Anabolic Steroid Blog. InfoFitness.Net

Androgenic-anabolic steroids (AAS) are synthetic derivatives of the male hormone testosterone. They can exert strong effects on the human body that may be beneficial for athletic performance. A review of the literature revealed that most laboratory studies did not investigate the actual doses of AAS currently abused in the field. Therefore, those studies may not reflect the actual (adverse) effects of steroids. The available scientific literature describes that short-term administration of these drugs by athletes can increase strength and bodyweight. Strength gains of about 5-20% of the initial strength and increments of 2-5 kg bodyweight, that may be attributed to an increase of the lean body mass, have been observed. A reduction of fat mass does not seem to occur. Although AAS administration may affect erythropoiesis and blood haemoglobin concentrations, no effect on endurance performance was observed. Little data about the effects of AAS on metabolic responses during exercise training and recovery are available and, therefore, do not allow firm conclusions. The main untoward effects of short- and long-term AAS abuse that male athletes most often self-report are an increase in sexual drive, the occurrence of acne vulgaris, increased body hair and increment of aggressive behaviour. AAS administration will disturb the regular endogenous production of testosterone and gonadotrophins that may persist for months after drug withdrawal. Cardiovascular risk factors may undergo deleterious alterations, including elevation of blood pressure and depression of serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-, HDL2- and HDL3-cholesterol levels. In echocardiographic studies in male athletes, AAS did not seem to affect cardiac structure and function, although in animal studies these drugs have been observed to exert hazardous effects on heart structure and function. In studies of athletes, AAS were not found to damage the liver. Psyche and behaviour seem to be strongly affected by AAS. Generally, AAS seem to induce increments of aggression and hostility. Mood disturbances (e.g. depression, [hypo-]mania, psychotic features) are likely to be dose and drug dependent. AAS dependence or withdrawal effects (such as depression) seem to occur only in a small number of AAS users. Dissatisfaction with the body and low self-esteem may lead to the so-called ‘reverse anorexia syndrome’ that predisposes to the start of AAS use. Many other adverse effects have been associated with AAS misuse, including disturbance of endocrine and immune function, alterations of sebaceous system and skin, changes of haemostatic system and urogenital tract. One has to keep in mind that the scientific data may underestimate the actual untoward effects because of the relatively low doses administered in those studies, since they do not approximate doses used by illicit steroid users. The mechanism of action of AAS may differ between compounds because of variations in the steroid molecule and affinity to androgen receptors. Several pathways of action have been recognised. The enzyme 5-alpha-reductase seems to play an important role by converting AAS into dihydrotestosterone (androstanolone) that acts in the cell nucleus of target organs, such as male accessory glands, skin and prostate. Other mechanisms comprises mediation by the enzyme aromatase that converts AAS in female sex hormones (estradiol and estrone), antagonistic action to estrogens and a competitive antagonism to the glucocorticoid receptors. Furthermore, AAS stimulate erythropoietin synthesis and red cell production as well as bone formation but counteract bone breakdown. The effects on the cardiovascular system are proposed to be mediated by the occurrence of AAS-induced atherosclerosis (due to unfavourable influence on serum lipids and lipoproteins), thrombosis, vasospasm or direct injury to vessel walls, or may be ascribed to a combination of the different mechanisms. AAS-induced increment of muscle tissue can be attributed to hypertrophy and the formation of new muscle fibres, in which key roles are played by satellite cell number and ultrastructure, androgen receptors and myonuclei. Copyright 2004 Adis Data Information BV

Stories about athletes and steroids seem to pop up regularly in the news. Some professional baseball players, cyclists, and track stars have been accused of — and in some cases have admitted to — using steroids to give them an edge competitively.

And steroid use has trickled down to younger athletes too, who face fierce pressure to be stronger and faster, and to make it to college and professional leagues. Some research has shown that 5% of teen boys and 2.5% of teen girls have used some form of anabolic steroids.

