Steroids Blog

The growing popularity of anabolic steroids is something that has been troubling anti-doping officials in the recent past. Despite many measures to curb the use of steroids, there have been reports of growing number of steroid users. The trends are alarming in the worlds of bodybuilding, professional sports, and aging community.

With reports of many sportsmen on steroids coming these days, one often makes a conclusion that almost every one was on steroids till steroid testing measures were introduced by the anti-doping fraternity.

From SteroidTimes.com:

In a recent study done by Strahm et al at the Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses not very reliable (1). They examined the T/E ratio and its variances between ethnic groups because of a testosterone over epitestosterone (T/E) ratio exceeding 4.0 is considered as suspicious of testosterone administration, irrespectively of individual heterogeneous factors such as the athlete’s ethnicity. Strahm and colleagues found that a deletion polymorphism in the UGT2B17 gene was demonstrated to account for a significant part of the inter-individual variability in the T/E between Caucasians and Asians. By estimation of the prevalence of the UGT2B17 deletion/deletion genotype (African: 22%; Asian: 81%; Caucasian: 10%; Hispanic: 7%), ethnic-specific thresholds were developed for a specificity of 99% for the T/E (African: 5.6; Asian: 3.8; Caucasian: 5.7; Hispanic: 5.8).

In other words the group at the Swiss doping lab found out that a blanket T/E ratio is not accurate enough for the testing protocol and that “significant differences have been observed between all ethnic groups.” There conclusion was “that an athlete’s endocrinological passport consisting of a longitudinal follow-up together with the ethnicity and/or the genotype would strongly enhance the detection of testosterone abuse.”

One of the biggest reasons behind the often unshared relationship between sports and steroids is the fact that steroids allow sportsmen to think and act beyond the normal, and for staying ahead of the competition without any hiccups.

Last October 5, 2009 at Sheffield Crown Court, Richard Flynn, a heavy good technician from Rawmarsh, Rotherham and Christopher Taylor, a househusband and a gym proprietor from Rawmarsh, Rotherham were sentenced for conspiracy to sell and circulate controlled substances, including human growth hormone. The accusations followed a joint procedure taken by the MHRA and South Yorkshire Police.

Flynn faces a twelve-month imprisonment, 18 months suspension from his job, and an additional 120-hour penalty community service.

In The Meantime, Taylor was sentenced to nine-month imprisonment, suspended for twelve months, and an 80-hour community service as penalty.

MHRA Head of Operations, Danny Lee-Frost considered that the pair endangered the lives of those around them in exchange for their own profit.

During the operation, police authorities seized substantial amounts of Class C drugs such as testosterone, methandienone, and oxymetholone. A £9,000 worth of cash was obtained inside a cupboard under the stairs in Flynn’s home. Drugs seized during the investigation are calculated at £7,000 in street value.

Tests performed on the products impounded unveiled that both oxymetholone and Hygetropin bore no hint of the said active components.

Moreover, the pair was also involved in the importation of the human growth hormone, Hygetropin, which has an estimated street value of £96,000.

From the Medical News Today:

MHRA Head of Operations, Danny Lee-Frost, said the case highlighted the robust action taken by the MHRA against those who illegally sell and supply medicines.

“As the UK regulator of medicines, we strive to ensure that only the competent and honest are licensed to deal in medicines, and take swift action against anyone who acts otherwise.

Luke Troy, the Australian club rugby prop, is in the limelight this time for wrong reasons due to the circumstances surrounding a steroid-related two-year ban.

It is worth noting here that the Newcastle Waratahs club prop ordered two separate types of steroid drugs (21 packets of testosterone-1 a mixture of Androstenes in February 2006 and 100 capsules of DHEA 200 containing 200 mg dehydropepiandrosterone per capsule in August 2006).

Though he was initially cleared by the Australian Rugby Union as he did not collected the drugs from the Australian Customs and it was not proven that the intercepted drug products were the same what the packaging was addressing, he has now been slapped with a 2-year ban.

From Brisbanetimes.com.au:

Troy had told ASADA: ”I acknowledge that I may have been naive to order [over the internet] but did so in good faith with no intention of using any prohibited substance. However at no time did I have possession of such items due to them being seized by Australian Customs.”

However the International Rugby Board appealed against the decision of the ARU and asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to decide the matter.

This week the CAS ruled Troy had committed an anti-doping violation by using or attempting to use a prohibited substance. The CAS found that Troy had searched the internet for products, deliberately ordered products believing they contained testosterone and DHEA and that he intended to use those substances personally for ”recovery and meal replacement”.

The CAS said it was not essential that the substances were in fact proven to be prohibited substances.

After the end of a lengthy appeal process, Troy was banned until May 5, 2011 from playing sports. It is considered by some sources that this test case will prove to be critical for other sports drugs tribunal hearings that involve non-analytical evidence.

