What Happens When You Take Steroids? | Earth Science

Summary

This script delves into the world of anabolic steroids, detailing their chemical composition and effects on the body. It explains how these substances, similar to testosterone, can enhance muscle growth but come with severe side effects. The video also touches on the various methods used by bodybuilders to manage these effects, highlighting the lack of scientific consensus on their safety. It concludes with a cautionary note on the potential for unpredictable physical and mental changes due to steroid use.

Takeaways

• 💊 Steroids are organic molecules with a specific carbon structure and include many types, some of which occur naturally in the body.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Anabolic steroids are similar to testosterone and are used illicitly to enhance muscle growth, beyond what is naturally possible.
• 🚫 Anabolic steroids are prescribed for medical conditions like wasting diseases and to stimulate male puberty, but their illegal use is widespread.
• 💉 Users often take doses much higher than medical recommendations in an attempt to increase muscle mass.
• 🏃‍♂️ Exercise and a protein-rich diet are necessary for anabolic steroids to be effective in muscle growth.
• 🐁 Scientific studies, including those involving specially designed rat squat machines, demonstrate how steroids impact muscle growth.
• 🚨 High doses of anabolic steroids can lead to severe side effects, including acne, high blood pressure, liver tumors, and psychiatric issues.
• 🚫 The side effects of anabolic steroids can be unpredictable and potentially irreversible, affecting both physical and mental health.
• 🔁 Techniques like cycling, stacking, and pyramiding are used to try to reduce side effects, but their effectiveness is unproven.
• 🧠 Anabolic steroids can cause psychiatric effects due to their impact on nerve cells in the brain, leading to aggression and mood swings.
• 👀 The scientific understanding of the long-term effects of anabolic steroid use is limited, and they carry significant health risks.

Q & A

What are some common street names for anabolic steroids?

Some common street names for anabolic steroids include 'Juice', 'Gear', and 'Stacker'.

Why are anabolic steroids favored by bodybuilders?

Anabolic steroids are favored by bodybuilders because they mimic the effects of the male hormone testosterone, which can stimulate muscle and bone growth, leading to increased muscle mass and strength.

What is the chemical structure of steroids?

Steroid molecules have a structure consisting of 17 carbon atoms arranged into four rings, with other elements and structures attached to these rings.

How are steroids naturally occurring in the human body?

Steroids naturally occur in the human body in various forms, such as cholesterol, which is found in all cell membranes, and testosterone, the male sex hormone.

For what medical conditions are steroids typically prescribed?

Steroids are typically prescribed as anti-inflammatory drugs to treat conditions like asthma and irritable bowel syndrome.

What are anabolic androgenic steroids?

Anabolic androgenic steroids are a group of molecules that have a similar structure and function to testosterone, known for their muscle-building (anabolic) and male characteristic-inducing (androgenic) effects.

How do anabolic steroids enhance muscle growth?

Anabolic steroids enhance muscle growth by increasing the levels of testosterone-like chemicals in the body, which allows for more protein to be created and reinforce muscle fibers, leading to muscle hypertrophy.

What are some potential side effects of using anabolic steroids?

Potential side effects of anabolic steroid use include acne, high blood pressure, blood clots, baldness, liver tumors, development of breasts in men, facial hair in women, erectile dysfunction, and shrunken testicles.

What are 'cycling', 'stacking', and 'pyramiding' in the context of steroid use?

Cycling refers to taking regular breaks in steroid use, stacking involves combining several different anabolic steroids, and pyramiding is the practice of gradually increasing the dose over time.

Why might the side effects of anabolic steroids be particularly concerning?

The side effects of anabolic steroids are concerning because they can interfere with normal bodily functions, potentially causing unpredictable and possibly irreversible physical and mental changes, and the scientific understanding of their overall effects on the body is still limited.

What is 'roid rage' and how is it related to steroid use?

'Roid rage' is a term used to describe bursts of manic aggression that can result from the psychiatric effects of high doses of anabolic steroids on nerve cells in the brain.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Anabolic Steroids: The Science and Side Effects

This paragraph introduces the topic of anabolic steroids, commonly known as 'roids, and their use in bodybuilding to enhance muscle growth. It explains the chemical structure of steroids, their natural occurrence in the body, and their legal medical uses. The focus then shifts to the illicit use of anabolic steroids to achieve a muscular physique, detailing how these substances mimic the effects of testosterone, leading to increased muscle size through a process called muscle hypertrophy. The paragraph also touches on the necessity of exercise and a protein-rich diet for steroids to be effective, and it hints at the potential side effects of steroid use.

05:01

🚫 The Dark Side of Anabolic Steroids

The second paragraph delves into the negative consequences of using anabolic steroids. It outlines a range of serious side effects, including acne, high blood pressure, blood clots, baldness, liver tumors, and changes in sexual characteristics. The paragraph also discusses the psychological effects, such as 'roid rage,' which can lead to aggressive behavior. Methods that some users employ to manage these side effects, like cycling, stacking, and pyramiding, are mentioned, but it's emphasized that these techniques have not been scientifically proven to reduce risks. The paragraph concludes with a cautionary note on the limited scientific understanding of the overall impact of steroid use on the body and a reminder of the potential for severe and irreversible harm.

