high school report

thank you for taking the time to read my post. i am A high school student, and before i say anything else im not asking about a cycle or what i should do or what to take, i know i am too young. with that said let me get to my question. for my gov't class i have to reasearch a topic of my choice regarding the dea and drugs. i have decided to take it a step further and relate steroids to highschool students(ages16 and 17). i am looking for pros and cons for highschool students and the use of steroids, since this is a big issue in many communitys, and i hope to educate my fellow classamtes on the topic.however i am not looking to act like the media here and blow everything out of proportion. i am going to present the pros and cons, mainly cons like i find them. so i was hoping someone could direct me to some educational threads on the issue. i already have a good wealth of information on steroids in general because it has been a topic of intrest for me and i have been researching them even before this project.i would like to get a few quesitons out of the way tho because these are 2 i can never find a definte answer to. 1) will steroids always stunt your growth when taking them at such a young age(16-17) and 2) when taking steroids lets say a teen(16-17) does everything right, diet is great training is great, he comes off the cycle does his PCT great, using nolvadex or the one of his choice and uses HCG. so to sum it up it preforms a sucessful cycle. whats the chance of his test level never comming back, and him not being able to have kids later on down the road. those are the 2 questions i have never gotten a clear answer on. again i thankyou for taking the time to help me, and i would like to say again this is not for any other reason but doing a project and educating people on the use of steroids.

For starters, there are no "pros" for highschool students doing steroids.

There have been many threads on why teenagers, or anyone under the age of 21, should not even think about doing AAS (anabolic/androgenic streoids). Use the search button in this forum and type in some of these keywords. There is a wealth of info out there.

From the top of my head (not including the obvious pros and cons for older users ie muscle gain)

Pro's

Mostly sports. Those looking to go professional or make a career out of it.

Con's

Sexual impairment from endocrine strain

Permanent damage to an undervelped endocrine system is possible. May mess up hormonal balance requiring lifelong therapy.

Stunted growth


Thats really all thats coming to mind besides the obvious for us all.

Well, I think it is great that you are trying to get information on the subject of RESPONSIBLE AAS use out there, even if it is only seen by a few people. The negative veiws that the steroid community gets from the general public is based soley on misinformation or no information at all, so every little bit helps.

To answer your questions, 1) I don't think it is safe to say that the use of steroids by teens will ALWAYS stunt growth. Because steroids effect each person a little differently, just as an over-the-counter medication like cough syrup will have different effects for some people, you can not say conclusively that "yes, it will stunt your growth." However, and this is also in relation to your second question, beginning with puberty and continuing until probably up to 25-26 years of age, one's body is in a constant state of change. Growth spurts occur, mannerisms are developed, body compositions are defined, voice tones emerge, etc., all in relation to the fluctuating hormone levels present in one's body at this time. Introducing exogeneous hormones and thereby suppressing endogeneous hormones during this process of change is BAD! Now whether or not the test levels will return, or at what level they will return is not predictable. This is why it is not recommended for teens to use gear, because the outcome is very uncertain. Sure there have been cases where teens have done a cycle of test and had no bad outcomes from it later in life, but there are far more cases in which permanent, irreversable changes/damage have occurred.

To say that because something is bad for some people that it is bad for all people is wrong, but that is what is done with regard to steroid use. Teens, abusers, and those who lack the knowledge to safely administer these drugs are the ones that make it into the public eye, and this is where the negative view of steroid use comes from. If you can change the mind of even one person and educate them as to the reality that we as RESPONSIBLE steroid users know and love, then I will help you in any way I can.

Just as long as you don't ask me for a source;)

-moto

Well although we dont wanna answer the question and encourage it, we should still be honest.

I think its obvious a high schooler on juice would be a monster on the football field... but at the same time its going to catch up with him. And when he gets an injury, its probably going to be ALLOT more serious then if he wasnt on the gear. Why? Because your muscles grow so fast and your frame/joints/etc cant support them.

And yes, its likely a heavy cycle (complete cycle) would hurt your chances of growing.

My moms a nurse so I always got lectured on this growing up

thanx for all the quick responceses. Just a few more questions is there any type of precentage rate or statistic of the chances of the irrevisable effets regarding test levels never returning? and lets say a teen went on them came off and found out he needed to get a doctor prescription for the rest of his life because he had irreversiable damage to his test levels, would this mean he could no longer have a child?

I doubt you would be able to find any real studies on this. Being a non-mainstream drug category, finding a published set of statistics would be hard IMO. Not to say that there are none, though.

