{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,25]],"date-time":"2026-10-25T12:53:27Z","timestamp":1792932807136,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,16]],"date-time":"2024-05-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1715817600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Coordena\u00e7\u00e3o de Aperfei\u00e7oamento de Pessoal de N\u00edvel Superior, Brasil (CAPES)","award":["Finance Code 001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Finance Code 001"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["EJIHPE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Bodybuilding, as a high-performance sport, requires regular strength and resistance exercises with the principal objective of increasing muscle hypertrophy. However, many bodybuilders resort to the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs) to improve their performance in a short period of time. This study employs a survey-type, cross-sectional, descriptive\u2013analytical method to evaluate the profile of bodybuilding athletes in the State of Sergipe, Brazil, and verify the level of knowledge\/awareness about the health risks and impacts resulting from the use of such substances. Finite- and convenience-type populations are assessed, including individuals of both sexes, aged older than 18 years, self-declared bodybuilding athletes residing in the State of Sergipe, Brazil, and participating in regional and\/or state competitions. As a result, no significant relationships were determined between sex (p = 0.492), age (p = 0.460), family income (p = 0.141), and medical follow-up sessions. For the variables level of education and medical follow-up vs. no follow-up sessions, a significant result was achieved (p = 0.01), with 74.3% of individuals reporting having follow-up treatment and 25.7% responding that they had no follow-up treatment, a percentage representing the group that completed their higher education. The substances most used by the athletes were Sustanon 250 or Durateston, Nandrolone Decanoate (Deca or Deca-Durabolin), and Testosterone. The most-reported acute side effects were acne at 33.8% (n = 20), irritability at 32.1% (n = 19), alopecia (hair loss), and nervousness at 23.7% (n = 14). The most-reported chronic side effects were arterial hypertension at 36.0% (n = 9), liver disease at 28.0% (n = 7), and cancer (non-specific) at 8.0% (n = 2). We concluded that, regardless of the athletes\u2019 socioeconomic profiles, the use of AASs was high, with two or more substances being used in combination and for a prolonged period. Thus, it is necessary to promote awareness campaigns regarding the use of AASs and their effects on high-performance and recreational athletes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ejihpe14050096","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,16]],"date-time":"2024-05-16T11:26:17Z","timestamp":1715858777000},"page":"1451-1469","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["The Use of Anabolic Steroids by Bodybuilders in the State of Sergipe, Brazil"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Josu\u00e9 Cruz","family":"dos Santos","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Programa de P\u00f3s-Gradua\u00e7\u00e3o em Educa\u00e7\u00e3o F\u00edsica, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, S\u00e3o Crist\u00f3v\u00e3o 49100-000, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Erivaldo de","family":"Souza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Programa de P\u00f3s-Gradua\u00e7\u00e3o em Educa\u00e7\u00e3o F\u00edsica, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, S\u00e3o Crist\u00f3v\u00e3o 49100-000, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniela","family":"Meneses-Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, S\u00e3o Crist\u00f3v\u00e3o 49100-000, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carla Roberta de Oliveira","family":"Carvalho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Fisiologia e Biof\u00edsica, Instituto de Ci\u00eancias Biom\u00e9dicas I, Universidade de S\u00e3o Paulo, S\u00e3o Paulo 05508-000, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jymmys Lopes","family":"dos Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Programa de P\u00f3s-Gradua\u00e7\u00e3o em Educa\u00e7\u00e3o F\u00edsica, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, S\u00e3o Crist\u00f3v\u00e3o 49100-000, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7378-4529","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Felipe J.","family":"Aidar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Educa\u00e7\u00e3o F\u00edsica, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, S\u00e3o Crist\u00f3v\u00e3o 49100-000, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anderson Carlos","family":"Mar\u00e7al","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, S\u00e3o Crist\u00f3v\u00e3o 49100-000, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e26051","DOI":"10.22456\/1982-8918.100285","article-title":"Negotiating limits, managing excesses: Everyday experiences of a group of bodybuilders","volume":"26","author":"Arraes","year":"2020","journal-title":"Movimento"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Alves, R.C., Prestes, J., Enes, A., Moraes, W.M.A., Trindade, T.B., Salles, B.F., Aragon, A.A., and Souza-Junior, T.P. 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