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ROID RAGE

FN-1355, March 2008
Desiree Tande, Nutrition and Health Specialist

Adobe Acrobat PDF file suitable for printing. (173KB)

Steroids are a shortcut down a dangerous road.

Steroid use without a prescription is abuse and it's illegal.

Be smart.

Choose healthful eating and hard work to reach realistic goals.


Why do people use steroids?

  • Enhance performance
  • Build muscle
  • Improve muscle tone
  • Lose weight


Steroid use is not limited to athletes or men and may be associated with risky behaviors.


What can steroids do to your body?

  • Build muscle
  • Deform genitals
  • Grow male breasts
  • Increase acne
  • Stunt growth
  • Cause baldness
  • Grow dark facial hair (women)
  • Deepen the voice (women)
  • Produce angry rampages
  • Cause mood changes
  • Result in death from heart attack or cancer


What types of steroids are commonly abused?

Anabolic steroids
These steroids are produced in a lab and act similarly to testosterone in the body.

Anabolic steroid precursors
They are natural or manufactured substances the body converts to anabolic steroids.
Steroids and steroid precursors are found in many forms: liquid, pill, inhalant, patch, cream and gel.


How are steroids abused?

Most abusers inject them or take pills. Abusers may use pyramiding, cycling or stacking, believing they are maximizing the muscle-building effects of steroids. These methods have not been proven to work.

  • Pyramiding - This is gradually increasing the dose through time to reach a peak amount and then decreasing the dose.
  • Cycling - This is taking multiple doses in a short period of time, followed by a period without drug use. This cycle repeats during the course of weeks or months.
  • Stacking - This is combining different types of steroids.


Parents and concerned friends should be aware of commonly abused steroids

Sold over the counter

  • Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)

Prescription required

  • Androstenedione ("andro")
  • Androstenediol
  • Norandrostenedione
  • Norandrostenediol
  • Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG)
  • Anadrol
  • Oxandrin
  • Dianabol
  • Winstrol


Learn more about steroids

www.steroidabuse.gov
http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_ster1.asp


For more information on this and other topics, see: www.ag.ndsu.edu/food

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FN-1355, March 2008

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