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Anabolic steroid

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Image:Testosterone structure.png Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are a class of natural and synthetic steroid hormones that promote cell growth and division, resulting in growth of several types of tissues, especially muscle and bone. Different anabolic androgenic steroids have varying combinations of androgenic and anabolic properties, and are often referred to in medical texts as AAS (anabolic/androgenic steroids). Anabolism is the metabolic process that builds larger molecules from smaller ones.

Anabolic steroids were first discovered in the early 1930s and have since been used for numerous medical purposes including stimulation of bone growth, appetite, puberty, and muscle growth. The most wide spread use of anabolic steroids is their use for chronic wasting conditions including cancer and AIDS. Anabolic steroids can produce numerous physiological effects including increased protein synthesis, muscle mass, strength, appetite and bone growth. Anabolic steroids have also been associated with numerous side effects when administered in excessive doses and these include elevated cholesterol (increase in LDL, decreased HDL levels), acne, elevated blood pressure, hepatotoxicity, and alterations in left ventricle morphology.

Today anabolic steroids are controversial because of their widespread use in numerous sports and their purported side effects. While there are numerous health issues associated with excessive anabolic steroid use, there is also a substantial amount of propaganda, junk science and misconceptions concerning their use. Anabolic steroids are controlled in a few countries including the United States where they are listed as Schedule III in the Controlled Substances Act as well as Canada and Britain who also have laws controlling their use and distribution.

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[edit] Biochemical mechanism

The physiological effects of androgens such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone are vast and range from fetal development to maintenance of muscle and bone mass later in adulthood including stimulating pubertal growth spurts, inducing hair growth, sebaceous gland oil production, and sexuality (especially in fetal development).

Anabolic steroids are androgenic and therefore produce androgenic effects in the body. Androgens stimulate myogenesis which is the formation of muscular tissue. Androgens are known to cause hypertrophy of both types (I and II) of muscle fibers however the mechanism of this is not completely understood and there are a few accepted mechanisims through which this may occur. It's widly understood that supraphysiological doses of testosterone in non-hypogonadalmen promotes nitrogen density and increases fat free mass (muscle mass) while at the same time decreasing fat, particularly abdominal fat. The increase in muscle mass is mostly skeletal muscle increases and are likely caused by an increase in the synthesis of muscle proteins or possibly a decline in the breakdown in muscle proteins.<ref>Brodsky, IG; P Balagopal and KS Nair (1996). Effects of testosterone replacement on muscle mass and muscle protein synthesis in hypogonadal men--a clinical research center study. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 81, 3469-3475.</ref> It has also been hypothesized <ref>Singh, Rajan; Jorge N. Artaza, Wayne E. Taylor, Nestor F. Gonzalez-Cadavid and Shalender Bhasin (2003). Androgens Stimulate Myogenic Differentiation and Inhibit Adipogenesis in C3H 10T1/2 Pluripotent Cells through an Androgen Receptor-Mediated Pathway. Endocrinology, doi:10.1210/en.2003-0741.</ref> that androgens regulate body composition by promoting the commitment of mesenchymal pluripotent cells into myogenic lineages and inhibiting their differentiation into adipogenic lineages. However androgens may also play an anticatabolic role in inhibiting skeletal muscle atrophy through antiglucocorticoid action independent of the androgen receptor.<ref>Hickson, RC, Czerwinski SM, Falduto MT, Young AP. (1990 Jun). "Glucocorticoid antagonism by exercise and androgenic-anabolic steroids.". Med Sci Sports Exerc. 22 (3): 331-340. PMID 2199753. Retrieved on 2006-11-24.</ref>

The mechanisims of action differ depending on the specific anabolic steroid. Different types of anabolic steroids bind to the androgen receptor to different degrees depending on their chemical makeup. Anabolic steroids such as methandrostenolone do not react strongly with the androgen receptor instead resulting to protein synthesis or glycogenolysis for it's mode of action, While steroids such as Oxandrolone react strongly to the androgen receptor.

