A dose of death

An anabolic steroid can bring amazing changes to the physique of a bodybuilder. His weight may increase by 5-10kg in just a few weeks, he may appear a lot more muscular and might even feel as strong as a bull. Not surprisingly then, many youngsters, in their haste to acquire the perfect body, opt for the steroid route.

But the side effects of steroids inevitably follow, and can be dangerous. The recent death of bodybuilder Mahesh Khokarale, who was apparently unable to fight malaria because steroids had weakened his immune system and his organs, is an example. And it’s not an isolated case. Madhav Pujari, president of the Indian Body Building Federation, says every year a handful of bodybuilders test positive for steroids.

“Around 350 youngsters participate in the two major tournaments every year, and a dope test is usually conducted on the winners. A lot of times, the results are positive,” he says.

Bodybuilders may be driven to taking steroids because of their profession. But now, many general gym-goers are beginning to find the shortcut to a muscular body, irresistible. What they don’t realise is that in the long run, “brittle bones, high blood pressure and a moon-face are some of the more prominent side-effects,” says general physician Arun Kumar.

“The damage to the liver and kidney are well known. If not administered correctly, steroids can be life-threatening as well,” says Kumar. Executive in a multinational company, Prem Gupta, 23, found this out the hard way.

Two years ago, Prem joined a gym in Andheri where the trainer recommended he take ‘specific doses’ of the steroids Sustanon and Deca (the latter is now banned). He had to inject them into his system every alternate day for two months. “I knew they were steroids, but stupid and ambitious as I was, I went ahead because I wanted quick results,” says Gupta. Prem gained 15kg of muscle weight in two months, which brought about a drastic change in his physical appearance — and confidence. “People started reacting positively to my new physique,” he says. “I started feeling good about that.”

Shortly after, Gupta developed a high fever that he assumed would go away in a day or two. But it kept returning. After having fever for over a month, and losing a lot of his strength, Prem admitted to the doctor treating him that he had consumed steroids.

“Thankfully my liver wasn’t damaged because I had maintained a good diet even when taking steroids,” he says. “But my immunity had taken a battering, and it took a long time to return to good health. It was scary.” It’s been two years since the ordeal, and Prem is back at the gym. But he’s staying away from steroids, even if it means having a less muscular body.

A lot of gymnasiums recommend steroids to patrons, even though it is illegal, says psychologist Harish Shetty. “Bodybuilders at these gyms don’t get the right guidance. For a trainer, quick results imply that he’s doing his job well. But the effects can be disastrous for people consuming the steroids,” adds Shetty. Fitness expert Leena Mogre agrees.

“Forget steroids, we should not even be consulting trainers for diet tips. There are dieticians for that job,” she says, adding that in upscale gyms, even using the ‘S’ word would be sacrilege.

Certain steroids — the banned Deca, for example — are easily accessed from the grey market. The ones available at medical stores have to be prescribed by a doctor for over-the-counter sale but “there are a lot of quacks willing to prescribe them for a little money”, says Shetty. While oral administration (by way of pills) is the most common method of consuming steroids, there are some that can be injected into the body or absorbed directly into the bloodstream via a ‘skin patch’, like a nicotine patch.

Moreover, steroids have to be taken in the correct doses. Sportspersons require a ecommendation by an endocrinologist or sports doctor, says Kumar. “People in specific fields, like bodybuilding or modeling should resort to only what is prescribed by an expert. Steroids can be helpful in certain cases, like in the treatment of severe asthma,” he says.

That’s because steroids, Kumar explains, are of two types: anabolic steroids, that serve in muscle generation and regular steroids administered by doctors under very controlled circumstances for certain ailments. “Steroids for medical purposes have to be used prudently too. In critical cases, these may help boost the strength of a patient and keeps him in high spirits. But a lot of doctors, like trainers who misuse anabolic steroids, may resort to these for a quick-fix.”

Ruma Patel’s was one such unfortunate case. An asthma patient, the 45-year-old was administered steroids by her doctor. “She ended up in the ICU with severe jaundice,” says her husband, Vinit. It turned out that the steroid had crippled her immunity which led to her contracting the illness.

A situation like this, either brought on unwittingly or for someone looking for quick results, can eventually cause a lot of suffering and irreversible damage. Khokarale’s family would know.