Keywords

💡Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances that mimic the male hormone testosterone. They are used to promote muscle growth and strength. In the video, it is mentioned that these steroids are favored by bodybuilders to enhance their physical appearance and performance. The script discusses how these substances can be taken in doses much higher than medically prescribed, aiming to achieve a more muscular physique, but also highlighting the potential health risks associated with their misuse.

💡Muscle Hypertrophy

Muscle hypertrophy refers to the growth of muscle fibers in response to resistance training. The video explains that when muscles are strained during workouts, such as lifting weights, some muscle fibers can be damaged and need repair. The repair process involves the creation of additional proteins, which leads to the thickening of muscle fibers and an increase in muscle size. Anabolic steroids are said to enhance this process by increasing the levels of testosterone-like chemicals in the body, thus allowing for more protein to be created and reinforcing muscle fibers.

💡Testosterone

Testosterone is a male sex hormone that plays a key role in the development of male characteristics and is naturally produced in higher amounts in men than in women. The video script explains that testosterone has both androgenic effects, which produce male features like facial hair, and anabolic effects, which stimulate muscle and bone growth. It is the natural limit of testosterone production that sets a limit on how much muscle growth can occur without the aid of anabolic steroids.

💡Steroid Cycle

Steroid cycling is a practice where users take regular breaks from using anabolic steroids in an attempt to reduce the side effects. The video mentions this as one of the techniques used by those who use steroids to manage the potential health risks. However, it is also noted that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that cycling mitigates the side effects of steroid use.

💡Stacking

Stacking involves the combination of several different anabolic steroids in an effort to enhance the effects of muscle growth. The video script uses this term to illustrate another method that some individuals use in conjunction with anabolic steroids, aiming to maximize the desired outcomes. However, similar to cycling, the script points out that the effectiveness and safety of stacking have not been scientifically proven.

💡Pyramiding

Pyramiding is a steroid use routine where the dose of anabolic steroids is gradually increased over time. This approach is mentioned in the video as another strategy that some individuals employ in an attempt to manage the side effects of steroid use. The script cautions, though, that like other routines, pyramiding has not been scientifically proven to reduce the risks associated with anabolic steroid use.

💡Roid Rage

Roid rage refers to bursts of manic aggression that can be caused by the use of anabolic steroids. The video script explains that because these substances are hormone messengers that affect the entire body, including the brain, they can lead to psychiatric effects. The term 'roid rage' is used in the script to describe one such potential psychological side effect of steroid use.

💡Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a type of steroid that is naturally found in all of our cell membranes and is essential for various bodily functions. The video script mentions cholesterol as an example of a naturally occurring steroid to contrast with the synthetic anabolic steroids that are the focus of the discussion. Cholesterol serves to illustrate the wide range of functions that steroids can have within the body.

💡Irreversible Effects

The term 'irreversible effects' is used in the video to describe the potential long-term consequences of anabolic steroid use. The script emphasizes that the scientific understanding of steroid use is limited, and there is a risk of causing permanent changes to the body, both physically and mentally. This term is used to underscore the seriousness of the potential risks associated with anabolic steroid misuse.

💡Legal and Illegal Use

The video script distinguishes between the legal medical use of anabolic steroids, such as for treating diseases like cancer and AIDS, and the illegal use by individuals seeking to enhance their physical appearance or athletic performance. The term 'legal and illegal use' is important for understanding the context in which anabolic steroids are discussed in the video, highlighting the dual nature of these substances as both therapeutic and potentially harmful when misused.

Highlights

Anabolic steroids are drugs favored by bodybuilders to enhance muscle growth.

Steroid chemically refers to any organic molecule with 17 carbon atoms arranged into four rings.

Many different steroids occur naturally in the human body, such as cholesterol and testosterone.

Anabolic steroids are similar in structure and function to the male sex hormone testosterone.

Testosterone is known for triggering the development of masculine features and muscle growth.

Synthetic anabolic steroids are prescribed to treat diseases and stimulate male puberty.

Illegal use of anabolic steroids aims to achieve an ideal muscular figure.

Anabolic steroids work by increasing protein synthesis, leading to muscle hypertrophy.

The effects of anabolic steroids require exercise and a protein-rich diet to be effective.

Rats were used in experiments to understand the effects of steroids with different exercise levels.

High doses of anabolic steroids can lead to a range of adverse effects.

Possible side effects include acne, high blood pressure, blood clots, baldness, and liver tumors.

Anabolic steroids can also cause psychiatric effects, such as manic aggression known as 'roid rage'.

Users attempt to avoid side effects through cycling, stacking, and pyramiding steroid use.

These techniques have not been scientifically proven to mitigate the side effects of steroids.

The scientific understanding of steroid use and its effects on the body is limited.

The potential for uncontrollable and irreversible physical and mental changes is a significant risk.

