645% increase in steroid users, says charity

slimsim said:
how all gear does is oxygenate your blood so that you can push yourself harder.

Fazc said:
In my mind it is a problem.
Over blowing side effects and attributing deaths to steroids where the death clearly was not due to steroids is a huge problem. People do eventually find out the truth, or at the very least differing sides of the story. The internet is massive and we have many stories of people living well into old age and living well in their old age due to use.
So when this information becomes known to people who otherwise saw steds as a killer, they find out the demonisation is largely politically motivated and/or scare mongering. This might lead them to experiment with use, it might lead them to completely go the other way and take massive amounts thinking that if it won't kill you, it's perfectly safe.
Now I've never wanted to use steds personally but I have trained in commercial gyms for close to 15 years and I know guys who have used for that long consistently. Their health is fine. However knowing that, some younger guys may take that to mean they are completely safe and abuse them. So lies never help the situation.
The pendulum inevitably swings just as heavily in the other direction. Sensationalism, scare mongering and outright lies never help a situation.

Evis said:
Yeah I do agree that the truth is the best thing - not an exaggeration in any of the directions.
I would like to say though, some people smoke and drink for 80 years and stay fine as well. It doesnt really say much.
As for the guy comparing steroid-users to heavyweight natural powerlifters. There was actually a study on this very subject in my country (Norway) and it clearly showed a lot more problems for the long time bodybuilders they tested than the natty (but fat) powerlifters.

herman said:
Mightve been selling erythropoietin?

LessThanLuke said:
Bodybuilders use A LOT more gear than the average gym goer/sm.

danbaseley said:I am surprised and disheartened by the comments - and appearances - of many others there, who believe that PEDs are 100% necessary in order to even make it worthwhile going to the gym. Just recently I have heard the following from people around the age of 21:

1) "It's not worth going to the gym, if you are not on juice - you won't really be able to do anything."

2) A 21 year-old speaking to two 18 year-olds "I'm juiced off my nut - you want to start within the first 6 weeks of training."

3) "I had to make the decision between spending money on gear, or spending it on a holiday - obviously, I chose the gear."

I think it is much more prevalent now than ever - and none of these people want to be the next Klokov, Shaw or Heath. They want to have a six-pack and pecs and look "nice" stood around the bar on a Saturday night. The gym I frequent is a higher end fitness gym in Cambridge; it is not Metroflex, by any means.