Present steroid (testosterone) doping tests in international sports must be scrapped at they are ignoring variations in hormonal activities, as per a research published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

It is regarded that testosterone and various other hormones propelling the levels of testosterone in the human body such as growth hormone are some of the most commonly abused performance enhancing drugs in sport.

From News-Medical.Net:

They included 57 men of Black African origin; 32 of Asian origin; 32 of Hispanic origin; and 50 of white (Caucasian) origin in their research. All the men were aged between 18 and 36.

The results revealed the genetic variation in almost one in four (22%) of the African footballers; in eight out 10 (81%) of the Asian players; one in 10 of the white men, and in 7% of the Hispanic players.

Based on these findings, the Swiss researchers “recalibrated” the thresholds for each ethnic group.

The new T:E ratios were: 5.6 for men of African origin; 5.7 for white men, and 5.8 for men of Hispanic origin. For men of Asian origin, the ratio was 3.8.

A single indiscriminate threshold to pick up steroid abuse in international sport is “not fit for purpose,” the authors conclude. Instead, the reference ranges should be tailored to an athlete’s individual endocrinological (hormonal) passport, they suggest.

“[Such a] passport may detect modifications induced by abuse of testosterone and its precursors, but also alterations in the steroid profile caused by indirect androgen doping products,” they conclude.

The study comprised of tests that were conducted on steroid profiles of many football players from different ethnicities after steroids were deliberately added to their urine samples.

Testosterone is a natural male hormone that is responsible for the development of sexual characteristics in males. It also contributes to increase in muscle growth, increased strength, and it boosts overall performance. The action of this hormone is very similar to that of anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids were recently discovered to contain in several dietary supplements. FDA already started the recall of dietary supplements found with steroids or steroid-like substances.

Steroids use is not new to professional baseball and football. However, this is quite a first time for NBA to record a steroid problem.

Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis was recently reported to fail a steroid test and was suspended for the first ten games of the new season of National Basketball Association. According to a news release, he will begin suspension with the first game of the 2009-10 season for which he is physically able to play.

Lewis explained that the elevated testosterone level was a result of an over-the-counter supplement which he took towards the end of last season. He was not aware that the supplement contained a substance prohibited by the NBA. The supplement, however, was not named by the NBA star. He further advised his fellow athletes to always consult a physician before taking any form of nutritional supplement because they might not be as innocent as they seem to be. He also hopes that they could learn from his mistake. He took full responsibility for the failed test and willingly accepted the penalty imposed on him.

According to Bloomberg:

Aug. 6 (Bloomberg) — Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis was suspended for the first 10 games of the National Basketball Association season after tests found an elevated testosterone level.

Lewis, an All-Star last season, will begin the suspension with the first game of the 2009-10 season for which he’s eligible and physically able to play, the league said in a news release.

Synthetic growth hormones are substances that mimic the hormone produced by our pituitary gland. Because of this, the substance is hard to detect during screening tests within just a few hours after injecting it in the bloodstream. Unlike anabolic steroids, researchers still have some difficulties comprehending the full mechanism and effects of growth hormones on athletes. Even now, they are still in the process of developing a specific test to detect usage in athletes.

Growth hormones produce a more balanced muscle development. Athletes or any user who want to bulk up but do not want to look abnormally big on top prefer to use this over anabolic steroids. It also has some additional benefits to the body like helping it to recover faster from injuries.

Anabolic steroids on the other hand are substances similar to testosterone. It also aids in muscle development and is widely used by weightlifters, football players and even baseball players due to its particular effect in building upper body strength.

Back in 2003, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz and teammate Manny Ramirez were allegedly found to be using performance-enhancing drugs. Anabolic steroids can be detected in urine even after a few weeks from using it. It also has some side effects to it like hormonal imbalances, aggression, smaller testicles and hypertension.

From Boston.com:

Steroids are especially seductive for baseball players, where upper-body strength - for batting and pitching - are critical. Similarly, the man-made chemicals would appeal to football players, who also depend on upper-body brute force.

While steroids can help athletes pack a wallop, they aren’t likely to increase speed and would have no use in honing hand-eye coordination, specialists said. They also can lead to a raft of physical problems for users, including severe hormonal imbalances, shrunken testicles, and high blood pressure.

Who says steroids users cannot be liver lovers as well? There are various products available in the market today to protect the liver while maintaining your steroid cycle.

The fact remains that a prevalent amount of bodybuilders and weightlifters today are using performance enhancing drugs to keep themselves ahead in a very competitive environment. Steroids can have different effects to the body. Some can be very harsh to the liver while others have milder effects. Steroid forms can also have varying effects, injectables passes through the liver once while orals passes through the liver twice. Therefore, orals are more stressful to the liver than injectables. Among those steroids which are more toxic to the liver includes Anadrol, Dianabol, Halotestin, Methyl Test and Cheque Drops as well as injectables like Winstrol and Trembolone. Anavar and Sustanon, on the other hand, are of a milder variety.

