Original Articles by Donovan BaldwinDonovan Baldwin (2,855)      http://nodiet4me.com Are Anabolic Steroids Worth It?Posted Thursday, April 17, 2008 (77 days 22 hours ago.) Viewed 61 times. With all the stories and claims in the news over the last few years about the use of steroids by many highly-paid, and highly-respected, professional athletes, people have become more aware of these drugs. Unfortunately, not so many of us actually realize the danger inherent in using anabolic steroids to increase strength and power. First of all, we have to realize that anabolic steroids are prescription drugs. Think about this for a moment! Usually, substances that are only available through a prescription are so designeated because they are potentially dangerous in some way. For us to fully understand the dangers of anabolic steroid use, we should first understand what they are, as well as what they do. Very simply, anabolic steroids are a synthetic reproduction of the basic male hormone, testosterone. Among other things, testosterone is responsible for the physical strength and power, and muscle size, which tend to be more common to the male than to the female. This artificial concoction is legitimately used by doctors to treat many diverse conditions such as muscle diseases, kidney disease, burns, breast cancer, and certain rare types of anemia. In this practice, however, competent doctors use them cautiously and in minimal doses because of the potentially dangerous side effects. The list of side effects is a long one, and I will not recreate it here, but they can range from the inconvenient to the very dangerous. Most doctors will not prescribe steroids for bodybuilders and other athletes, and even some non-athletes, who simply want to increase their performance, and/or physique. Those who do wish to make use of anabolic steroids for such purposes will generally obtain them from a black market source or with the compliance of unethical physicians. Even though this is an intentional choice on the part of the parties involved to break the law and endanger their health and the safety of others around them, one estimate which was made a couple of years ago put the number of people illegally using steroids at around two million! In their normal medical use as healing agents, steroids are taken orally or injected in small, relatively safe, doses. When they are used illegally by bodybuilders and other athletes, and even some police officers and criminals who see them as a way to get the upper hand, they are generally taken in massive doses far above the normal dosage used for therapeutic purposes. When these excessively large doses are combined with resistance training programs, they DO cause an increase in strength and muscle mass. However, both research and reality have demonstrated that the adverse side effects, and, even worse, danger inherent in their use, vastly outweighs the desired benefits. While men are going to be the primary users of anabolic steroids, some women also choose to use them. Men and women both are susceptible to many side effects of anabolic steroids, but, in women, some of these effects may be irreversible. Fortunately, at least from the perspective of health, most of the irreversible effects are primarily cosmetic, such as the appearance of dark facial hair, a deeper voice, and a loss of scalp hair. If only cosmetic effects were the results, the illegal use of anabolic steroids might be a simpler problem to deal with. However, many results, both of direct and indirect type, range from just "not worth i"t to downright dangerous. The murder/suicide case of pro wrestler Chris Benoit, and the sometimes tumultuous events in the life of professional foot ball player Lyle Alzado before his death are just two well publicized instances of the destructive potential of the side effects of anabolic steroid use. Through the use of these subsatnces, an athlete can become more prone to certain types of injuries and may actually experience decreased performance in some areas of health and fitness. For example, while muscles will become stronger, tendons and ligaments will not. Not only does this make the athlete more prone to injury when the muscle exerts more force than the tendons and ligaments can withstand, but also, another side effect of steroid use is a slowing of the healing process. Yet one more example is that the growing muscle must have somewhere to grow. When muscles begin to increase vastly in size at a rapid rate, they may actually grow around bones and joints, subjecting them to stresses which may cause the bone to break more easily or joints to become damaged...perhaps permanently. All of this may seem insignificant beside the serious injuries and even death which sometimes occur as a result of the illegal use of anabolic steroids by many. The form of violent behavior occasionally referred to as "roid rage" has resulted in injury and even death for family members, friends, teammates, opponents, and even innocent bystanders. Many users suffer their own fates, having died from cancers, tumors, heart disease, and other conditions attributed to illegal steroid use. Non-athletes hoping to find a quick and easy way to achieve fitness, weight loss, and health, will often turn to anabolic steroids in hopes of achieving these goals. While muscles may indeed grow larger and strength may increase, the overall fitness of the individual is dependent on the regular performance of a regular exercise program which does more than simply make big muscles. For example, cardiovascular function, which is an incredibly important part of health, is usually not directly affected by the type of training that generally accompanies the illegal use of anabolic steroids, and the steroids may actually adversely affect the cardiovascular