Researchers have recently found that the side effects of anabolic steroids later in life affect the male reproductive organs. In addition, excessive use of steroids can negatively affect men's testicular function. However, the illegal anabolic steroids not only have dangerous side effects during use. The persistent symptoms can occur even years after steroid abuse has stopped.
When the side effects of anabolic steroids can occur
Anabolic steroids are synthetic forms of testosterone, and their abuse is widespread among athletes worldwide. Some people use these steroids without a prescription to improve athletic performance or gain a more muscular appearance. Known side effects of these medications in men include breast growth, hair loss, shrunken testicles andlower testosterone levels. Low testosterone levels, or hypogonadism, can lead to reduced sex drive, poor erections, and low sperm count. However, it is still controversial whether illegal use of anabolic steroids causes long-term testosterone deficiency, according to the study authors. The researchers have identified a hormone from Leydig cells, which produce testosterone in the testicles, as a biological marker for testicular function. Since testosterone levels in the blood can vary greatly during the day and depending on body composition, the team examined the so-called serum insulin-like factor 3 (INSL3). The study included 132 men who practiced strength training in their leisure time. Former users had not taken anabolic steroids for 32 months.
Current steroid users had significantly suppressed INSL3 compared to previous users and never users. The longer the men allegedly used steroids, the lower their INSL3 levels were, the researchers found. The study results indicate long-term impairment of testicular function in previous users of anabolic steroids. In addition, the authors emphasizethis study, that this creates an increased risk of hypogonadism later in life. This raises the question of whether some former anabolic steroid users should receive medical stimulation therapy. This could increase the Leydig cell capacity in the testes. This therapy would include drugs used to block estrogen production or its conversion to testosterone. These would be, for example, aromatase inhibitors and selective estrogen receptor modulators.
