Thousands of posts on social media discussing ways to boost testosterone levels and celebrity influencers extolling the benefits of this synthetic hormone are encouraging amateur athletes to use testosterone supplements. However, using synthetic testosterone in amounts that exceed the natural production of testosterone can cause serious harm to your health.

The dangers and proliferation of testosterone supplements

Testosterone is a steroid hormone found in both men and women that has many important functions, such as sex development, building muscle mass and bone growth. It is possible to increase testosterone production naturally.

Factors such as exercise, stress management and sexual activity can increase this hormone. However, using synthetic testosterone supplements can increase sexual desire and increase muscle mass in the short term, but in the long term it can cause serious side effects on health.

The use of synthetic testosterone can cause side effects such as acne, baldness and breast enlargement in men, while women may experience menstrual irregularities, increased body hair, a thickened voice and enlarged clitoris. However, these side effects are mild compared to the serious health problems that long-term and repeated use can cause.

Steroid abuse can cause changes to the heart, which can lead to enlargement of the heart, increased blood pressure and loss of elasticity of the arteries. These changes make it harder for the heart to perform, increasing the risk of sudden death. In most steroid users, these cardiovascular changes become permanent.

Long-term use of steroids can also cause liver and kidney damage. The psychological effects of testosterone include increased aggression, depression and anxiety.

Testosterone supplements can cause the brain to stop producing the natural hormone, leading to a condition called hypogonadism. In this condition, testosterone-producing tissues shrink and men have fewer sperm and testicular volume.

Hypogonadism also leads to a range of withdrawal symptoms such as depression and loss of libido. Many men who abuse steroids require lifelong testosterone replacement therapy.

The cosmetic use of testosterone among non-athletes seeking to improve confidence and physical appearance has led to anabolic steroid abuse becoming a public health issue.

But with such well-known risks and harms, why do some people choose to use testosterone and continue to do so even when they suffer serious health problems? Experts have been trying to answer this question for years.

Perhaps users perceive health problems as a future problem and think that these problems are an acceptable risk to achieve better performance or appearance in the short term.

What do you think? Please don’t forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments.