The Effects of Steroids Use on Blood Lipids

There are many side effects associated with steroid use. However, most of them are exaggerated and are not scientifically based. Over the years, steroids have gained new stereotypes that are unfounded, including their effect on blood lipids.  One of the side effects of steroids is that steroids lower the density of good cholesterol ( lipoprotein cholesterol HDL) and raise the level of bad cholesterol (LDL).

Good cholesterol brings unused cholesterol to the liver, which is broken down, protecting the arteries. Bad cholesterol has the opposite effect of a good one. So, let’s see further what science says about the influence of steroids on blood lipids.

Blood Lipids Vs. Steroids Research Is Paramount

The best way to show it is to look for some researchers that show the relationship between steroid use and the level of good cholesterol in the body. Some time ago, a group of scientists undertook to examine bodybuilders who use steroids. The main goal was to find out how they affect the blood. Also, scientists sought to detect the blood abnormalities associated with the typical bodybuilding diet.

Must Read: Bodybuilding Diet Myths

So, scientists recorded the athlete's daily menu for three consecutive days and took a blood test. On average, athletes take 25 to 250 mg daily of oral or injectable steroids. Regarding the diet, it was a typical one.

Bodybuilders received  49% percent of their daily calories from carbohydrates, 22% from proteins (about 2.7 grams per kilogram of body weight), and 29% - from fat. Here, it has to be mentioned that these athletes' cholesterol dose was 2.8 times higher than the recommended norm.

They have also taken from 100% to 600% of the recommended daily doses of medical vitamins and minerals. It was strangely enough to detect that, on average, the blood composition remained within normal limits. Only the proportion of good cholesterol in the overall cholesterol deviated from the normal, positive range.

What The Science Says About Steroids and Blood Lipids

Surely, judging by the result of this experiment, it doesn’t mean that steroids can be taken without health risks. But, have to be taken into consideration the medical condition of any bodybuilder before getting involved in taking steroids. Thus, if the bodybuilder is genetically predisposed to heart disease, even a small increase in the level of cholesterol can cause thrombophlebitis, heart attack, or other serious diseases.

On the other hand, an overloaded diet with carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals has no negative impact on the blood or steroids. According to the results of this experiment, the situation is quite opposite.

Bodybuilding is that environment that protects bodybuilders from the adverse effects of steroids and systematic overeating. Big weights turn the physiology of bodybuilders into a special mode when their bodies are ready to grind any alien biochemistry. In any case, the experiments refute the common myth that bodybuilders have walking disabilities.

So, many people assume that athletes who take steroids have a big risk of cardiovascular disease. But, strangely enough, it was not detected in any case that was confirmed by doctors as having the cause of death steroid use.

Must Read: What Statistics Say About Anabolic Steroids Use in Professional Sports?

Moderation Is Key

If you tell me that we will have to look at the future and see what will happen to people who take steroids now, here is the answer: Many bodybuilders, powerlifters, and other athletes have taken steroids for years already. They all must be dead if the myth about steroid use is true.

Moreover, almost all old bodybuilders are in great shape and have no important health issues. But what will happen if you take increased steroids for long periods? There were reported cases when androgen was taken for a very long time- six months of the year.  And even in this case, the negative side effects were either minimal or unobserved.

For example, the World Health Organization has studied testosterone enanthate (mild androgen) as a male contraceptive. The experiment involved 271 people from 7 countries. Once a week for years, they were injected with 200 mg. Each man received about 10,000 mg, and the drug has been a very effective contraceptive. In this case, the side effects were minimal and completely reversible.

Another convincing example is that teenage boys with hypertrophy of growth have taken weekly injections of 250 mg of testosterone enanthate throughout the year. Approximately 10 years after treatment, all patients' testicular size and reproductive ability fully comply with the norm.

Also, recently, in the British Medical Journal, it was reported that ten weekly injections of 600 mg of the same drug cause a significant increase in muscle "mass" in men who practice bodybuilding and those who do not.

None had a noticeable change in triglyceride levels, the "good" and "bad" cholesterol. Meanwhile, the dose they received ten times exceeded therapeutic doses and three times the contraceptive.

Our Take on the Effect of Steroids on Blood Lipids

All these examples are meant to prove that steroids are not always harmful. And there are many other cases when the use of steroids has a good impact on health. As you see, compelling evidence confirms the myth about the mortal danger of steroids. No doubt, every time a person decides to use steroids, he takes some risks that he needs to be aware of.

Must Read: Golden Rules of Steroid Use

But before concluding, it is necessary to determine exactly the extent of this risk. Frankly, the risk of death in an accident is much higher than that of using anabolic steroids. But this does not mean that we have to avoid all risk situations.

Some important criteria define the risk of anabolic steroid use. Namely, it is about the type of steroid you will take, the length of cycles, even the number of breaks between cycles, and the heredity of an athlete.

To minimize side effects, doctors began advising athletes to take steroids. The delaying tactic does no credit to physicians and scientists. It is obvious that steroid abuse is unacceptable, but we will not achieve anything by banning it. The best solution is an open and honest conversation about the consequences of using steroids.

Take Away

There are millions of people taking steroids without interfering with their blood lipids. The number of people who smoke or consume alcohol is quite high, but these vices are not as blamed as steroids are. So, think twice, and you will see that smoke and alcohol are more dangerous than steroids, and despite this, they continue to be popular nowadays. Moreover, steroids must be seen as any other type of drug, and incorrect use can trigger serious side effects.