Steroids promise bold results, but there is little proof that they deliver any such benefits. Extensive research, however, shows how they can harm developing kids — with some of these ill effects not likely to turn up until years later. And steroids are illegal, too.

It’s important to understand the facts about steroids, their side effects, and what can drive kids to try them. Being aware of the kinds of pressures kids deal with in sports can help you make sure that your child isn’t at risk.

What Are Steroids?

Drugs commonly referred to as “steroids” are classified as anabolic (or anabolic-androgenic) and corticosteroids. Corticosteroids, such as cortisone, are drugs that doctors typically prescribe to help control inflammation in the body. They’re often used to help control conditions like asthma and lupus. They’re not the same as the anabolic steroids that receive so much media attention for their use by some athletes and bodybuilders.

Anabolic steroids are synthetic hormones that can boost the body’s ability to produce muscle and prevent muscle breakdown. Some athletes take steroids in the hopes that they will improve their ability to run faster, hit farther, lift heavier weights, jump higher, or have more endurance. In the United States, it is against the law to use anabolic steroids without a prescription.

Androstenedione, or “andro,” is a kind of anabolic steroid taken by athletes who want to build muscle. But research suggests that andro taken in large doses every day can significantly increase levels of testosterone, which can lead to a number of health problems.

How Do Anabolic Steroids Work?

Anabolic steroids are drugs that resemble the chemical structure of the body’s natural sex hormone testosterone, which is made naturally by the body. Testosterone directs the body to produce or enhance male characteristics such as increased muscle mass, facial hair growth, and deepening of the voice, and is an important part of male development during puberty.

When anabolic steroids increase the levels of testosterone in the blood, they stimulate muscle tissue in the body to grow larger and stronger. However, the effects of too much testosterone circulating in the body can be harmful over time.

Dangers of Anabolic Steroids

Steroids are dangerous for two reasons: they are illegal, and they can damage a person’s health, especially if used in large doses over time. Also, the health problems caused by steroids may not appear until years after the steroids are taken.

Although they might help build muscle, steroids can produce very serious side effects. Using steroids for a long time can negatively affect the reproductive system. In males, steroids can lead to impotence, a reduction in the amount of sperm produced in the testicles, and even reduced testicle size.

Females who use steroids may have problems with their menstrual cycles because steroids can disrupt the maturation and release of eggs from the ovaries. This disruption can cause long-term problems with fertility.

Steroids taken for an extended period of time also can cause:

stunted growth in teens (by causing bones to mature too fast and stop growing at an early age)
liver tumors
abnormal enlargement of the heart muscles
violent, aggressive behavior and mood swings
blood lipid abnormalities that contribute to heart disease
acne (or a worsening of acne)
increased breast growth in males, especially teens
irreversible stretch marks
a heightened tendency for hair loss and male-pattern baldness
muscle aches
Teen girls and women risk these additional side effects:

male-type facial and body hair growth and male-pattern baldness
deepening of the voice
enlargement of the clitoris
In addition to the health risks, kids who use steroids without prescription are breaking the law. Drug testing for all athletes has become more prevalent, and those who fail a drug test for steroids can face legal consequences, including jail time, monetary fines, exclusion from an event or team, or forfeiture of trophies or medals.

Andro use has been banned by many sports organizations, including the International Olympic Committee, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Association of Tennis Professionals, and most high school athletic associations.

Talking to Kids About Steroids

Many pressures may drive young athletes to experiment with steroids. Although most athletes exercise hard, eat properly, and take care of their bodies to maintain optimal fitness and performance levels, athletic competition and the desire to look physically toned and fit can be fierce.

Help kids handle these pressures by:

discussing healthy competition with them
talking about the coaches’ and team members’ attitudes toward steroids
knowing what kind of sports environments they compete in
encouraging them to prepare mentally and physically for competition by eating well and getting enough rest
If you suspect your child is using steroids, watch for these warning signs:

exaggerated mood swings
worsening acne
unusually greasy skin with stretch marks
a sudden increase in muscle size
If you see any of these signs in your child, talk with your doctor.

