Of muscle-enhancers, real fitness

Vongai Mbara Lifestyle Reporter
When growing up, ladies have various perceptions about their “dream” partners.

While some perceptions differ, it is a common expectation among ladies to have a man who is muscular.

Typically, men want to “bulk up” and women usually wish to avoid building big, bulky muscles.

Although there is no strict definition, “bulking up” means adding a lot of muscle mass to the body and possibly (although not always) reducing one’s body fat, too.

Bulking up harkens images of body-builders and big football players and it can be done in many different ways.

Some prefer to do it the “clean” way by eating healthy and working out, some prefer to take the short cut and some prefer to incorporate both methods to get desired results.

Usually there is a common thread in many male transformation stories. A guy starts off overweight, he eats poorly and is sedentary.

Then he discovers how to eat right, how to lift weights, and before you know it, new words like metabolism, muscle enhancer drugs, steroids become part of the standard language.

Looking muscular has never been easier with these muscle enhancer drugs but the big question is what exactly are these drugs and how do they work.

In the sporting world, it is known as “juicing” when athletes use steroids to enhance their athletic performance.

It might be frowned upon but it’s far from uncommon and even non-athlete celebrities have admitted to using or been accused of using performance-enhancement drugs.

Former WWE Superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and actor Sylvester Stallone have been accused several times for using muscle enhancing drugs because of their physical appearance.

Muscle drugs, which often are associated with performance drugs and image enhancing drugs are used to enhance the structure and function of skeletal muscle.

These substances are consumed for both cosmetics reasons for example, increase muscle definition and to enhance physical performance.

They work by helping the body’s muscle cells produce more protein which, as long as the person taking them works out leads to increased muscle size and strength and, at the same time, also allows the body to produce more “fuel” muscles need to move.

Some of these drugs are also given to cure people with certain health conditions.

Some are legal and some are illegal and taking these drugs has both advantages and consequences.

These muscle enhancing drugs are taken orally (pill) or through injection, usually in the upper outer quadrant of the buttocks.

However, some athletes have been known to inject specific sites hoping to increase muscle size and or strength in that area. Unfortunately, this strategy does not work and can damage the injection site.

The use of performance drugs and image enhancing drugs for the purposes of physical enhancement is nothing new since people have long sought to improve their physique or performance from the use of special herbs and mushroom concoctions to the more recent use of steroids and other muscle enhancing drugs.

The most commonly used muscle drugs are steroids and in a literature review, Sagoe et al (2014) found that 3,3 percent of the world’s population (6,4 percent men/1,6 percent woman) have used steroids at least once.

Young teenage athletes have dabbled in performance enhancing drugs to cope with insecurities, pressure from friends or parents, and negative body image issues.

Speaking to a young professional rugby player who refused to be named, he said he takes muscle enhancing drugs to fit in to the aggressive sport that requires a lot of strength.

“You know that Rugby is a very tough sport and you must be really strong for you to keep up. Ever since I started taking them, my performance has improved, I am now much stronger and I do not get injured easily,” he said.

The most commonly used among teens are anabolic steroids, androstenedione, and creatine.

The use of these supplements in teenagers, most prominent in males, can be related to the desire to fit in but also may be because of seeing professional athletes use steroids.

Some believe that the benefits aren’t worth the less appealing outcomes of using these drugs to aid athletes in enhancing their abilities.

Kegan Rouche, a cricket captain at Highlands Academy in an interview said although the muscle drugs seemed appealing, he would never take them because their effects are more dangerous.

“I have heard stories that some people had to have their arms cur because of overdosing steroids and some will end up with disorder problems. I prefer to be fit by doing it the clean way. I go to the gym and I follow a strict diet and my body has never betrayed me so far,” said Kegan.

In particular, subgroups that engage in physical activities for lifestyle purposes or aesthetic reasons often show high consumption levels.

A good example is seen on people involved in weight training who commonly use performance and image enhancing drugs to increase muscle size, mass or power.

In an interview with Mthandazo Ncube, a fitness trainer at a local fitness centre, he said muscle enhancers are a great way of adding muscle to your physique, however, he said a good diet should be followed for good results.

“Legal steroids are not just great for bodybuilding purposes, but are truly powerful muscle supplements that can do a whole lot for your body. Many people however think that when they take these drugs, then it is enough but you also need to monitor your diet.

“Exercise, eat healthy food and drink lots of water and you will see the amazing results. Personally I take muscle enhancing injection to enhance my performance when I am working out in the gym,” said Mthandazo.

Nonetheless, there are many other subgroups not related to sport or other physical activities that are also no stranger to performance and image enhancing drug consumption or other types as lifestyle drugs.

These subgroups will often identify themselves more with other practices like their occupation rather than with sport or other forms of physical activity.

Speaking to Farai Mapako, who is a builder by profession, he said he takes muscle enhancing injections to be strong since his job needs strength.

“I am a builder at a construction and the job that I do requires a lot of strength. I take muscle enhancing injections once in a while to keep up with the strength demanding job,” said the bulky man.

The scientific evidence for the adverse health effects of muscle drugs, in particular long-term effects, is scarce, and relatively few deaths are directly linked to their use.

However, several harms that are more commonly reported with steroid use include acne, loss of memory, liver damage, cardiovascular issue and effects on behaviour and mood for example depression and aggression.

One particular concern of muscle drugs is the quality of the active substance for example strength and purity and the presence of contamination.

Another problem is the indirect harms related to injecting praises for example steroids that are often injected.

The damage can be seen in the injection sites resulting in infections, however, there is not enough evidence available to be certain of both the benefits and harms of muscle drugs and more research need to be carried out.

People are different and they respond differently to these drugs, however, it is advised to seek aid first from reliable sources like doctors and also get recommendation before jumping in to use them.

Some are very dangerous with a lot of side effects.

People who take these drugs are encouraged to work out for the drugs to be effective.