[edit] Administration

Medical Disclaimer

There are three common routes for the administration of anabolic steroids: oral (for steroids in pill form), injectable, and transdermal. Oral administration, while perhaps the most convenient, suffers from the fact that oral steroids need to be chemically modified, and their metabolism into the active form can place strain on the liver. Injectable steroids are typically administered intramuscularly, to avoid sharp blood level changes. Finally, transdermal administration via cremes or transdermal patches has been gaining popularity in recent years.

[edit] Anabolic and virilizing effects

Anabolic androgenic steroids produce both anabolic and virilization (also known as androgenic) effects. Most anabolic steroids work in two simultaneous ways. First, they work by binding the androgen receptor and increasing protein synthesis. Second, they also reduce recovery time by blocking the effects of the stress hormone, cortisol, on muscle tissue. As a result, catabolism of the body's muscle mass is greatly reduced.

Examples of anabolic effects:

Examples of virilizing/androgenic effects:

[edit] Possible unwanted side effects

Many androgens are capable of being metabolized to compounds which can interact with other steroid hormone receptors including the estrogen, progesterone, and glucocorticoid receptors, producing additional (usually) unwanted effects:

first = RD; , Schaller F, Zachariah NY, McConathy WJ (1997 Apr). Left ventricular size and function in elite bodybuilders using anabolic steroids.. Clin J Sport Med..</ref>

[edit] Male-specific side effects

[edit] Female-specific side effects

[edit] Adolescent-specific side effects

  • Stunted growth – Abuse of the agents may prematurely stop the lengthening of bones (premature epiphyseal fusion through increased estrogen)
  • Accelerated bone maturation
  • Slight beard growth

An ideal anabolic steroid (a hormone with purely anabolic effects and no virilizing or other side effects) has been widely sought. Many synthetic anabolic steroids have been developed in an attempt to find molecules that produced a higher degree of anabolic rather than virilizing effects. Unfortunately, the most effective steroids known for increasing lean body mass also have the strongest androgenic characteristics.

[edit] Medical uses

Image:Anabolicsteroids41.jpg

Anabolic steroids were tried by physicians for many purposes from the discovery of synthetic testosterone in the 1930s to the 1950s with varying success. One of the initial medical uses of steroids was treatment of chronic wasting, such as was experienced by Nazi concentration camp prisoners and prisoners of war. During World War II, German scientists worked on synthesizing other anabolic steroids, and ran experiments on human prisoners, as well as with their own soldiers. They had hoped to increase the aggressive tendencies of their troops. Adolf Hitler's own physician reported that Hitler had been given testosterone derivative injections to treat various ailments.<ref>The Demonization of Anabolic Steroids I: What Makes These Hormones So Evil? by John Williams. Retrieved on 2006-10-05.</ref>

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  • Used in hormone replacement therapy for men with low levels of testosterone. (see hypogonadism)
  • Used for gender dysmorphia: whereby secondary male characteristics (puberty) are initiated in female-to-male diagnosed patients. Most commonly used testosterone derivatives are Sustanon and Testosterone Enanthate which cause the voice to deepen, increased bone and muscle mass, facial hair, increased levels of red blood cells and clitoral enlargement.

[edit] Use and abuse

Anabolic steroids have been used by men and women in many different kinds of professional sports (cricket, track and field, weightlifting, bodybuilding, shot put, cycling, baseball, wrestling, mixed martial arts, boxing, football, etc.) to attain a competitive edge or to assist in recovery from injury. Steroid use to obtain competitive advantage is prohibited by the rules of the governing bodies of many sports.