capabilities of the individual who is wishing to improve their health and fitness. When one considers the dangers and illegality of the use of steroids for improving fitness and performance, whether by a professional athlete in pursuit of a trophy, fame, or more money; or by an individual seeking better health and a higher level of fitness, it appears that anabolic steroids are something to be avoided. About the Author Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer presently living in Copperas Cove, Texas. He is a University of West Florida alumnus, a member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, health, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as health, fitness, weight lifting, yoga, weight loss, the environment, global warming, happiness, self improvement, and life. You can find a collection of his articles on health, fitness, diet, and weight loss at http://nodiet4me.com/articledirectory. --------------------------------------------- NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this --- 
Permalink Comments (2) About Yoga and RelaxationPosted Thursday, December 20, 2007 (196 days 19 hours ago.) Viewed 27 times. It's a sometimes strange and frightening world out there, and one of the most difficult aspects of today's society is the sheer mass of stress to which most of us feel ourselves exposed. It seems almost that everything conspires against good quality relaxation. In fact, the pace and demands of our modern lives seem to be obstacles to many possibly good things. Our health would be better if we could exercise more. We would not have to worry so much about weight loss, aging, disease, ill health, and stress if we could only find a little more time. In time, which we don't have much of anyway, we even begin to become stressed about all the stress we are under and our apparent lack of ability to do much about it! When we think of good and healthful things like exercise, meditation, yoga, and the like; things which could help us relax, reduce stress, lose weight, and be healthier, we become even more stressed. It's too complicated! It takes too much time! And the big question: Does this stuff really work anyway? Well, my friend, it has long been known that by simply learning and using certain deep breathing techniques we can create a relaxed state in only a few minutes. By few, I mean as short a time as two or three minutes. While two or three minutes of deep breathing are not much protection against the "slings and arrows" of today's world, it's a start, and two or three minutes here and there throughout the day can add up. Think about this. How many people have their evening ruined just because some jerk cut in front of them on the way home? It's not that it's an earth shattering event, but it is just one more stressful event in a day that has been full of them. What if you could take just a couple of minutes and erase the stress of that event and arrive home in a calmer, more relaxed state? Stick with me, and we will get to yoga and relaxation in a moment. So, then there's exercise. Regular, moderate exercise has been demonstrated by many studies to reduce accumulated stress and has a long list of other health benefits as well. It can improve our mental outlook and capacity, help us resist many diseases and conditions, including many associated with aging, while enhancing our ability to enjoy life to the fullest, physically and emotionally. While doing all this, it can help us experience a more relaxed state in our daily lives. Really! I haven't forgotten about my topic of yoga and relaxation. Just...well, relax...and stick with me a bit more. Okay, I see you're starting to get tense because I haven't gotten there yet, so just let me say that meditation is easy to learn as a formal practice and does reduce stress and induce relaxation. Better yet, a meditative state which produces these effects can be achieved without learning HOW to meditate. Deeply religious people at prayer, and people who take long walks experience many of the same benefits offered by a meditation session. Okay, let's talk now about yoga and relaxation. Yoga is exercise and provides all the benefits normally associated with physical activity. Yoga induces a meditative state just as if you were to assume the lotus position and empty your mind. Yoga breathing, which is an easy thing to learn, is exactly the type of deep breathing technique which encourages relaxation. This breathing technique, together with various movements, and positions (asana) can be done as one distinct yoga session, or can be tucked into available moments throughout the day to improve health and reduce stress. Perhaps best of all, yoga is easy to learn, does not have to be done perfectly nor professionally to get results, and requires no special "yoga equipment" or clothing to get started enjoying the benefits of yoga. Trust me, once you have finally experienced yoga relaxation, you will find yourself making the time necessary to do full length yoga sessions. About the Author Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer currently residing in Copperas Cove, Texas, and a University of West Florida alumnus. He is a long time member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, health, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as health, fitness, weight lifting, yoga, weight loss, the environment, global warming, happiness, self improvement, and life in general. You can find a collection of his articles on health, fitness, diet, and weight loss at http://nodiet4me.com/articledirectory . Learn more about yoga and relaxation at http://yoga-4-the-health-of-it.com/yoga_relaxation.html . ----------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this ---
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