The video encourages viewers to like and subscribe for more science content.

Transcripts

juice gear stacker Arnold's roids now

these are not the members of my new boy

band these are some of the street names

that anabolic steroids the drugs favored

by bodybuilders to give their biceps a

boost i hope jack has improved them

you've no doubt heard about steroids in

the press how athletes have been caught

with them in their systems how people

want skinny have suddenly in remarkably

beefed up their bodies but what's the

big deal

what does steroids actually do to the

body and why have they got such a bad

rap first things first let's get our

definitions right because chemically

speaking a steroid is any organic

molecule with 17 carbon atoms arranged

into four rings other elements and

structures glued onto those there's

actually no glue determine exactly what

kind of steroid you have but at the

basic level they all have those four

carbon rings and there are loads and

loads of different steroids occur

naturally and have different functions

in the human body cholesterol for

instance is a steroid that's found in

all of our cell membranes and the male

hormone testosterone is a steroid to

which you'll want to remember for later

steroids are typically prescribed as

anti-inflammatory drugs to treat things

like asthma and irritable bowel syndrome

but these are not the roids we're

looking for the much-maligned muscle

maximizing molecules we're talking about

our anabolic steroids or if you prefer

even more a mouthfull anabolic

androgenic steroids anabolic steroids

are basically a group of molecules that

have a very similar structure and

function to the male sex hormone

testosterone hormones are effectively

chemical messengers in our bodies

traveling around in the blood and

attaching onto cellular receptors to

trigger specific processes in specific

locations and testosterone is no

exception the sex hormone is well known

for triggering the development of

masculine features and characteristics

it's said to have both androgenic

effects that's producing male features

like facial hair and anabolic effects

stimulating muscle and bone growth by

making proteins men

naturally produce a lot more

testosterone than women which explains

why men are usually more manly but

there's a limit to how much testosterone

the body can produce naturally and that

means there's a limit to muscular growth

time to enter synthetic anabolic

steroids these substances are prescribed

by doctors to treat wasting diseases

like cancer and AIDS or stimulate male

puberty but they've also been adopted

illegally by the body and performance

conscious sporting community in an

effort to attain the supposedly ideal

muscular figure these steroid users will

routinely inject themselves or swallow

tablets containing ten to a hundred

times the medical dose with the goal of

getting bigger leaner and stronger so

let's take a look about how about

actually works thanks when we workout we

put strain on our muscles our skeletal

muscles that's the muscles that makes

our bones move like our biceps or glutes

our calves is made of muscle fibers that

slide past each other when the muscles

contract and expand if we lift a weight

that's just a little bit too heavy

trust me this is some of those fibers

are physically broken and need to be

fixed so that the muscle can function

properly again for this extra proteins

come in and reinforce the fibers making

them physically thicker and the muscle

increases in size the process is known

as muscle hypertrophy but it's normally

limited because natural levels of

testosterone aren't high enough to allow

much protein to be created but taking

anabolic steroids changes that with more

testosterone like chemicals around and

provided their enough building blocks

enough amino acids in the blood much

more reinforcing protein can be created

making the muscles bigger and bigger

interestingly the steroids won't work on

their own without the right exercise and

a protein-rich diet scientists cunningly

found this out by subjecting rats to

different steroid levels

and different types of exercise

including unbelievably a specially

designed rat squat machine so you take

the steroids and your muscles get bigger

it sounds good

right well injecting yourself with

testosterone substitutes can have some

unexpected and unwanted side-effects

let's not forget that these anabolic

steroids are hormone messengers that

travel all around the body not just to

that particular muscle that you want to

upgrade so by pumping such large doses

into your body the chemicals can play

havoc with your normal bodily functions

and I'm not exaggerating here the list

of possible adverse effects is long and

scary so you've got acne high blood

pressure blood clots baldness liver

tumors breasts developing in men facial

hair in women erectile dysfunction even

shrunken testicles all caused by one

very potent molecule interfering with

the way things are normally done high

doses of anabolic steroids are even

reported to have psychiatric effects as

the chemicals affect nerve cells in the

brain into bursts of manic aggression

called roid rage some hardcore steroid

users attempt to dodge these grisly side

effects by carefully controlling their

steroid taking routine one technique

cycling where users take regular breaks

in their self medication another is

stacking where they combine several

different anabolic steroids and

pyramiding that involves gradually

increasing the dose over time but the

one tiny problem with all of these

routines is that none of them have been

scientifically proven to mitigate side

effects whatsoever in fact the

scientific understanding of steroid use

is still so incredibly limited we don't

really know how these drugs affect the

body as a whole so if you're needed any

extra persuading not to do illegal drugs

then the potential for uncontrollable

unpredictable and possibly even

irreversible physical and mental changes

should be it Plus

it's just possible to look to ripped

right that's my excuse for my fantasy

chocolate anyway if you found this video

interesting be sure to LIKE and

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great science videos and what drugs

would you like me to delve into next

I've done LSD and marijuana done is in

of course covered for the channel leave

your suggestions in the comments below

see you next time