Anabolic steroids also seem to be fairly prevalent among adolescents especially by those in sports. It has been suggested <ref>Tanner, SM, Miller DW, Alongi C (1995). "Anabolic steroid use by adolescents: prevalence, motives, and knowledge of risks.". Clin J Sport Med. 5 (2): 108-115. PMID 2199753. Retrieved on 2006-11-24.</ref> that the prevalence of use among High school students in the United States may be as high as 2.7%. Male students used more than female students and those who participated in sports used more often than those who did not on average.

It is extremely difficult to determine what percent of the population in general have actually used anabolic steroids but the number seems to be fairly low. The demographics of steroid users tend to be mostly males between the ages 15-25 and noncompetitive bodybuilders and non-athletes who use for cosmetic reasons.<ref>Andrew, Parkinson, Nick A. Evans (2006). "Anabolic Androgenic Steroids: A Survey of 500 Users". Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 38 (4): 644-651. Retrieved on 2006-11-24.</ref>

[edit] Minimization of side effects

Typically, bodybuilders, athletes and sportsmen who use anabolic steroids try to minimize the negative side effects. For example, users may increase their amount of cardiovascular exercise to help negate the effects of left ventricle hypertrophy <ref>Kokkinos, Peter F., Puneet Narayan, M.D., John A. Colleran, D.O., Andreas Pittaras, M.D., Aldo Notargiacomo, B.S., Domenic Reda, M.S., and Vasilios Papademetriou, M.D. (1995). "Effects of Regular Exercise on Blood Pressure and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in African-American Men with Severe Hypertension". New England Journal of Medicine 333: 1462-1467. Retrieved on 2006-11-24.</ref>.

Some androgens will aromatise and convert to estrogen, potentially causing some combination of the side effects listed above. During a steroid cycle users tend to take a aromatase inhibitor and/or a SERM; these drugs affect aromatisation and estrogen receptor binding respectively. The SERM tamoxifen, is of particular interest as it prevents binding to the estrogen receptor in the breast, reducing the risk of gynecomastia.<ref>Medras, M, Tworowska U (2001). "[Treatment strategies of withdrawal from long-term use of anabolic-androgenic steroids]" 11 (66): 535-538. PMID 11899857. Retrieved on 2006-11-24.</ref>

Furthermore, to combat the natural testosterone suppression and to restore proper HPTA function, what is known as 'post-cycle therapy' (PCT) is self prescribed. PCT takes place after the course of anabolic steroids. It typically consists of a combination of the following drugs, depending on which protocol is used:

The aim of PCT is to return the body's endogenous hormonal balance to its original state within the shortest space of time.

Those genetically prone to premature hair loss which steroid use can exacerbate have been known to take the prescription drug finasteride for prolonged periods of time. Finasteride reduces the conversion of testosterone to DHT, the latter having much higher potency for alopecia. Finasteride is useless in the cases when steroid is not converted into a more androgenic derivative. <ref>Kaufman, KD, Olsen EA, Whiting D, Savin R, DeVillez R, Bergfeld W, Price VH, Van Neste D, Roberts JL, Hordinsky M, Shapiro J, Binkowitz B, Gormley GJ (1998). "Finasteride in the treatment of men with androgenetic alopecia. Finasteride Male Pattern Hair Loss Study Group.". J Am Acad Dermatol 39 (4 pt 1): 578-89. PMID 9777765. Retrieved on 2006-11-24.</ref>

Since anabolic steroids can be toxic to the liver or can cause increases in blood pressure or cholesterol, many users consider it ideal to get frequent blood work tests and blood pressure tests to make sure their blood pressure or cholesterol are still within normal levels. Since anabolic steroids can increase cholesterol they increase the risk for heart attack in users.<ref>http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=38069</ref> So it is generally considered mandatory for all users to get blood work while using anabolic steroids.

