Are Steroids Really Bad at 18?

I know most people will say yes, endocrine reasons etc. Is it true or is it just as safe for a responbile 18 year old to be on AAS as it is for a 25 year old?

All around me, I see kids in the gym, young kids I graduated befor and a few younger friends of mine, who have been on gear and are fine.

These kids are anywhere from 18-23, the majority being 18-21 and they are fine. They are making huge gains, no acne, no gyno, they’re getting their bloodwork and test levels and it’s all coming up fine.

One friend of mine is 19 years old, the kid has been running quite a few cycles and mainly follows with a PCT of HCG and rarely Nolva, and I know his doctor personally. His lipids are fine, test levels, everything. None of these kids are balding, loaded with acne, suffering from depression or gyno, and their bloodwork and doctors say they are fine.

What’s the deal?

Think longterm…when theyre getting off…theyll have erection problems,shrinked balls.etc…plus peole react differently to ASS

[quote]southphilly wrote:
I know most people will say yes, endocrine reasons etc. Is it true or is it just as safe for a responbile 18 year old to be on AAS as it is for a 25 year old?

All around me, I see kids in the gym, young kids I graduated befor and a few younger friends of mine, who have been on gear and are fine.

These kids are anywhere from 18-23, the majority being 18-21 and they are fine. They are making huge gains, no acne, no gyno, they’re getting their bloodwork and test levels and it’s all coming up fine.

One friend of mine is 19 years old, the kid has been running quite a few cycles and mainly follows with a PCT of HCG and rarely Nolva, and I know his doctor personally. His lipids are fine, test levels, everything. None of these kids are balding, loaded with acne, suffering from depression or gyno, and their bloodwork and doctors say they are fine.

What’s the deal?[/quote]

Lets put the risk factors pertaining to endocrine damage aside for a second. (they are most certainly real btw, I am not trying to downplay them)

There is no way an 18 year old has accomplished enough in the gym to even warrant a cycle of steroids. It’s really as simple as that. You can say otherwise but I don’t believe that 95% of teenagers have enough working knowledge about training to justify using steroids. As far as proper nutrition goes I’d say the percentage is much higher. A steroid cycle is only as good as the person’s training and nutrition habits. I am not saying one has to be on the PERFECT training program or have the the most immaculate meal plan ever seen to have a sucessful cycle but there is just too much info to be learned and understood that the overwhelming majority of teenagers do not possess.

Doing a cycle at 18 is something you will regret, unless you are going to be the next ronnie coleman.

some people can use at that age and be fine…but it’s like playing russian roulette with your HPTA.

Do you want to be the one with a bullet in the chamber?

at 25 there is a higher chance that the HPTA is fully developed than at 18.

Somebody who starts using too young is risking messing themselves up later in life.

I’m almost 21 and started 8 weeks ago…I still think I should have waited but then again I want to be a pro BBer so that was my choice. I am also WAAAAAY more developed than your average 21 year old.

It’s always a good thing to wait…18 is still young.

DG

Honestly, it’s a crap shoot. Some are fine, some not. I did my first cycle at 17, that was 27 years ago, and 5 healthy kids ago. I was uneducated, and dumb. But lucky! My son is a freshman college athlete, but not D1, probably could’ve been D1 with a little steroid help, but I never even considered that route. I have done at least 2 cycles every year for the last 27 years with absolutely no problems. My point is, I wouldn’t consider letting my son use them and I’ve led a pretty charmed life as far as steroid use has gone.

I hope I’m getting my point across, I’m not advocating steroid use at all, it’s really not worth the gamble, and that’s what it is, gambling with your health.

I do not think there is enough literature, expecially in english, to warrant generalizations about how the HPTA is effected by quality use of AAS (meaning used by someone who knows what there doing). This void is there no matter if you start when your 18 or 25.

I did 2 really short cycles when i was 19 and I am almost positive I have not has any standing side effects from them. The fact that you people have decided that you are going to state these hard side long term side effects of AAS use when your young is similar to the government deciding to put AAS on the controlled substance use against all medical literature and suggestion.

I would be happy to any literature relating AAS to long term side effects. I have no regrets in starting early. Its a gamble, but isnt everything…

[quote]getfast24 wrote:
I do not think there is enough literature, expecially in english, to warrant generalizations about how the HPTA is effected by quality use of AAS (meaning used by someone who knows what there doing). This void is there no matter if you start when your 18 or 25.

I did 2 really short cycles when i was 19 and I am almost positive I have not has any standing side effects from them. The fact that you people have decided that you are going to state these hard side long term side effects of AAS use when your young is similar to the government deciding to put AAS on the controlled substance use against all medical literature and suggestion.

I would be happy to any literature relating AAS to long term side effects. I have no regrets in starting early. Its a gamble, but isnt everything…
[/quote]
25 yr old male: 99% of the time the HPTA is fully developed…finished growing…done with puberty.

18yr old male: waaaaay more chance their HPTA is not fully developed…probably not finished growing…possibly still going through puberty.

Adding in exogenous hormones to a body that is already on it’s own cycle of hormones causing growth and maturity ‘can’ throw the body for a loop.

Some are fine, some are not…and like Bone said…the majority of 18yr old have not spent enough time in the iron game, or built up a physique to the point where steroids will really help them.

Another thing is, 18yr olds have such high testosterone levels as it is…you don’t even need to take steroids.

DG

[quote]Marlind wrote:
Think longterm…when theyre getting off…theyll have erection problems,shrinked balls.etc…plus peole react differently to ASS[/quote]

You fail.

[quote]Makavali wrote:
Marlind wrote:
Think longterm…when theyre getting off…theyll have erection problems,shrinked balls.etc…plus peole react differently to ASS

You fail.[/quote]

haha ROFLMAO! I didn’t notice that before…

it might be true tho. lol!

