Bodybuilding supplements ‘contain unknown steroids’ and could cause liver damage, experts warn
A new study analysed muscle mass building products and found some contained steroids not mentioned on the bottle
BODYBUILDING supplements could be causing damage to your liver, experts have warned.
They found many labels were inaccurate, with products containing steroids not declared on the packaging.
Gym goers have developed problems like jaundice and stomach pain, they found as a result.
A new study, published in the journal of , examined the cases of 44 men taking part in the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network in the US, which looks at liver problems related to supplements and other drugs.
All of the men said they'd taken supplements to improve their bodies and tests revealed that many of the products they'd taken contained steroids that were not listed on the label.
STEROID PROBLEMS
Synthetic steroids mimic male testosterone but have been shown to have horrific side effects including shrunk testicles, cancerous tumours and liver damage.
Every man in the study had jaundice and several even had additional problems like nausea, abdominal pain and excessive itchiness.
The inaccurate labelling of the supplements - some of which are available to buy in the UK - sometimes meant the products contained a different steroid to the one advertised, or additional steroids, or no steroids at all.
One, for example, which is readily available to buy online, was even found to contain an "unknown steroid".
NEGATIVE EFFECTS
This could mean that users are taking something which may be included on the World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited substance list, or could be affecting you in ways you can't mitigate against.
Doctors sometimes prescribe anabolic hormones for men with certain conditions, including anaemia, but they're not recommended for the average Joe.
But that doesn't stop plenty of men taking steroids to build muscle without any kind of medical supervision.
Last year, 28-year-old Daniel Marquis was left fighting for his life after injecting himself with "dirty" steroids.
He said he developed flesh-eating necrosis in his leg after using a "shot of infected gear";.
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