[edit] Popular misconceptions

Anabolic steroids, like many other drugs, have been at the center of a lot of controversy and because of this there are many popular misconceptions and myths concerning their purported effects and side effects. As with many infamous drugs in popular culture, the misconceptions relating to anabolic steroids have likely arisen from misunderstandings of actual side effects of anabolic steroids. One such example might include the myth that anabolic steroids can ‘shrink’ one's penis. It is likely that this myth came from the real side effect of anabolic steroids known as testicular atrophy, in which the use of anabolic steroids causes reduced secretion of the gonadotropins luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone from the anterior pituitary, thus reducing testicle size. This side effect is temporary and the testicles return to normal soon after exogenous androgen administration is halted.<ref>Alen, Reinila, & Reijo, 1985</ref>

Another common misconception purveyed in popular culture and the media include the myth that anabolic steroids are highly dangerous and users' mortality rates are high. Anabolic steroids are used widely in the medical field without any serious health risks to users<ref>Schroeder, ET; Vallejo AF, Zheng L, Stewart Y, Flores C, Nakao S, Martinez C, Sattler FR. (2005 Dec). Six-week improvements in muscle mass and strength during androgen therapy in older men.. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci.</ref><ref>Grunfeld, C; Kotler DP, Dobs A, Glesby M, Bhasin S (2006 Mar). Oxandrolone in the treatment of HIV-associated weight loss in men: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr.</ref><ref>Bhasin, S; Woodhouse L, Casaburi R, Singh AB, Bhasin D, Berman N, Chen X, Yarasheski KE, Magliano L, Dzekov C, Dzekov J, Bross R, Phillips J, Sinha-Hikim I, Shen R, Storer TW. (2001 Dec). Testosterone dose-response relationships in healthy young men.. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. </ref>, and no scientific evidence has shown any long-term serious health defects from correct use of anabolic steroids. While risk of death is present in many drugs, the risk of premature death from use of anabolic steroids seems to be extremely low.<ref>Fudala, PJ; Weinrieb RM, Calarco JS, Kampman KM, Boardman C. (2003 Jun). An evaluation of anabolic-androgenic steroid abusers over a period of 1 year: seven case studies.. Ann Clin Psychiatry. </ref> It is possible this myth gained popularity from claims that Lyle Alzado died from brain cancer caused by anabolic steroids. Alzado himself had claimed that his cancer was caused by anabolic steroids. However, there is no medical evidence anabolic steroids can cause brain cancer and Alzado's own doctors admitted anabolic steroids had nothing to do with his death.<ref>Real Sports, Lyle Alzado.</ref>

More myths relating to purported side effects include claims that anabolic steroids have caused many teenagers to commit suicide. While lower levels of testosterone have been known to cause depression, and ending a steroid cycle is known to result in temporarily lower testosterone levels, the claim that anabolic steroids are responsible for specific suicides among teenagers is highly questionable. In the United States the estimated use of anabolic steroids among high school students was 2.8% in 1999. On the other hand, in the year 2000 in the United States, suicide was the third leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds.<ref>http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/harmsway.cfm</ref> With the suicide rate this high among teenagers, concluding anabolic steroids are responsible for the suicides of teenagers who happened to be taking them prior to committing suicide is a post hoc logical fallacy. Also, even though teen bodybuilders have been using steroids since at least the early 1960s, only a few cases suggesting a link between steroids and suicide have been reported in the medical literature.<ref>http://www.mesomorphosis.com/articles/darkes/anabolic-steroids-and-suicide.htm</ref>

One of the most common misconceptions regarding the side effects of anabolic steroids is known as ‘roid rage’. There seems to be little or no evidence such a condition actually exists. Most studies done on "angry behavior" and anabolic steroid use show no psychological effect, implying that either "roid rage" doesn't exist or that anabolic steroids' effects on aggression are too small to be measured. Many scientists and medical professionals conclude anabolic steroids have no real effect on increased angry behavior. <ref>Fudala, PJ; Weinrieb RM, Calarco JS, Kampman KM, Boardman C. (2003 Jun). An evaluation of anabolic-androgenic steroid abusers over a period of 1 year: seven case studies.. Ann Clin Psychiatry. </ref> <ref name=BhasinEtAl1996>Bhasin S, Storer TW, Berman N, et al. The effects of supraphysiologic doses of testosterone on muscle size and strength in normal men. New England Journal of Medicine 1996; 335: 1-7.</ref><ref>Pope et al Arch Gen Psych 2000</ref><ref>jcem.endojournals.org</ref><ref>ncbi.nlm.nih.gov</ref>