Steroids may give kids the sense that they’re stronger and more athletic, but the consequences are too dangerous to risk. Help kids stay away from steroids by encouraging healthy eating and fitness habits that will help them feel well prepared for competition.

When steroid use among pro athletes is in the news, use that as a launching point to discuss the issue, making sure your child understands the health risks, the possibility of legal trouble, and the concept that using steroids is cheating.

How many are there really?
By Daniel Engber

On Monday, the Associated Press reported that, according to “various government and university studies,” 5 percent of high-school girls and 7 percent of middle-school girls have tried anabolic steroids. House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis repeated the statistics at Wednesday’s hearing on steroid use in the National Football League. Are teenage girls really that into steroids?

It depends on what studies you look at. Neither Davis nor the AP cited specific studies, but there are two ongoing, large-scale efforts to quantify risky behavior among teenagers in the United States. A 2003 survey of 15,240 high-school students by the Centers for Disease Control found that 7.1 percent of ninth-grade girls and 6.1 percent of all high-school girls have used steroids without a doctor’s prescription. A 2004 survey of about 50,000 students by the University of Michigan’s “Monitoring the Future” program found lower rates. Among the eighth-grade boys and girls, 1.9 percent said they had used steroids, versus 3.4 percent of the 12th-graders.

A study out of Washington State University and the University of Minnesota in 2002 asked about 4,000 kids if they had used steroids in the last year. Among the middle-school girls, 5.7 percent said they had, as opposed to 1.4 percent of their high-school counterparts. Are middle-schoolers really more likely to use steroids than older students? The study’s authors conclude that younger girls may be more concerned about their bodies, but they may also be less likely to understand the term “steroids.” (Over-the-counter “anabolic amplifers” and “prosteroids,” for example, might be confused with illegal, anabolic steroids.)
The CDC and University of Michigan surveys use different language in their steroid questions. The CDC asks the question without defining “steroids”: “During your life, how many times have you taken steroid pills or shots without a doctor’s prescription?” The Michigan survey introduces the question with a longer description of what steroids are and what they’re used for. Research has shown that ambiguous descriptions on drug-use questionnaires lead to increased rates of “recanting” among admitted users.

It’s often tricky to get people to report on full extent of their own illegal drug use. Studies have shown, for example, that adults are more likely to admit to drug use when asked in person rather than over the phone. Teenagers are more likely to admit to using drugs when they’re asked at school than when they’re asked at home, and younger kids are less likely to answer questionnaires seriously.

In quite a few illnesses, medical practitioners prescribe anabolic steroids. Use of it is however suggested with caution since the drug is known to show harmful side effects. Ironically, anabolic steroids are used more for non-medical reasons than otherwise, and this has been so ever since its utility for performance enhancement has become widely known among athletes and body-builders. Glossing over what prompts people resorting to anabolic steroids’ use - or is it misuse - here are some main reasons:
Professional athletes in their attempts to over-perform use anabolic steroids. One remembers Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson winning the 1988 Olympic 100-meter dash in Seoul to make a new world record, but later stripped of the title when tests revealed that he partook banned steroid, stanozolol.
Men suffering from behavioral syndromes, believing they look small and insignificant even though they are muscular, use anabolic steroids. Similarly, women with this problem take the drug as they tend to think they are flabby, though in actual they are quite lean and muscular.
It is seen that people who have suffered physical or sexual abuse in the past often take recourse to the drug with the belief that it will make them look stronger and abler thus discouraging any future attacks.
Adolescent youth get a kick out of doing risky things, like driving fast, drinking atrociously and suchlike. They are easily attracted to anabolic steroids’ use.
Are anabolic steroids not used for medicinal purpose? But yes they are. Some examples are:
Helping patients gain weight after a severe illness, injury, or continuing infection. They may also be administered when patients do not gain or maintain normal weight because of unexplained medical reasons.
Treating certain types of anemia and also some kinds of breast cancer in women.
Treating hereditary angioedema that causes swelling of face, arms, legs, throat, windpipe, bowels, or sexual organs.

