Muscle-building drug in focus after case of liver damage reported

TOKYO - The health ministry has launched a probe into the use of products containing anabolic steroids following a spate of incidents in which people have suffered health problems, including loss of liver function, sources close to the matter said Thursday.

Um, hang on! What year is it? Is it 1985 in Japan? The link between overuse of steroids and liver failure was well documented 40 years ago. Why do they have to waste time and money on an investigation into it? They could just Google it.

I'd better never use steroids. I do enough damage to my liver in the izakayas of Japan...

Health drinks?  Wouldn't those be produced here in Japan, and not imported?  Which ones?

In this day and age, is it impossible to become buff without steroids? Can't do it naturally with protein and creatine? People just want to use shortcuts, like that stuff they inject in their muscles and efs up their physique, synthol.

Why does the article not name the steroids? "Steroids" covers a wide range of drugs, and some are for conditions like cold sores. These obviously are legal. The bulk up ones are usually forms of testosterone or are metabolized to become testosterone. I'd be surprised if the famous ones, nandrolone etc. are legal and openly available in Japan.

Bulk-up steroids are endemic in the UK. Literally hundreds of thousands of men use them. They do it because the drugs work much better than legal alternatives. As a skinny man, I am pleased I was born 50 years ago and not in an age where 70kg men are called "weaklings" (Marvin Hagler fight to box at 72.5kg).

@papigiulio Arnold Schwarzenegger used steroids. Who could accuse him of laziness and shortcutting? Fact is, the individual make-up a person will determine how buff they can get and how fast. Considering how many "female" athletes with obvious genetic disorders giving them way too much testosterone are out there destroying records, I think its totally unfair to deny steroids to athletes who literally dedicate their lives to their sport but cannot compete with someone with an unfair genetic advantage.

Norman Goodman - Arnold Schwarzenegger used steroids. Who could accuse him of laziness and shortcutting?

He also had half of his liver removed 20 years ago, which is why you don't see him without a shirt in his recent movies.

Hell, which ones? I wish this article would name some of them.

I have worked out for last 25 years, never used supplements, steroids etc.

But I've seen skinny guys wanting to put on bulk quick, take short cuts, use steroids instead of improving their diets. Liver damage, higher cancer risk, stomach inflammations and not to forget mood swings are some of the side-effects. I wish these were banned.

He also had half of his liver removed 20 years ago, which is why you don't see him without a shirt in his recent movies.

Simply unreal. I have no idea where you got the idea he had a major liver operation. He did have a major HEART operation in 1997 though and was for, incredibly for a former Mr. Universe, a birth defect in his heart.

Don't forget ED ulysses - Steroids is also known to make your pecker stop working ... so I heard .... from a friend ...

Disillusioned

Its actually 2019 man. Don’t kid yourself with the self told rhetoric that Japan and Japanese don’t understand that steroids are bad for you. Where and how did you come up with all that? There’s a article about substance abuse and you blame the whole nation and me for our ignorance? You’re funny dude.