DG

I think I would react differently to ASS than AAS too. :smiley:

no.

Science aside, how long have you been lifting as of age 19? Chances are by the time you hit 25 you won’t look back and be able to say you’ve lifted consistently for the previous 6 years. And if you can’t say that, then what is the point of doing a cycle to look good for 6 months and then that’s pretty much it?

It’s my personal opinion, and I wouldn’t encourage a kid to use them, but I would imagine younger users would have an easier time recovering from a proper cycle.

im gonna put it in terms of pascals wager… theres a fifty fifty chance… is it worth the risk?
if it is do it
if not fuck it

[quote]Aragorn wrote:
I think I would react differently to ASS than AAS too. :D[/quote]

where have u been man?

I just finished baking some cookies… :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: lol or brewing some brew.

DG

[quote]Dirty Gerdy wrote:
Makavali wrote:
Marlind wrote:
Think longterm…when theyre getting off…theyll have erection problems,shrinked balls.etc…plus peole react differently to ASS

You fail.

haha ROFLMAO! I didn’t notice that before…

it might be true tho. lol!

DG[/quote]

I just noticed this too.
leave it to make to pick up on it though.

I knwo I have an erection problem when I get off, most times I want to eat and go to sleep.
or tell her GTFO or make me a sammich.

[quote]matsm21 wrote:
no.

Science aside, how long have you been lifting as of age 19? Chances are by the time you hit 25 you won’t look back and be able to say you’ve lifted consistently for the previous 6 years. And if you can’t say that, then what is the point of doing a cycle to look good for 6 months and then that’s pretty much it?[/quote]

I had been lifting for many years, never a training day missed, and before that has trained for a different sport without every a training day missed. (i also hold records in weightlifting with and without the use of AAS, and currently play sports at a very top level school).

This is beside the point, though, because you all like to state that a developed HPTA with yield less long term side effects with the use of AAS than an underdeveloped HPTA. I simply have not seen this data.

While the physiology is there for the premature calcification of bones with AAS use at a young age, the long term side effects of the HPTA have not been noted.

I think the simple reason behind this is that everyone T levels vary greatly throughout their life and are unique to them. Therefore if trying to randomize a study (if it even got passed by the gov) the results could easily sway either way because genetics will play a large role than AAS use in terms of long term T levels and effects of those.

[quote]getfast24 wrote:

This is beside the point, though, because you all like to state that a developed HPTA with yield less long term side effects with the use of AAS than an underdeveloped HPTA. I simply have not seen this data.

While the physiology is there for the premature calcification of bones with AAS use at a young age, the long term side effects of the HPTA have not been noted.

[/quote]

I think you are slightly misunderstanding what many of us are trying to say.

It is not necessarily the long term side effects on the HPTA that is the biggest concern, but the short term effects on an undeveloped HPTA that may have negative effects later on. The biggest side effect that comes to mind is an improperly functioning HPTA.

I feel it is much safer and more responsible to experiment with a developed HPTA than an undeveloped one.

Is is possible to do permanent damage to the HPTA at the age of (for arguments sake) 30? Probably.
Is it more likely to do damage to the HPTA at the age of 18 (compared to 30)? I’d say the answer is most likely yes. Or else EVERY SANE PERSON INVOLVED WITH AAS wouldn’t agree. I’m not saying you are insane BTW, just there are some crazies out there.

No one can say for sure what is definately going to happen in any single case, but it is important to make generalizations so people understand WHY everyone says that AAS are a risky move for young people.

What about test boosters like Alpha Male?

(sorry if I’m hijacking here, butI have to wait like 5 years before I’ll allow myself to start “juicing”, so those are the only option I have left)

[quote]Sick Rick wrote:
What about test boosters like Alpha Male?

(sorry if I’m hijacking here, butI have to wait like 5 years before I’ll allow myself to start “juicing”, so those are the only option I have left)[/quote]

How high do you a think a test booster will make your already high natural levels (if you are young and healthy, you didn’t say your age) go? Why don’t you ask this question in the supplement section, where it belongs.

[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
I think you are slightly misunderstanding what many of us are trying to say.

It is not necessarily the long term side effects on the HPTA that is the biggest concern, but the short term effects on an undeveloped HPTA that may have negative effects later on. The biggest side effect that comes to mind is an improperly functioning HPTA.

I feel it is much safer and more responsible to experiment with a developed HPTA than an undeveloped one.

Is is possible to do permanent damage to the HPTA at the age of (for arguments sake) 30? Probably.
Is it more likely to do damage to the HPTA at the age of 18 (compared to 30)? I’d say the answer is most likely yes. Or else EVERY SANE PERSON INVOLVED WITH AAS wouldn’t agree. I’m not saying you are insane BTW, just there are some crazies out there.

No one can say for sure what is definately going to happen in any single case, but it is important to make generalizations so people understand WHY everyone says that AAS are a risky move for young people.
[/quote]

im understand exactly what you are saying, but my point is that just because a bunch of people have decided that they believe that the HTPA is more stable once developed, and that that development is a direct function of age (even after puberty ends), doesnt have scientific backing. I am not saying i think you are wrong necessarily, all I am saying is that the research is simply not there to determine the long term side effects of AAS on the HPTA (or almost anything for that matter) so it bothers me to see everyone everywhere brining up arbitrary dates and ages at which the HPTA is mature enough to use AAS, when all it comes down to is the poster’s opinion.

I also find it quite arrogant of people to think that no teenager could be disciplined in the gym and in training. While i think it is rare, there are certainly a number of teenager who train very seriously. I think it is arrogant to make broad statements about teenagers not training hard enough or making enough progress to take AAS.