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Let’s Talk Balls
Okay, guys, today we’re going to be talking balls. No seriously, we’re going to be discussing your testicles and how they are affected by the use of anabolic steroids. Are you hoping to get big and jacked? If so, are you lifting naturally, or have you turned to the dark side and used anabolic androgenic steroids? It’s no secret that steroids and bodybuilding are synonymous with one another for many people, just as it’s no secret that the right steroid stack can give you beastly gains in a matter of weeks. Unfortunately, there are side effects associated with the use of AAS (Androgenic Anabolic Steroids), especially when it comes to your balls. Yep, if you use steroids your balls may indeed suffer. But how? Well, read on because all will soon become clear as we look at how steroids can affect your testicles, as we will now talk balls!
Do steroids shrink the penis?
If you want to spot a particularly ignorant individual when it comes to steroids, one of the first things they’ll tell you to try to frighten you away from steroid use is that steroids will shrink your penis. This is complete nonsense. Steroids do NOT shrink the penis. They do however, cause the testicles to shrink.
Hold on, steroids will shrink my balls!?
Yes, although your manhood will remain intact, if you choose to use AAS to bulk up and build muscle one common side effect is testicular atrophy. Testicular atrophy or ‘shrinking balls’ as many people will call it, is a side effect that many steroid users will have to deal with. But why? Well, steroids are basically synthetic versions of testosterone. Testosterone is the male sexual hormone that is primarily synthesized in the testes – hence the name. Steroids therefore mimic testosterone, but not in precisely the same way as testosterone behaves naturally in the body. If you increase testosterone levels too much, this can lead to hormonal disruptions. In your body, your testosterone levels are unnaturally high, and this tells the brain that something is wrong. To compensate, the brain then communicates with the testicles and basically tells them that they are making too much testosterone and to stop doing it. Testosterone production shuts down even though the testicles weren’t responsible for the excess testosterone at all. This results in testicular atrophy, whereby the testicles literally shrink in size because they are not needed as much.
Does this affect fertility?
Unfortunately, the answer to this question is normally yes. While not all steroid users will experience fertility issues, just over two thirds of AAS users experiencing testicular atrophy also found that their fertility levels decreased noticeably. There are two forms of cells that make up your balls, and they are Leydig cells and Germ cells. Leydig cells secrete testosterone, whereas the Germ cells synthesize sperm. If an individual utilizes and androgen however, both of these cells will be reduced. This in turn means that ironically, your testosterone levels become dangerous low, and you may also become infertile, or experience very low sperm counts, which would make it much harder to conceive and start a family.
Can this damage be reversed?
The best answer we can give to this question is ‘kind of’. Once you end a steroid cycle, testicular tissue may begin to be regenerated. Your balls will slowly increase in size, though often they never become as large as they once were. Furthermore, Leydig cell counts rarely fully return to the numbers they were at before you jumped on your bicycle. This means that some men may naturally experience low testosterone levels once they come off-cycle. Sperm cell counts sometimes also fail to recover. Post Cycle Therapy can certainly help, though it is by no means a guaranteed safe guard for your balls against the ill-effects of steroid use.
