Oral Steroids vs. Injectable Steroids
Ben Johnson?
In theory, injectable steroids are safer to take because they do not have to be digested (as oral steroids do). People that consider taking steroids generally have the problem that they will not be able to inject the drug into themselves. This makes oral steroids very popular in the underground bodybuilding community. Oral steroids are said to be harder on the liver than injectable steroids. This is proven to be true. Oral steroids have a shorter “half-life” than injectable steroids. A “half-life” basically is how long a steroid stays in your system. Because of the shorter “half lives” of oral steroids, they only last 3-5hours per pill. Therefore, oral steroids need to be taken several times a day. This puts immense strain on the liver. Yet, if you are a beginner to steroids and are not sure of yourself with injections - then there is the danger of missing the target area and inadvertently injecting the drug directly into a tendon. This can lead to a clot, that will lead to death provided it is not caught by a surgeon in time. Steroids are advertised to increase the size of your muscles. Keeping in mind the heart is also a muscle, steroids increase the size of that as well. Steroid use has been proven to reduce the amount of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) and to increase the amount of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). This is very dangerous and can lead to a heart attack.
Many athletes overlook the harmful effects of steroid abuse and decide to pump the drugs into their bodies. The fastest man alive (Ben Johnson) beat Carl Lewis at the 100-metre dash with an incredible time of 9.79 seconds in the year 1988. It was discovered that Johnson had traces of steroids in his urine. This nullified his world record and stripped him of the gold medal. Yes, that power, that speed, that physique; it all comes with a price. In this case, it was not his long term health (at least not yet) but rather his honour and dignity as an athlete and a human-being.
Weightlifters and professional bodybuilders strive for perfection through un-natural substitutes themselves. In Greg Valentino’s case, perfection is not what he chose to go for; but rather past that point. He decided he wanted to go past the point of perfection, to the point of the disgusting freak that he is today. Despite Greg’s use with steroids, he is actually quite famous. Actually, infamous would be the correct term. Infamous for his grotesque 27-inch arms.
In achieving a bodybuilding goal naturally, a lifter will definitely feel better about himself. Building natural mass only costs you the work you put into it. A hardcore steroid user can decrease their life span by greater than 20 years. Why risk it? Dedication and proper nutrition is the foundation to building a healthy, natural body.
