Medical consequences of anabolic steroids

Substance use that promotes strength gain, muscle synthesis, fat loss, and increased metabolic capacity in order to improve athletic performance, perceived cosmetic appearance, and social opportunity and self-esteemso-called anabolic-androgenic steroids or AAS-is prevalent among both competitive and, increasingly, recreational athletes (Goldfield, Harper, and Blouin, 1998; Gridley and Hanrahan, 1994; Monaghan, 2002). These drugs are, for the most part, used within a broad context of operant drug-taking that includes the use of ergogenics, thermogenics, anorexigents, and ancillary drugs. Their use also generally involves larger lifestyle elements (Evans, 2004) that constellate around participation in arduous physical exercise (generally, weight-training and/or endurance or team sports) and, often, dietary restraint.