Middle-aged men turn to steroids to boost their libido
- It is estimated that there are around 60,000 anabolic steroid users in the UK
- Some believe this figure is off the mark and the amount is closer to one million
- Up to 30,000 men over the age of 40 are deemed to be users of the supplements
- They use them in a bid to boost their energy and regain their youthly figures
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
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Steroids are increasing in popularity among middle-aged men who are desperate for a boost, scientists warn.
In an attempt to have more energy and a higher libido, tens of thousands are taking up the drugs commonly used by bodybuilders.
Concerned that they aren’t in the same shape of their youth, other over-40s are also using the supplements to bulk up.
But scientists warn they are ignoring the well-documented health risks, with no-one really sure about the potential harm being caused.
Researchers believe the easy access to the drugs, despite them only being being sold through prescription, and the cheap online market is fuelling the rise in use.
In an attempt to have more energy and a higher libido, tens of thousands of over-40s are taking up the drugs commonly used by bodybuilders
Government figures suggest that there are around 60,000 steroid users in Britain, but experts believe this figure is well off the mark.
Having become increasingly popular in the past five years, some estimate that the real number is closer to one million.
Joseph Kean, chairman of a public health group on steroid use in Yorkshire and Humberside, said there were probably 15,000 to 30,000 users over the age of 40.
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But he believes their number is rising sharply because they want to ‘stand a bit taller’ and feel like the younger generation, The Guardian reports.
Julien Baker, director of the University of the West of Scotland’s research institute for clinical exercise and health science, said steroids are similar to HRT.
He told the newspaper: ‘It’s a major problem, but the evidence isn’t there about what the long-term impact is yet.
Concerned that they aren’t in the same shape of their youth, other middle-aged men are also using the supplements to bulk up
‘We are not sure what these drugs are doing to you at that age, but everyone perceives it as safe.’
Anabolic steroids are taken to increase muscle mass and athletic performance. They can cause serious side effects and can become very addictive.
Classed as a category C drug, they can only be sold by pharmacists to someone with a prescription.
It is illegal to import or possess the drugs, if it is believed you are going to sell them. The penalty can be a heavy fine or even prison time.
Steroids can be taken by an injection into the muscle, in pill form or they can also be applied by use of a cream or gel.
Side effects to steroid abuse for men are a reduced sperm count, infertility, shrunken testicles, erectile dysfunction, baldness.
Increased aggression among users have been documented across the world since the 1970s by researchers examining what is sometimes labelled ‘roid rage’.
Experts have also highlighted how a disturbing number of bodybuilders have been involved in murders compared with other sportsmen.
In 1998 an article in the American magazine Sports Illustrated highlighted the large number of bodybuilders jailed for killings compared with other athletes.
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