/medx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                                            This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-gymgoers-should-be-wary-of-using-testosterone-supplements-to-boost-their-gains-229541\">original article<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/229541\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 Why gymgoers should be wary of using testosterone supplements to boost their gains (2024, May 18)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved 19 May 2024<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2024-05-gymgoers-wary-testosterone-supplements-boost.html<\/p>\n<p>                                            This document is subject to copyright. 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This trend is largely being driven by social media, with thousands of posts discussing ways to boost testosterone levels, and high-profile influencers promoting the supposed benefits of using the synthetic hormone\u2014and even recommending&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":621026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2024\/steroids.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-621025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=621025"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621025\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/621026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=621025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=621025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=621025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}