Are steroids really worth the risk? Bodybuilders must weigh up their options
Bodybuilders buying drugs online to boost performance in the gym are being warned that they could be risking their lives.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention issued the warning, saying some illegally marketed products contain toxic substances that could be fatal if ingested.
All hospitals and directors of medical zones have been alerted about the issue after a recent guidance from the US Food and Drug Administration.
Drug tests on steroid-like substances were found to contain artificial male hormones that could seriously harm health.
“The US Food and Drug Administration warned that many of these products are promoted for bodybuilding, whereas they contain synthetic steroids or hormones related to testosterone,” said Dr Amin Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary of public health policy and licensing at the ministry.
Apart from liver injury, steroids can cause severe acne, hair loss, aggression and depression.
Doctors should always be consulted before taking such supplements, because steroid use can also cause life-threatening reactions such as kidney damage, heart attacks, strokes or pulmonary embolisms, which is a blockage in a major blood vessel in the lungs.
Most rogue products enter the country illegally, coming from companies not licensed to sell in the UAE.
The ministry is increasing inspections on pharmacies to check that they comply with the law on sales of medication.
Any found operating illegally will first be warned before prosecution. Sales of banned or unlicensed hormone products could lead to the business being closed.
“The absence of parental control and the lack of awareness among family regarding the risks of hormones and sports steroids contributes to the increase of youngsters buying them in gyms and bodybuilding clubs,” Dr Al Amiri said.
“Most young people may not be aware of the health hazards of these hormones, as they don’t talk about it for fear of being ridiculed for using them instead of exerting physical effort to develop.”
Products are usually sold online in the form of food supplements, but most are not nutritional supplements and are marketed illegally.
Some are also promoted as new medicine that is not yet approved globally.
Doctors and physiotherapists said more teenage boys were asking for help to treat muscle-related injuries, owing to a rising trend of body-conscious males going to the gym at too young an age.
“Young patients come to me with lower back problems and they are doing weight training unsupervised,” said Aditya Ghai, a physiotherapist at Zulekha Hospital.
“This can also damage their confidence, because their mentality shifts from being healthy to looking good.”