Middle aged men are turning to steroids in their quest to remain young, according to a story in The Guardian. WebMD explains that as guys get older, their levels of the sex hormone typically decline at about 1 percent each year after the age of 30 or 40. Testosterone is typically at the highest levels during a male’s adolescent or early adult years.

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“Guys are saying they just want to stand a bit taller and feel they can stand alongside the younger generation who are much more aware of how they look,” Joseph Kean, visiting research fellow at Liverpool John Moores University, told the newspaper.

The Guardian reports that the Juice Clinic in Sheffield, England,which helps people using image-enhancing drugs, has seen more middle aged men coming in for support.

“Steroid use for older men is often about the youthful effects, and about body image and energy levels,” Sid Wiffen, the clinic’s team leader, told The Guardian. “I hear talk of men feeling more pressure now to look good, so they are more likely to go to the gym and dress well.

But this isn’t just a problem across the pond, as many in the United States also are turning to steroids to slow the aging process.

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Chris Mohr, an exercise physiologist and registered dietitian in Louisville, Kentucky, tells U.S. News & World Report that people are seeing it as a fountain of youth. "I see a lot more of that than the younger audience,” he explains.

However, this practice brings some serious risks. According to research published in the Journal of Athletic Training, using steroids can result in manic syndromes, aggressive behavior, acne and possible kidney problems. Plus, reversing the natural process of the body might have unknown effects.

“Introducing something your body stopped producing naturally may lead to repercussions or have health implications,” Julien Baker, an applied physiology professor at the University of the West of Scotland, explained to The Guardian. “There’s not enough research out there to look at that. Someone taking steroids at 50 – it’s not clear what might happen to them in the future.”

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