“Look Like a Man and I Hate It”: 26-Year-Old Female Bodybuilder Opened Up on Steroids Destroying Her Life in 2011

Steroids, while sometimes used in the bodybuilding community, are dangerous. They have lasting physical effects and can change your body, but not always in a good way. The negative impact of steroids is not only limited to physical health, as it also impacts mental health. An example of the same is Candace Armstrong, a woman who, in her quest to be fit, fell into the trap of steroid use in 2011.

According to an article published by the Department of Health, New York State, “Because anabolic steroids are derived from testosterone, they can have profound effects on the hormone levels of both male and female abusers.” So how exactly steroids impacted Candace Armstrong’s health? Let us have a look.

Bodybuilding on steroids changed Candace Armstrong’s life

Candace Armstrong, who used to work as a barmaid, started taking steroids as she wanted a bigger body. Armstrong suffered from body dysmorphia and started working out to change how her body looked. While working out at her gym, she was suggested steroids by a fellow trainer.

That one suggestion changed her entire life. She started using steroids and got addicted to them. The steroid use changed her body completely. In an interview with The People in 2011, she said, “I ­started taking steroids because I hated my body but this has made ­it a thousand times worse. Now I look like a man and I hate it… I don’t want to become a man, I just want to be normal.”

When Candace Armstrong started using steroids she thought they would enhance her body and assist with her bodybuilding journey. She said, “In the gym I ­started to see I could make my upper body bigger and I just got obsessed. I thought if I keep developing my upper body I’ll look normal. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” While steroids did help her get a bigger upper body, and she could see visible gains, the nightmare soon began as steroids had ill effects on her physical health.

The Ill effects of Anabolic Steroids

Armstrong started to see many changes caused by steroids. According to her, she got facial and body hair. Armstrong also observed changes in her voice and mentioned that she had stopped menstruating. Candace Armstrong got addicted to Trenbolone, a steroid used to increase muscle growth and appetite. And though she has been trying to fight the addiction, it was a daily struggle for her. “I am doing my own thing, still addicted to ­steroids but trying to get off them. If I go a day without them I feel my arms are getting smaller and I want to take them again.”

Read more: Does Bodybuilding’s Biggest Competition Mr. Olympia Allow Steroids?

Unfortunately, the abuse of anabolic steroids is not new in the bodybuilding community. Many bodybuilders use them to get quick muscle build-up instead of working hard and putting in the time. While steroids might give temporary physical benefits, they are only harmful in the long run. In the end one has to ask, are the temporary benefits of steroid use actually worth the danger faced in the long run?

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