-moto

Wheres BDTR's post on this....aside from just physical damage to the body the hormonal change can also have serious psychological effects leading to lifestyle changes that can't be predicted.....I suggest you PM BDTR and ask him as he began steroids at a very early age, 16 i believe, and it affected is later teen years, fromwhat i read about it. Not to in any way put teenagers down, but they are not in control of themselves yet and when given something like steroids that can increase natural agressiveness(sp?) they simply may not be able to control themselves and end up causing themselves or someone else serious physical harm and then paying the consequences by ending up in jail or worse dead...just another p.o.vthat hasn't been said.

Here it is. I copied this from bdtr's post on the subject. Really good first hand info here...thanks bdtr...

"Bro... I started HEAVY AS usage at 16 years old as a result of my wrestling/football coash, it fucked me up BIGTIME. Wanna know where it got me? Lost all my friends do to my attitude, my hormonal system was a mess, caused MAJOR problems with my family leading to me beating my older half brother half to death, into a coma for two weeks and landing in Department of Youth services for a period of time. My girlfriend dumped me because she couldn't take being around me anymore. I was covered in acne, bloated as hell, with blood pressure in cholesterol in stroke/heart attack range. This was when i was 16!!! By the time I was 18 I was nearing 280 lbs at about 25% bf, I looked and felt AWFUl. I could lift a fucking house, more than anyone in my gym but my life was a mess and do to all the hormonal changes I was going through along with the AS usage, I was a prime example of why kids shouldn't do steroids. By the time I was 21 my mental health was off the hook do to the incredibly fucked up hormonal system I had managed to give myself. I was working as a bouncer, getting in fights every single night of the week and landing with more assualt charges than anyone i knew. One night I was working a rap concert doing security.. this is the night my whole life went downhill. There was a fight which i broke up, simple enough right? Well being the mental mess that I was after one of the skinny participants got some balls and punched me, instead of doing my job and throwing him out, I dragged him in the bathroom, had another bouncer watch the door and beat him for 10 minutes. Little did I know this would result in a lawsuit with the club, and me getting fired but it also set me back TWO years in my life. Standing outside the club 3 days later I was approached by 7 people, i was beaten, stabbed, maced, jumped on, kicked in the face repeatadly, basicaly they tried to kill me but failed. In the end I had 6 stab wounds, broken hands from hitting them back and torn tendons in both hands from trying to grapple them, a fractured skull, jaw broken in two places, both legs busted in about 5 places each, fucked up shoulder, almost all my ribs were broken and I had majory fucked up my back not to mention the major head trauma I sustained that very well could have killed me. I couldn't train, my metabolism shot to zero, test levels to zero, motivation to NOTHING. Drank a lot. By the time I was well enough to train I was 250 lbs of LARD and it took a lot of time to get my hormonal system back in order do to my early usage of AS as my test levels were bottomed out from such young usage. I'm JUST getting everything I had back right now, using responsibly as I've grown up quite a bit since then.. I know this was a long story but seriously man, this is the shit that CAN happen, trust me. Eat and train well and hold off till you're atleast 21 and don't fuck up your life like i did." - [bdtr]

-moto

Taken from anabolic fitness:

Veteran Consensus Statement on the age of initiation of Anabolic use.



Anabolic steroids promote strength gain, muscle synthesis, and increased metabolic capacity. Their responsible, moderate use improves athletic performance, cosmetic appearance, and perceived social opportunity and self-esteem. However, anabolics achieve their effects by perturbing the human endocrine system, a complex feedback mechanism of glands and organs that are, in healthy and youthful persons, in an exquisite state of natural balance. Compounds like anabolic steroids that alter this balance are appropriate for use only by mature, well-trained athletes who understand these drugs, their risks and their benefits. Except in the case of prospective users of clear promise for national or international ranking in a sport, realistically hopeful for the kinds of benefits such ranking confers, the following should be characteristic of anyone, of any age, prior to the addition of anabolic steroids to a training regime:


1. PHYSICAL MATURITY. Anabolics can, through either direct or indirect effects, cause premature closure of the epiphyseal plates (“growth plates”) at the end of bone, an irreversible effect that may result in permanently shorter stature than the athlete would otherwise achieve. Therefore, the athlete should have reached full physical stature and maturity of the skeleton before contemplating anabolic use. In most cases, full stature is not reached until the very late teens and, in many cases, development of both long skeletal bones and joint assemblies (hips and shoulders) continues into the early 20's, development of the larynx (“voicebox”) into the mid-20’s.


2. SIGNIFICANT MATURE MUSCULARITY. Anabolics have poor effect, or transitory effect, on athletes in mediocre condition; in addition, their tendency to boost muscle strength ahead of the strength of supporting tendons and ligaments can lead to debilitating injury in athletes without substantial prior training. Therefore, the athlete should have accumulated a significant amount of mature muscle mass and tendon strength through a dedicated program of resistance training prior to beginning anabolic use. Recognizing that there is substantial individual variability in training efficiency and effects, a minimum of 3 years, perhaps as many as 7, of dedicated weight training is required to achieve this necessary physical foundation, on which anabolics can be used safely and to best effect.


3. THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE. Anabolics are not a substitute for proper technique or applied knowledge of the basics of exercise physiology. Therefore, the athlete considering the use of anabolics should have a very thorough and detailed knowledge of lifting technique, dietary practice, recuperative processes, and hormonal and nonhormonal supplementation, and should if possible prepare for the use of anabolics under the guidance of a trusted mentor who has mastered these issues. In particular, the athlete should have an excellent understanding of the uses, effects, and risk profiles of anabolics, and should be thoroughly conversant with the kinds of ancillary agents that minimize side-effects and speed post-cycle recovery. Recognizing that there is substantial individual variability in the pace at which this knowledge is acquired, at least a year of arduous study and reading is necessary to understand anabolics and post-cycle recovery, and at least 4 years of practice is required to establish the requisite knowledge base of lifting technique, recuperation, and diet.


4. PSYCHOLOGICAL MATURITY. Anabolic steroids can have marked effect on mood and disposition, either during the cycle of active use, or its aftermath. Therefore, the athlete considering the use of anabolics should have the psychological health and maturity that will enable him or her to use anabolics with minimal social, psychological, and legal risk to both him/herself and his/her network of partners and collaborators. In addition, the athlete should be firm enough in purpose and balanced enough in approach to understand not only how and when to initiate use of anabolics, but how and when to curtail or abandon use safely should that need arise.


The use of anabolic steroids is unwise for persons who have not satisfied these prerequisites, though exceptions may be made in cases of very unusual athletic promise. While not a function of mere calendar age per se, it is unarguable that, on average, the likelihood that these conditions will have been met increases as the age of the prospective anabolic user increases.


For the reasons adduced above, the following statement of consensus opinion is made:


Allowing for substantial individual variability, and with the exception of cases of truly outstanding athletic promise, the athlete considering the use of anabolics should be socially and physically mature, psychologically healthy, and should have completed 4 to 7 years of dedicated, mentored training in strength/endurance athletics and study in lifting technique, dietary practices, recuperation skills and supplementation. In most cases, the athlete will have reached the age of 21 before these prerequisites are in place, recognizing that many athletes will not have achieved the necessary experience, physical maturity, and psychic balance until their mid-20's or even later.

Also taken from anabolic Fitness:


Veterans' Consensus Statement on Medical/Psychiatric Contraindications of Anabolic Use.


Anabolic steroids have legitimate uses in the pursuit of important life goals, including physical strength, aesthetic appeal, psychological wellbeing, and longevity. However, few drugs have as broad and profound an impact on body chemistry as do anabolic steroids. These drugs can have unpredictable effects on all body systems, including the immune, circulatory, nervous, endocrine, and excretory systems (liver and kidney), as well as on the integument (skin and hairline) and on the joints and muscles that comprise the musculoskeletal system. The athlete contemplating the use of anabolic steroids must bear constantly in mind the idea that the point of their use is not to take drugs for drugs' sake, but rather to grow stronger and healthier and to live a more satisfying and long life, through the combination of anabolic steroids with proper diet, recuperation, and training practices.

But even the wisest and most conservative use of anabolic steroids is contraindicated by two main categories of pre-existing or concurrent problems - certain medical illnesses, and a small class of psychiatric disorders. The use of anabolics when these other conditions are present is unwise, and the user who moves ahead with a program of anabolic steroid use, despite the presence of these conditions, should be acutely aware of the risks taken.

1.) Medical conditions that contraindicate the use of anabolics by posing unacceptable levels of hazard to the prospective user include liver disease (hepatitis, jaundice, cirrhosis, which may be aggravated by 17-alpha-alkylated anabolics, though agents such as oxandrolone may have beneficial effects in some cases), kidney disease (which anecdotal reports suggest may be aggravated by such steroids as trenbolone), uncontrolled hypertension (blood pressure above 150/90, which may be boosted further by anabolics' effects on water retention and erythropoeisis, though it can be minimized through the wise use of certain ancillaries), cholesterol-dependent heart disease (steroids often precipitate a rise in serum cholesterol), morphologic abnormalities of the heart muscle such as hypertrophy of the ventricle's walls or irregular valve development (which can be exacerbated by androgens), a history of or significant risk for malignancy (because anabolics can accelerate tumor growth), and idiopathic endocrine disturbance including some irregularities of adrenal, thyroid, and hypothalamic function (though anabolics may be beneficial in some cases of endocrine insufficiency, such as hypogonadism). High but perhaps acceptable levels of hazard are present in prospective users with a history of severe acne (though some cases may benefit from non-testosterone based cycles or the use of certain ancillaries), male-pattern baldness, prostate disease and gynecomastia (all of which may be exacerbated by androgens), gastrointestinal disorders such as acid reflux disease (which may be aggravated by the use of some steroids), and joint and soft-tissue injury (which may be aggravated by steroid-induced strength gains, though Human Growth Hormone and nandrolone may be beneficial in some cases). The prospective user of anabolic steroids should also be aware that some ancillary drugs (such as Arimidex) have risk profiles of their own, and are not wholly benign simply because they combat unwanted side effects of anabolic agents.

