The SLOHS weight room, where athletes’ mental and physical strength are tested. Photo courtesy of Measure D.
Thousands of modern teens in America, including those who go to San Luis Obispo High School, are being impacted by influencers online who are taking steroids. Influencers such as Togi and the Tren Twins have a major impact on teenagers’ lives who go to the gym and just athletes overall.
A new trend in teenage athletes’ lives is taking steroids, which has affected some SLOHS students. High School sports are very competitive, and more than 8 million athletes compete nationwide. With the growing population, these stakes get higher and higher. Teenagers who take performance-enhancing drugs would be doing so to be able to get a jumpstart on the competition and help improve their chances of winning the state.
“It’s not good. Because at the time you’re in high school, you’re going through puberty, which is the highest level your testosterone is. You don’t need anything but your natural testosterone. Eating and resting and training correctly will give great benefits naturally,” said professional powerlifter and SLOHS football coach Tony Lewelling on the topic of kids taking steroids.
In the years 1994-2004, steroids weren’t tested in Major League Baseball, and the number of users shot up, so did the number of home runs per season. With the number of high schoolers who watch professional sports, it’s obvious that they would be influenced by the usage of anabolic steroids.
Around seven percent of high school students are taking steroids in the U.S. This is not an insane amount, but it is still definitely noticeable. Many teenagers today are taking MK677, not technically a steroid, but it does significantly increase their size.
This fad of taking MK has even affected SLOHS, and a student who has taken them has this to say about them.
“I gained a lot of weight in a shortened period of time, and I had many mood swings,” said an anonymous sophomore.
The Olympics are trying to ban athletes who have taken roids before because it affects them even after they are off cycle. When you work out, your cells grow and get bigger; when you take steroids, it increases the number of cells in your muscle, and then those get bigger. So even if you are off cycle, your muscle growth is still gonna be significantly bigger.
Taking steroids can also affect your mental and emotional state because it causes fluctuations in hormones. Your emotions are amplified, so when you feel something, you feel it to the greatest extent. Even after you stop taking them, it can still affect you.
“When you come off steroids, you have to restart your natural testosterone. If you don’t, and don’t know how, it creates anxiety and depression,” also said Lewelling.
We can see that the trend of teenagers taking steroids is very dangerous and can affect them in all aspects of life, not just athletics. Know the risk tigers.
Sources: ESPN.com, Justice.gov
