Performance Enhancing Drugs

There are many myths relating to performance enhancing drugs such as steroids are safe or on the other end of the spectrum steroids lead to immediate death, steroids won't stunt growth, or there is no such thing as roid rage. All these claims are untrue. Performance enhancing drugs are manufactured products for oral ingestion or intranasal application or through inhalation containing compounds. They are intended to increase athletic performance, promote muscle growth, induce weight loss, or increase an individual's endurance or capacity for exercise. They boost athletic performance, build muscle, increase body mass, lose body fat. They are dangerous because they can damage a person's mental and physical health and if used by adolescents can have permanent negative consequences, not to mention that they are illegal in most cases. Some health risks include acne, baldness, stunted growth, increased risks of HIV and AIDS, liver damage, liver cancer, jaundice, high blood pressure, heart disease, headaches, muscle and stomach cramps, low sperm count, increased breast size in males, breast shrinkage in females, increased body hair growth for females, enlarged prostate for males and enlarged clitoris for females, increased problems with menstrual cycles for females and the list goes on and on. Psychological health risks include roid range, increased aggressiveness, severe mood swings, paranoia, anxiety, and depression. Stimulates are often used by athletes to stimulate the central nervous system and increase heart rate and pressure, but can result in dehydration, heatstroke, insomnia, and nervousness. Like stimulants, there are so many other types of performance enhancing drugs and activities that all come with thier own short-term benefits and risks. Caffeine is a stimulant that decreases reaction time but prevents fatigue for a short-term period.  Risks include nervousness, irritability, dehydration, insomnia, and aggressiveness, and an individual can very easily become psychologically addicted to it.  Bottom line, although performance enhancing drugs have some temporary benefits that also have long term risks that far outweigh the benefits.

Here is a fun ad we made to endorse caffeine!