2.) Psychiatric conditions that contraindicate the use of anabolics by posing unacceptable levels of hazard to the prospective user include presence or history of Bipolar Disorder or Hypomania (which can be exacerbated by anabolics), severe depression (which can be precipitated by the "post-cycle crash" though low-grade and abiding dysthymia may respond well to long-term low-dose programs of steroid use), psychosis (which can impair the judgment necessary to use anabolics responsibly), some disorders of impulse control such as Intermittent Explosive Disorder (which may be exacerbated by androgens), such conditions as Body Dysmporphic Disorder and severe, pathological narcissism (which may cause impaired control of anabolic use in order to achieve a physical effect that cannot, because of the distorted nature of the user's self-image, ever be achieved), and Antisocial Personality Disorder (which may cause impaired control of anabolic use, and may lead as well to misuse of the strength and size benefits of these agents). High but perhaps acceptable levels of hazard are present in prospective users with a history of Substance Use Disorder (which may lead to impaired control of anabolic use) or Panic Disorder and other debilitating anxiety disorders (which may be aggravated either "on-cycle" or "off-cycle" in certain cases).

Unexpected symptoms should be discussed with a competent health or mental health professional. Laboratory testing is the only way in which certainty can be achieved in some cases. Before embarking on a course of anabolics, it is wise to get baseline readings of various systems – blood tests (comprehensive metabolic profile, CBC with differential), EKG, BP, PSA and physical exam. This permits the athlete and his/her healthcare provider to determine whether or not there are underlying conditions that preclude anabolic use, and allows comparison to subsequent tests if and when the athlete is re-examined due to the emergence of symptoms. In fact, ongoing testing of certain blood fractions (such as serum estradiol) is wise, in order to give the athlete a more accurate view of what ancillaries at what doses are needed, and what metabolic side effects are actually occurring.


In addition, certain universal precautions should be observed for the athlete and others' safety. A good liver metabolic including R-ALA, calcium-D-Glucurate, N-acetyl Cysteine or L-Glutathione (such as Tylers Detox) should be taken by anyone using oral anabolics. Plenty of water, protein, OMEGA 3, and vitamin supplementation should be standard, and the opportunity for both abundant sleep and physical rest should be included in the athlete's schedule.

The athlete using anabolics should, to a reasonable degree, avoid the use of nonessential pharmacueticals/drugs such as pain killers, alcohol, stimulants, sedatives, nicotine, and recreational drugs. These drugs add additional stress to the liver and kidneys, create unpredictable reactions in combination with anabolics, may mask injuries that should be given rest and medical attention, and may cause new injury due to intoxication effects. In addition, users must always be aware of synergistic drug effects. While most users are conscious of the negative impact on the liver of combining two 17aa steroids, most are not aware that there are many OTC drugs that affect the production of certain liver enzymes. These drugs do not always produce a negative impact on the liver when taken alone, but they can render the liver less capable of processing certain steroids. Users should familiarize themselves with the enzymes utilized to break down the more liver toxic steroids, as well as the OTC drugs that might have an impact on the specific enzymes in question.


For these reasons, the following Veterans' Consensus Statement on Medical/Psychiatric Contraindications of Anabolic Use is offered:

Physical illnesses that contraindicate the use of anabolics include liver disease, kidney disease, hypertension, heart disease, malignancy and endocrine disturbance. Psychiatric conditions that contraindicate the use of anabolics include severe depression and other mood disorder, psychosis, and marked disorders of impulse control. The use of anabolics when any of these conditions are present is unwise. Less but still measurable risk is borne by patients with severe acne, prostate disease, gynecomastia, male-pattern baldness, joint and soft-tissue injury, substance use disorder, or debilitating anxiety disorders such as panic. Unexpected symptoms should be discussed promptly with a qualified professional, and both laboratory testing and prophylactic use of detoxification agents is encouraged. The use of nonessential pharmaceuticals is discouraged in persons considering the use of anabolic steroids.