Arnold Schwarzenegger is the target of yet another myth regarding the purported side effects of anabolic steroids. Arnold Schwarzenegger has admitted to using anabolic steroids during his bodybuilding career for many years<ref>Arnold & Steroids: The Truth Revealed http://hjem.get2net.dk/JamesBond/www/artikler/steroidemisbrug/arnoldandsteroids.htm</ref>, and in 1997 he went in for surgery to correct a defect relating to his heart. Some have assumed this was due to anabolic steroids. However, Arnold Schwarzenegger was born with a congenital genetic defect in which his heart had a bicuspid aortic valve — in other words, whereas normal hearts have three cusps, his had only two, which can occasionally cause problems later in life.<ref>http://www.usc.edu/hsc/info/pr/1vol3/313/arnie.html</ref>

[edit] Illegal trade in anabolic steroids

Since anabolic steroids are often produced in different countries than in which they are distributed, they must be smuggled across international borders. Like most significant smuggling operations, sophisticated organized crime is involved, often in conjunction with other smuggling efforts (including other illegal drugs). Unlike psychoactive recreational drugs such as cannabis and heroin, there have not been many high profile cases of individual smugglers of anabolic steroids being caught. The majority of those using illegally obtain the drugs via this black market,<ref name=cy>Yesalis, Charles. (2000). Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise ISBN 0-88011-786-9 </ref><ref name=BM>International Review of the Sociology of Sport, "Does the ban on drugs in sport improve societal welfare?" (Black T, 1996).</ref> and more specifically, pharmacists, veterinarians, and physicians. Anabolic Steroids purchased through the Black Market may be counterfeit, or originally manufactured for veterinary applications. Which in and of itself isn't dangerous except for the fact they are sometimes produced and handled in cruder and less sterile environments.<ref>NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Anabolic Steroid Abuse and Violence. July 1997.PDF</ref><ref>Walters, Ayers, & Brown, 1990)[1]</ref>

[edit] Production

Anabolic steroids need sophisticated pharmaceutical processes and equipment to produce, so they are produced by legitimate pharmaceutical companies or underground laboratories with large overheads. Common problems associated with illegal drug trades, such as chemical substitutions, cutting, and diluting, affect illegal anabolic steroids such that when it reaches distribution the quality may be questionable or possibly dangerous.

In the 1990s most US producers such as Ciba, Searle and Syntex stopped making and marketing anabolic steroids within the US. However, in many other regions, particularly Eastern Europe, they are still produced in quantity. European anabolic steroids are the source of most medical grade anabolic steroids sold illegally in North America. However, anabolic steroids are still in wider use for veterinary purposes, and many illegal anabolic steroids are actually veterinary grade.

[edit] Distribution

In the United States and Canada, steroids are purchased just like any illegal drug through dealers who are able to obtain the drugs from a number of sources, although most users would prefer to buy from legitimate sources but cannot because of the restrictive laws against steroid possession. Counterfeit steroids are a common solution to the lack of legal availability in the United States and Canada, although black-market importation continues from Mexico, Thailand and other countries where steroids are more easily available and, in many countries, not illegal at all. Many people produce fake steroids and attempt to sell them over the internet which causes a wide variety of health concerns.

