Skip to main content

How do steroids affect your muscles— and the rest of your body? - Anees Bahji

  • 3,378,730 Views
  • 9,585 Questions Answered
  • TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Steroids. They’ve caused global scandals. They’re banned in most athletic competitions. Yet the same properties that help elite athletes and bodybuilders improve performance also make steroids valuable for treating many illnesses and injuries, such as AIDS and cancer. So if steroids are used as medicine, they must be safe to use recreationally, right? Anees Bahji explores the effects of steroids.


Customize this lesson167

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Anees Bahji
  • Director Cris Wiegandt
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Sound Designer Weston Fonger, Jarrett Farkas
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal, Elizabeth Cox
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Steroids are used to enhance athletic performance, improve physical appearance, or to treat medical conditions, but what are the long-term effects of using steroids? Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

Did you know that there are different kinds of steroids? That’s right, steroids can be synthetic or naturally produced by the body. Learn about corticosteroids and how they are used from this TED-Ed Lesson, and watch this video by AsapSCIENCE to find out what happens to your body on steroids. Adolescents and young people are particularly at risk of experiencing the negative side effects of using anabolic, or performance-enhancing, steroids. This infographic by the National Federation of State High School Association sheds light on steroid abuse among high school and college athletes. Finally, read this study to learn about the impact of steroids on mental health and this report to gain a general understanding of anabolic steroids.

Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Anees Bahji
  • Director Cris Wiegandt
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Sound Designer Weston Fonger, Jarrett Farkas
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal, Elizabeth Cox
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

More from Getting Under Our Skin