Effect of Performance Enhancing Drugs on the Heart and CPR Nashville

Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are quite widespread in high schools, colleges and gyms across United States. The drugs are very popular among the youngsters which they see as an easy means to achieve what they want which involves improving their competitive performance, losing weight or for improving their body image. Doping increases the risk for a number of serious health problems like heart-related death and long-term cardiovascular damage.

Before going ahead with our discussion about the effect of PEDs on heart, read to know more about the CPR classes. The CPR procedures comprise chest compressions and rescue breaths. Proper application of the techniques can lead to the survival of a victim involved in a cardiac emergency which can either be a cardiac arrest or heart attack. It is advisable to choose an accredited training center for acquiring training such as the AHA certified CPR Nashville. Both theoretical and practical training are imparted at the center. At the end of an American Heart Association CPR class Nashville, a student will be eligible for a certification after successfully passing a skills test and written exam.

Performance-enhancing Drugs:

Anabolic androgenic steroids are the most commonly used PEDs which builds and strengthens muscles alongside reducing body fat. Some of the other PEDs include

1.      Human Growth Hormone is used for improving performance and increasing muscle.

2.      Human chorionic gonadotropin

3.      Erythropoietin- it is mainly used by endurance athletes to increase the number of Red Blood Cells in the body. 

4.      Stimulants- Amphetamines – including attention deficit- hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications – can function as PEDs when they are used to enhance mental performance and physical functioning.

As per reports, athletes at less competitive levels – including high school and college-level sports – may feel pressured to dope to improve their chances of winning at their sport or being recruited which means doping is not only prevalent among professional athletes. Teenage girls resort to doping for losing weight whereas teenage boys use them for the purpose of building muscle in order to conform to a certain conventional body image.

Cardiovascular Risks- Use of anabolic steroids significantly increases the risk of potentially fatal conditions, including heart attack and heart rhythm problems. Not only that, the steroids can raise bad cholesterol while lowering good cholesterol levels which contributes to long-term cardiovascular disease. The risk is the highest for the young athletes who have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which is an inherited thickening of the heart muscle. The steroids have also been shown to thicken the main pumping chamber of the heart, could worsen hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. 

Warning signs of PEDs:

Physical Changes- A few of the drastic changes in appearance to look out for include big gains in muscle in boys or breast enlargement; increased acne in boys and girls; and quick weight loss, excess body hair growth, and a deepening voice in girls.

Too Much Concern with Performance in Sports- An individual who’s an athlete may show extreme pressures to win. He or she may make sudden gains in athletic performance that training alone can't quite explain.

Too Much Concern about Appearance- A teen or young adult expressing feelings of being too weak or overweight, accompanied by sudden physical changes can be a warning sign.

Emotional Changes- Anabolic steroids can cause emotional changes, including angry outbursts.

Join a CPR program today at CPR Nashville and contribute towards the safety of cardiac arrest victims in out-of-hospital cases. You can either register online or call on 615-397-9316 for the same.