The use of anabolic steroids and other dietary supplements are not only popular among professional athletes and bodybuilders but also on teens. Most of them tries to bulk up and wants to attain bigger bodies because of their desire to excel in the sport. School competitions cause a lot of pressure to some high school athletes. In fact there are already some cases where the use of steroids in teens results to severe complications and deaths. The sons of Don Hooton and Frank Mariero were both victims of steroid abuse. Their sons were high school athletes who turned to anabolic steroids hoping that it will help them become a better athlete.

According to the survey of the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), there were approximately 3.4% of high school seniors who have used anabolic steroids. Some lawmakers argue that the actual number of teens using performance enhancing drugs could be higher. This is the primary reason why some states have not remove their steroid testing program in high school. Even though they have a reduced budget for the testing, lawmakers and school officials are still hoping that it can deter steroid use among teens.

Anabolic steroids and other supplements are not actually dangerous if it is used with medical supervision. In fact anabolic steroids play a significant role in the treatment of some degenerative diseases like HIV and cancer. It is also used in the treatment of delayed puberty and some types of impotence. Steroids are also beneficial in promoting the growth of skeletal muscles and the development of male sexual characteristics. In the case of dietary supplements, some of them may also improve one’s health. People who have an active lifestyle or engage in sports usually use supplements to augment the intake of necessary nutrients.

However, these products are not intended to be used by younger people. Instead of getting the benefits from these supplements, they may suffer side effects and complications. According to some experts, steroids use in teens could affect their physical development. They may never reach their full adult height because an increase in synthetic hormones may give a wrong signal to the body to stop growing. Taking steroids and supplements can lead to addiction which can cause depression and roid rage. Other side effects are heart problems like heart attacks and stroke, liver disease, gynecomastia, facial hair or a deeper voice in women, fertility problems, hair loss and many others.

Steroid use in teens is difficult to curtail because of the availability of these products. Although anabolic steroids are controlled substances, it is still being sold online and even distributed at local gyms. Dietary supplements are also available in pharmacies and health stores. These can be purchased over-the-counter without prescriptions. The worst thing is most teens purchase these supplements without any supervision from a nutritionist or health professional.

According to a sports physician, there are supplements which are banned just like anabolic steroids. Though products like creatine, HMB, alanine, caffeine, green tea, conjugated linoleic acid and medium chain triglycerides are widely used supplements to increase athletic performance and develop muscles, expert supervision is still necessary.

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