Anabolic Androgenic Steroid Abuse and their Health Impacts: A Cross‑sectional Study among Body Builders in a City of Eastern India

Anabolic‑androgenic steroids (AASs), when taken in supraphysiologic doses,increase muscle strength and athletic performance. Evidence suggests that long‑term use of AAS insupraphysiologic doses have adverse effects on health. Therefore, the study was conducted to findcrude estimate of the prevalence of AAS use among attendees of the gymnasium, the factors thatcould have influenced them for AAS abuse and to assess the short‑ and long‑term side effects asperceived by them.

A cross‑sectional study was conducted in selected gymnasiums of asmart city of India using a predesigned and pretested questionnaire. Snowball sampling method wasundertaken. The study was from July 2015 to June 2016. Informed written consent was taken. Theanalysis was done using SPSS v. 20.0.

Of 84 bodybuilders approached, 74 participants usedAAS. All users were male with mean age of 26.5 + 0.55 years. The mean age of initiation of AASabuse was 23 years, and 66.2% (49) were unmarried. Eighty‑five percent (63) preferred injectable.Seventy percent (52) abusers were influenced by trainers for abuse. Most commonly abused wasNandrolone decanoate (55.4%). Seventy‑three percent were not aware of any legal ban on steroids.Reported benefits include increased strength, muscle size, and power, while harms were increasedacne, deepening of voice, swelling of feet, increased irritability, depressive thoughts, impairedjudgment, panic disorder, and withdrawal effect.</strong>

Frequency of ASS use was substantialamong young bodybuilders. Awareness about side effects was not a deterrent factor. Abusers werehighly influenced by coaches. Efforts should be made for preventing easy access to AAS.