Grim reminder of USING STEROIDS

From ripped models to middle-aged men trying to make the most of their remaining virility, the world of anabolic steroids has received no dearth of attention across its relatively short history on the Indian subcontinent. But as growing death tolls rile up the bodybuilding community, fitness personalities and physicians give us a grim reminder that with great gains, comes great responsibility

- Sharan Sanil

Seven years and about 18 kilograms ago, I decided to get a gym membership; a determined ‘F-You’ to a lifetime of being scrawny and short. While the latter never changed, getting bigger quite literally turned my life around. It pushed me out of my shell and into the world of young adulthood; I’ll never quite forget that feeling.

That said, my approach towards fitness wasn’t as zen early on. My early attempts at pumping iron were, for lack of a better term, angry. I was frustrated with both my body and mind, and with every step forward, the odd drinking binge or midnight snack attack would push me back a couple of places. If only there was a way, I wondered, to take three… hell, four or five steps forward with each session at the gym. Beyond the bad habits and the impulsive cravings, it seems it is all gain and not as much pain.

It turns out that several other young Indians come across this very same thought and have found their salvation in anabolic steroids — the many synthetic derivatives of testosterone. Developed in 1935 by a group of German scientists led by Nobel laureate Adolf Butenandt, the substance was first used as a treatment for hypogonadism or testosterone deficiency — a technique that is still used today. Opinions on their usage have been split down the line of history; early compounds were used by Nazi soldiers and concentration camp survivors alike to build muscular strength during and after World War II.

However, the popular notion of steroid use as a tool to develop and hone physique in athletics, sports and bodybuilding skyrocketed in the 1960s. According to his autobiography,