Drop and give me 20 … dad! A new board game gets families off the couch and brings fitness and health back into the living room

After more than 10 years in the health and fitness industry, as an AFAA certified personal trainer, group-exercise instructor and fitness director, I stumbled across a new concept in the ever-growing quest to change lives through exercise. “No Sweat … Go for Gold” is a board game in which you exercise as you play. Don’t let the name fool you; after more than 60 push-ups, 28 leg-lifts and 45 crunches I was sweating!

An entrepreneur in Sacramento, California, developed “No Sweat” to bring exercise and fitness education to families. After almost 20 years of mulling over the idea, perfecting the game board, patenting it and establishing the company name, Fun & Fitness LLC, Dan Thompson created a unique and fun way to help families get fit.

How to Play

The objective of the game, secondary to getting fit and having fun, is to earn enough money by exercising and moving along the game board to enter the track-and-field competition at the center of the board.

The game is initiated when players earn $50 by completing their warm-up stretches. Players must raise money for hotel accommodations, airfare and sporting goods.

The first three players to finish win gold, silver and bronze medals. The medals, exercise descriptions, game bucks and rules come nicely packaged in the “No Sweat” game box.

The game includes “calorie cards” showing pictures and indicating calorie counts for different foods. There are also “exercise cards” picturing 18 different exercises.

At the start of the game, players individually select their level of play. Beginners perform the number of repetitions shown on the red exercise die, intermediate players perform double the number and advanced players triple the number.

Young children or those new to exercise should definitely stick to the beginner level.

The underlying success of “No Sweat” is that the whole family can play and it is adaptable to different fitness levels. It is fun to see how children and adults alike can progress while playing the game.

All the Sacramento families who originally tested the game absolutely loved it.

The bottom line is that playing “No Sweat” gets families off the couch and, more importantly, moving.

A Motivational Tool

How does this new board game affect exercise professionals? First of all, we now have a brand new tool to motivate people to get active. A board game is a creative, unconventional method to entice people of all ages to exercise.

Clients can bring it home to their families and soon enough video games and Internet chat won’t be as much fun as making mom and dad do push-ups (the player to the left chooses your exercise, so oftentimes a child selects exercise for a parent and vice versa).

Your pre-teen and teenage clientele now have a new game to play with siblings and friends.

Exercise professionals have been trying to encourage people to take exercise out of the gym and into their everyday lives for years.

We all know it is not enough to meet with a trainer one to three times a week, if healthy eating habits and daily recreation are not incorporated. Playing “No Sweat” can encourage families to do just that.

Spread the Joy

The President’s Council for Physical Fitness supports the game, school districts and the United States military have purchased the game and home school networks have incorporated it into their physical education programs As trainers, group-exercise instructors, fitness directors and club managers, here are several ways you can participate in the evolution and spread of this game:

* Introduce the game at a staff meeting or event.

* Keep the game in the lobby of your health club, YMCA or community center.

* Utilize the calorie and exercise cards to teach children about the variety of foods and exercises available.

* Play the game in teams as an alternative group-class.

* Use the game as an incentive prize for members or employees.

* Give the game as corporate gifts.

* Design a specialty class around the “No Sweat” theme to introduce it to members.

* Give it as a gift to members who purchase 20 personal training sessions.

* Fun & Fitness encourages you to get creative in introducing this game to your clients, members, families and friends.

For additional information or to order the game, visit www.playnosweat.com.

Heidi Bressler, AFAA certified personal trainer and primary exercise instructor, is Fun & Fitness’ spokesperson for “No Sweat.” She hosts the television show Healthy Mind, Healthy Body and holds a degree in nutritional science from California Polytechnic State University. Contact her at aphraheidi@yahoo.com.

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