Most illicit anabolic steroids are now sold at gyms, competitions, and through the mail. For the most part, these substances are smuggled into the United States. In addition, a significant number of counterfeit products are sold as anabolic steroids, particularly via mail order from websites posing as overseas pharmacies. In addition to the recreational use of anabolic steroids, users in Great Britain have been shown to consume illicit drugs as well, such as cannabis, and cocaine.<ref name="cy" /><ref>British Medical Journal.Use of anabolic steroids has been reported by 9% of men attending gymnasiums.(1996).</ref><ref>The International Journal of Drug Policy.Anabolic Steroid Use in Britain.(1994).</ref>

[edit] History

Comments on professional athletes in ancient Greece suggest that a wide variety of natural steroidal substances were used to promote androgenic and anabolic growth. These may have ranged from testicular extracts to plant materials. Traditional medicine in general, in the West as well as in contemporary Asian medicine, has a wide pharmacopeia of substances intended to promote virility and masculine traits, though not entirely oriented towards muscle growth and athletic ability so much as sexual performance. In Chinese traditional medicine, substances such as deer antler, tiger bone, bear gall bladder, ginseng and other roots and much more are all primarily consumed and were thought to bolster the male organism. There is no science behind these claims.

Modern pharmaceutical anabolic steroids are believed to have been inadvertently discovered by German scientists in the early 1930s, but at the time the discovery was not considered significant enough to warrant further study. The first known reference to an anabolic steroid in a US weightlifting/bodybuilding magazine is testosterone propinate in a letter to the editor in Strength and Health magazine in 1938. In the 1950s, scientific interest was rekindled, and methandrostenolone (Dianabol) was approved for use in the United States by the federal Food and Drug Administration in 1958 after promising trials had been conducted in other countries.

Throughout the '50s, '60s, '70s and even '80s there was doubt Anabolic Steroids even had a real effect. In a 1972 study,<ref> Medicine and Science in Sports, Anabolic steroids: the physiological effects of placebos. (Ariel & Saville, 1972).</ref> participants were informed they would receive injections of anabolic steroids on a daily basis, but instead had actually been give placebo. They reportedly could not tell the difference, and the perceived performance enhancement was similar to that of subjects taking the real anabolic compounds. This study had many flaws including inconsistent controls and insignificant doses. According to Geraline Lin, a researcher for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, at the time of the books' publishing in 1996, the results of the study remained unchallenged for 18 years.<ref name=AASA>Lin, Geraline (1996). Anabolic Steroid Abuse ISBN 0-7881-2969-4 </ref>

In the 1996 study mentioned above which was founded by the NIH it examined the effect of high doses of testosterone enanthate (600 mg/week intramuscularly for 10 weeks). The results showed a clear increase in muscle mass and decrease in fat mass in those who took the testosterone opposed to the placebo. No adverse reactions were noted.<ref name="BhasinEtAl1996">Bhasin S, Storer TW, Berman N, et al. 1996, used earlier in article.</ref>

The U.S. Congress in the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 placed anabolic steroids into Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The CSA defines anabolic steroids as any drug or hormonal substance chemically and pharmacologically related to testosterone (other than estrogens, progestins, and corticosteroids) that promotes muscle growth.

By the early 1990s after anabolic steroids were scheduled in the United States several pharmaceutical companies stopped manufacturing or marketing the products in the United States, including Ciba, Searle, Syntex and others.

In addition, an entire market for counterfeit drugs emerged at this time. Never seen in the previous 30 years of their availability on the U.S. market, computers and scanning technology made the ease of counterfeiting legitimate products by utilizing their original label design, and the market was flooded with products that contained everything from mere vegetable oil to toxic substances which unsuspecting users injected into themselves, of which some died as a result of blood poisoning, methanol poisoning or subcutaneous abscess.

