The Science of Steroids
Since the study and science of steroids and their effects upon the body is referred to as steroidology, we thought it would be nice to give you a basic lesson in understanding anabolic steroids.
What are Steroids?For starters, understand that not all steroids are the same. Steroid abuse by athletes to build up muscle are anabolic steroids — synthetic versions of the male hormone testosterone. They are not to be confused with corticosteroids, which reduce swelling and don't have the same harmful side effects. Anabolic steroids, too, have legitimate medical uses. They can be prescribed to treat certain kinds of anemia, loss of testicular function, or the kind of muscle wasting seen in AIDS. Doctors cannot prescribe them for the purpose of enhancing athletic performance, however. It is illegal to possess, sell or distribute anabolic steroids without a doctor's prescription for a medical condition. Under federal law, simple first-time possession carries a maximum penalty of a year in prison and a $1,000 fine; first-time traffickers face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and for a second offense, the penalty is doubled. State laws also prohibit illegal anabolic steroid abuse. However, this does not stop interested persons from obtaining steroids online or for that matter obtaining steroids from Mexico.
Anabolic steroids can be taken orally, injected into the body or applied as creams or gels that can be rubbed into the skin. Oral steroids are more potent and clear a person's system more quickly but are more apt to cause liver damage, according to Dr. David Collon, an orthopedic surgeon at William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, who also specializes in sports medicine.
Anabolic steroid abusers are known to take doses 10 to 100 times higher than prescribed doses and typically take two or more different types of the drug together — known as "stacking" or "steroid cycling"— in the belief that their interaction will prove more powerful than if taken individually. That theory has not been scientifically tested, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. While steroid abuse is associated with a litany of adverse side effects — some cosmetic and others life threatening — most data on the long-term effects comes from case reports, not formal medical studies. According to the NIDC, most effects are reversible once use stops. The incidence of life-threatening effects appears low, but may be under reported, experts say. "There aren't many good long-term studies, so there is no basis for the comment that (steroids) cause cancer or stroke," says Dr. Norman Fost, professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin Medical School.
Media reports about the serious or life-threatening complications of steroid use are wildly exaggerated, according to Fost. Dubious anecdotal evidence — such as ex-Oakland Raiders star Lyle Alzado's claim that anabolic steroids abuse was the cause of brain cancer that would kill him in 1992 — fuel misconceptions about the drug, said Fost. Fost agrees, however, that adolescents should not use anabolic steroids, which have been proven to stunt the growth of youths. Many non-threatening side effects associated with anabolic steroids — such as hair loss, acne, , infertility in men and women, and increased aggressiveness — have been documented.
Jim Shaw 
|
