Steroids Negative Effects in Teenagers

Many people, even professional athletes and super models, want to improve something about their bodies. Whether it is steroids or weight loss supplements, drug dealers and drug companies all claim to have the answer to happiness through products that claim to improve our bodies. But they never tell you about the price that you can pay: the cancers, depression, liver damage, acne, balding, or anger that can result. Happiness and athletic success don't come from a pill or a needle; they come from hard work and practice. The simple fact is that as a teen, your body is already running like a well-oiled machine and you have optimal potential to look good and be healthy. Following a solid work-out routine created by a coach or doctor, practicing, and eating and sleeping lots are all you need to excel as an athlete or to improve your body.

There are many kinds of steroids, but when you hear about them in the news in relation to sports, "doping," or performance enhancement, they almost always mean Anabolic-androgenic steroids. These are man-made substances that are related to male sex hormones such as testosterone. Steroids primarily help you bulk up by increasing growth hormone levels like

testosterone. But as a teen, you already have all the testosterone and energy that you need to bulk up and reduce body fat. Starting at puberty, your testosterone levels increase rapidly, peak at 20, and stay level until around 40. Nature has already given you everything you need. All you have to do is exercise, eat healthy, and sleep. Remember, more-and-more high schools and all colleges test their athletes for steroids. Not only will testing positive for steroids cause a student to be banned from sports, it could also cause his/her team to forfeit a game or entire season.

Steroids affect your heart. Steroid abuse has been associated with cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke. These heart problems can even happen to athletes under the age of 30. Steroids affect your liver and kidneys. Steroids can cause high blood pressure and kidney and liver tumors. Steroid use can also cause