Many young people dream of building bigger muscles quickly, and some turn to anabolic steroids to speed up the process.
These drugs are widely discussed on social media and are sometimes promoted as a shortcut to a stronger body.
However, new research suggests that this choice could come with serious risks for heart health. The study was published in The Journal of Physiology.
Anabolic steroids are man-made forms of testosterone, the main male sex hormone. Doctors may prescribe them for certain medical conditions, but some athletes and bodybuilders use them without medical supervision to increase muscle size and strength.
While steroids can improve muscle growth, they may also cause harmful side effects that affect many parts of the body, including the heart.
In the new study, researchers from the University of Birmingham and scientists in Germany investigated how anabolic steroids affect the heart. The work was led by Dr. Laura Sommerfeld from UKE Hamburg.
The team focused on a rare inherited heart disease called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, or ARVC, which weakens the heart muscle and can cause dangerous abnormal heart rhythms.
The researchers found that anabolic steroids made this heart disease worse. After only six weeks of steroid use, important electrical signals in the heart became disrupted. These changes mainly affected the atria, the two upper chambers of the heart, increasing the risk of atrial fibrillation, a condition in which the heart beats in an irregular and often rapid way.
Atrial fibrillation can reduce the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently. It may also increase the risk of blood clots, stroke, heart failure, and other serious complications. Although anyone can develop atrial fibrillation, the researchers believe that people with an inherited risk of heart disease could be especially vulnerable if they use anabolic steroids.
Professor Larissa Fabritz, one of the researchers, explained that high levels of testosterone can worsen heart muscle diseases such as ARVC. When steroids raise testosterone levels far above the normal range, they may increase the chance of dangerous heart rhythm problems.
This means that some young men who believe steroids are helping their fitness could actually be putting their lives at risk.
The findings are particularly important because steroid use has become more visible on social media platforms, where muscular body images are often celebrated. Young people may not realise that the short-term goal of gaining muscle could have long-lasting effects on their health. Many users may also be unaware that they have an inherited heart condition until serious symptoms appear.
The researchers say this study highlights the importance of talking with a healthcare professional before taking muscle-building drugs or supplements.
Building strength through regular exercise, healthy eating, and proper training remains the safest approach for most people. More research is needed, but the current findings provide another strong warning that anabolic steroids are not harmless performance enhancers.
The study was published in The Journal of Physiology.
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