Search for that perfect body8230;

Anirudh doesn8217;t know it, but the 8220;syrup8221; recommended by his instructor is a steroid 8212; definitely not something that can be consumed casually.

The ill-effects of steroids are coming home to 18-yr-old Kiran Kumar name changed 8212; an erstwhile aspiring body builder. Aspiration is as far as Kiran got. Today, he is struggling with a nasty liver problem 8212; which appeared in a matter of months after his instructor forced him to take steroid injections. Doctors say his body is not responding to medicines and predict difficult days ahead for him.

Steroids hit the headlines every time a prominent sports event comes up. But if you thought it is only a performance enhancing drug for sportspersons, here8217;s a bitter pill.

The gymnasiums in the Capital have long been prescribing them as a short cut to bulging biceps for skinny teenagers. And without knowing the health risks, teenagers do not mind taking them.

IT IS DANGEROUS

Doctors and qualified gym instructors warn about the casual use of steroids.

8220;Steroids like Deca Durabol increase the muscle size and are an energy boosters and are usually prescribed in combination with multi-vitamins. Apart from the usual liver problems, there8217;s also the scope of developing low immunity. Plus those which get accustomed to the drugs find that painkillers and other medicines fail to react when they need them later,8221; says Arun Arora, a qualified gym trainer with Royal inches in West Delhi.

Ravinder Singh Bist, a gym instructor with Amtrra Spa in Delhi8217;s Ashoka hotel says: 8220;Trainers who advise these drugs for body building should realize that steroids are not safe. Protein shakes with less carbohydrates and fats are much more preferable8221;.

The doctors have a warning too.

8220;Although steroids help build muscles, but long-term side effects include high BP and diabetes. We have had a few patients who developed chronic ailments after taking steroids for quick development,8221; said Dr Randeep Guleria, professor of medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIIMS.

IT8217;S ILLEGAL TOO

The Drugs Controller of India bans the open sale of such drugs. But there are gyms that hand you the drug straight also 8212; from smuggled stock. In fact, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence DRI raids on importers of food supplements have repeatedly caught them smuggling steroids and supplying them to gyms in Delhi, Jaipur and other states.

Steroids like testosterone, Andriol, Nuvir, Sistanon, Decadurabol, Anabol 8212; in form of tablet, injections or syrups 8212; are easily available over the counter. If that was not enough, a website called steroids.com is a convenient one stop shop with up-to-date information on such products.

THE USER8217;S LOGIC

The instructors are defensive, saying they are only catering to market demands 8212; developing the six-pack ab takes much discipline and business will suffer if one doesn8217;t get quick results.

The silver lining is that the girls are safe.

8220;The women are recommended ayurvedic fat burners or protein shakes. It8217;s very rare for them to want to build muscles,8221; said Jigyasa Bhardwaj, a gym instructor in Oxygym in Greater Kailash GK-II.

What are Steroids

Anabolic steroids 8212; a group of powerful compounds closely related to the male sex hormone testosterone 8212; were developed in the late 1930s primarily to treat hypogonadism, a condition in which the testes do not produce sufficient testosterone for normal growth, development, and sexual functioning. In the 1930s, scientists discovered that anabolic steroids could facilitate the growth of skeletal muscle in laboratory animals. Also most steroids are responsible for development of secondary sex characters in boys at the time of puberty and produces anabolic effects This led to abuse of these compounds by bodybuilders and weightlifters and then by athletes in other sports.

Current legitimate medical uses include treatment of certain kinds of anemia, delayed puberty, some types of impotence, and wasting of the body caused by HIV infection or other diseases.

How are they used

Anabolic steroids are taken orally or injected or rubbed on skin, and athletes and other abusers take them typically in cycles of weeks or months, rather than continuously, in patterns called cycling. Cycling involves taking multiple doses of steroids over a specific period of time, stopping for a period, and starting again. In addition, users frequently combine several different types of steroids to maximize their effectiveness while minimizing negative effects, a process known as stacking.

Short-term effects

Anabolic steroids produces increases in lean muscle mass, strength and ability to train longer and harder. Many health hazards of short-term effects are reversible.

Side-effects

8226; Liver cancer, heart attacks, jaundice, fluid retention, high blood pressure for all

8226; Also, for men: Shrinking of testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts

8226; For women: Growth of facial hair, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle, deepened voice

8226; For adolescents: Stunted growth owing to premature skeletal maturation. Researchers also report that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.