On January 20, 2005, the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 took effect, amending the Controlled Substance Act to place both anabolic steroids and prohormones on a list of controlled substances, making possession of the banned substances without a prescription a federal crime.<ref>News from DEA, Congressional Testimony, 03/16/04. Retrieved on 2006-10-05.</ref>

[edit] Movement for decriminalization

Anabolic steroids are Schedule III controlled substances in the United States and are strictly regulated in some other countries. (It is perhaps worth noting that anabolic steroids are readily available without a prescription in some other countries such as Mexico, Germany, and Thailand.) However, since the U.S. Congress passed the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990, a small movement has arisen that is highly critical of current laws concerning anabolic steroids. On June 21, 2005 Real Sports aired a segment discussing the legality and prohibition of anabolic steroids in America.<ref>http://www.elitefitness.com/articledata/hbosteroids/HBO-Real-Sports-steroid-special.avi</ref> The show featured Dr. Gary Wadler, chairman of the U.S. Anti- Doping Agency and a prominent anti-steroid activist. When pressed for scientific evidence by correspondent Armen Keteyian that anabolic steroids are as 'highly fatal' as he claims, Wadler admitted there was no evidence. Gumbel concluded the 'hoopla' concerning the dangers of anabolic steroids in the media was 'all smoke and no fire.' The show also featured John Romano, a pro-steroid activist who authors 'The Romano Factor,' a pro-steroid column for bodybuilding magazine Muscular Development.<ref>http://www.musculardevelopment.com</ref>

In July 2005 Philip Sweitzer, an Attorney and Author, published an open letter to the Members of the House Committee on Government Reform, and the Senate Committee on Commerce et al. In it he criticized lawmakers' actions in scheduling anabolic steroids, as well as criticized their 'disregard of scientific reality for symbolic effect.' He also pleaded for the consideration of the decriminalization of anabolic steroids and asked for a new policy direction.<ref>http://www.mesomorphosis.com/articles/sweitzer/letter-to-congress-regarding-steroids.htm</ref> The U.S. government's position since the late 1980's has been and continues to be that the risks of steroid use are too great to allow them to be decriminalized or unregulated.

[edit] List of anabolic compounds commonly used as ergogenic aids

NB: Many of these products are no longer available from the original manufacturers and are now manufactured by "underground" laboratories in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, but are still widely available in certain countries, in most cases from a subsidiary of the original manufacturer (e.g. Schering, Organon).

[edit] References

<references />

[edit] Further reading

D. Kochakian, Charles. Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise. Human Kinetics.

Taylor, William N (Jan 1, 2002). Anabolic Steroids and the Athlete. McFarland & Company, 373. ISBN 0-7864-1128-7.

Collins, Rick (December 1, 2002). Legal Muscle: Anabolics in America. Legal Muscle Publishing Inc., 430. ISBN 0-9726384-0-7.

Llewellyn, William (April 2, 2000). Anabolics 2000 : Anabolic Steroid Reference Manual. William Llewellyn, 212. ISBN 0-9679304-0-5.

Yesalis, Charles E. (July 2000). Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise. Human Kinetics Publishers; 2nd edition, 493. ISBN 0-88011-786-9.

Gallaway, Steve (January 15, 1997). The Steroid Bible. Belle Intl; 3rd Sprl edition, 125. ISBN 1-890342-00-9.

Roberts, Anthony, Brian Clapp (January 2006). Anabolic Steroids: Ultimate Research Guide. Anabolic Books, LLC, 394. ISBN 1-59975-100-3.

Daniels, R. C., Brian Clapp (February 1, 2003). The Anabolic Steroid Handbook. Richard C Daniels, 80. ISBN 0-9548227-0-6.

[edit] External links


Anabolic steroids (A14) edit

Androstan: DHEA, DHT, Metandienone, Metenolone, Norethandrolone, Oxandrolone, Oxymetholone, Quinbolone, Stanozolol

Estren: Ethylestrenol, Nandrolone, Oxabolone cipionate

de:Anabole Steroide

es:Anabolizante androgénico esteroideo nl:Anabole steroïde no:Anabole steroider pl:Steryd anaboliczny pt:Anabolizante sr:Анаболички стероиди fi:Anabolinen steroidi sv:Anabola steroider uk:Анаболічні стероїди zh:同化激素

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