Lifetime Natty: Steroid Use & It’s Consequences

In recent years, the use of anabolic steroids has surged across all age groups and genders. In reality, it’s been a problem in just about every age bracket for decades, in high school athletes and beyond.

The more recent surge has probably been driven mostly by unrealistic expectations created by social media and a surge in TRT and other hormone replacement therapies.

This has coincided with somewhat of a transparency surrounding the use of anabolic steroids among influencers and celebrities which, for better or worse, maybe be leading some folks to hop on that otherwise wouldn’t have.

Once almost exclusively associated with bodybuilders and elite athletes, they’re now increasingly common among everyday individuals (read: less-than-serious gym-goers) seeking quick results in muscle gain, fat loss, or athletic performance.

It’s important to acknowledge that steroids work—they can enhance physical appearance and strength significantly.

However, this rapid transformation can come at a steep cost to your health. Steroids are far from a shortcut; they’re more like a toll road where the price isn’t always immediately apparent.

And there is no “healthy” way to do it. There are simply more and less deleterious strategies.

For men and women alike, the health risks can be severe.

Steroid use can disrupt hormonal balance, leading to issues like infertility, mood swings, and severe acne.

Long-term use increases the likelihood of cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks and strokes. Liver damage, kidney issues, and a weakened immune system are other potential consequences.

For women, the risks extend to masculinization, including deeper voices and unwanted body hair growth.

Perhaps most importantly, hopping on a cycle in your teens or early twenties can severely disrupt the growth and development of nearly every system in the body, sometimes even leading to stunted growth (the irony being that you’ll grow your muscles, but not your height). 

And all of this without saying anything about the mental side effects – steroid use is commonly associated with an uptick in anxiety or depression.

The pressure to meet societal standards or perform at a higher level can be overwhelming, but it’s crucial to prioritize long-term health over temporary gains.

The real heart of the issue is that short-term gains interfere with long-term development and in many cases will prevent you from reaching your true potential (as a “natty” lifter).

Sure, you’ll be super jacked, super fast, but a little bit of delayed gratification can go a long way in helping you reach near-superhuman levels of fitness, all without the side effects that anabolic steroids bring.

So if you’re on a cycle now, are considering hopping on one, or know somebody who is currently using (especially someone who’s younger, may need to continue growing and developing, or may not have reached their “natural” potential yet), I would recommend a thoughtful weighing of the pros and cons before continuing. 

Anabolic steroids can be incredibly addictive (or, rather, the results can be) and once you’re on them, it can be extremely difficult to give them up.

And most importantly, every cycle increases the likelihood of severe health consequences down the line (and sometimes sooner than you’d like to imagine).