Whatever be the type of steroid used, users have to find a remedy to cleanse the liver from all the toxins that have built up due to steroid use.

With over fifty years of history, Liv52 is an herbal preparation which is clinically proven to provide comprehensive liver care. Hepatic tests and needle biopsies show an improvement in the number of liver cells (hepatocytes), liver enzymes normalize and increases in protein, albumin and hemoglobin are seen after treatment.

According to Dr. Rajesh Nair:

The users have to find a remedy to get those enzyme levels down and to cleanse the liver of all the toxins that have built up due to extended steroid use. Among the various products available to protect the liver, Liv 52 is undoubtedly the most popular. Introduced in 1955 and now sold all over the world, this herbal preparation offers comprehensive liver care. Apart from being an effective protection against cirrhosis, hepatitis, fatty liver and elevated liver enzymes, it is also the best cure for these conditions in affected cases.

Low sperm counts are caused by an exposure to an excess of sexual steroids, like testosterone, during fetal development which may also be a potential risk factor for motility. According to Dr. Recabarren, low sperm counts are associated with testicular cancer, with an incidence rate of 20 fold higher than men with normal sperm analysis.

The team explained that prenatal exposure to excess sexual steroids can occur in two ways. First, the exposure may be a product of increased sexual steroids in the maternal environment due to a hormonal condition such as polycystic ovary syndrome. Second, humans are exposed to several industrial pollutants which can act as steroid mimics, causing the body to inhibit or accelerate native steroid production.

From Bio-Medicine:

“The majority of disorders affecting sperm count in humans are originated during fetal life,” said Professor Sergio Recabarren of the University of Concepcion in Chillan, Chile and lead author of the study. “A developing fetus is very vulnerable to its environment, and when that environment is exposed to excess sexual steroids, it may have a significant deleterious effect on a male offspring’s fertility.”

In this study, researchers treated pregnant sheep with 30 mg testosterone propionate twice weekly from days 30 to 90 of pregnancy and with 40 mg testosterone propionate from days 90 to 120 of pregnancy. They found a significant reduction in body weight, scrotal circumference, and sperm count in male sheep born to these mothers compared with control sheep.

“While this research involved sheep, it can certainly be argued that in humans, exposure to an excess of sexual steroids during fetal development could constitute a potential risk factor that may conduct to a low sperm count,” said Dr. Recabarren.

The findings from this study highlight growing concerns of the detrimental effects of prenatal steroid excess on reduced sperm counts.

As per a recently concluded research, an appetite-stimulating hormone has been identified that can offer the ability to treat common ailments of muscle atrophy.

Muscular Atrophy is referred to as a debilitating process, which results in an extensive loss of muscle function and mass. This condition results in worsening of the quality of life and can occur with aging, inadequate food intake, and nerve injury.

As per Andrea Graziani, PhD., study’s co-author, molecular biologist with the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and the Biotechnology Center for Applied Medical Research, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy, Des-acyl ghrelin, which is a form of ghrelin and an appetite-stimulating hormone in the body, can be used to treat patients with muscular atrophy.

From News-Medical.Net:

Currently, there are few options to treat the problem. Some of the treatments, such as anabolic steroids (testosterone) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IFG-1), raise concerns about safety and effectiveness, said study co-author Andrea Graziani, PhD. He is a molecular biologist with the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and the Biotechnology Center for Applied Medical Research, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.

“Because of the wide impact of muscular atrophy on public health, it is of pivotal importance to find new and better drug strategies to treat it,” Graziani said.

Graziani and his co-workers are studying des-acyl ghrelin, a form of ghrelin, the appetite-stimulating hormone found in the body. Until recently, researchers thought that des-acyl ghrelin was inactive because it does not share the main activities of ghrelin-stimulating appetite, fat and the release of growth hormone.

However, Graziani’s group recently found that des-acyl ghrelin shares some biological activities with ghrelin, such as stimulating differentiation of other cells, including-important to this study-cells that are precursors to skeletal muscle cells.

In this new study, the researchers discovered that des-acyl ghrelin has a direct anti-atrophic activity on the skeletal muscle of mice with muscular atrophy caused by either denervation (nerve injury) or fasting. Mice that were genetically altered to have increased levels of des-acyl ghrelin had less skeletal muscle loss than the untreated control mice. This held true for both causes of muscular atrophy.

The study was Graziani and his team is expected to provide new treatment avenues for treating muscular atrophy. This study was supported by Telethon, Regione Piemonte, and the Italian Ministry for University and Research.

In a new research, it was found that testosterone levels might improve mental functions. The study published in an issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch showed that testosterone, the male sex hormone, could affect men’s cognitive performance.

It is commonly known that with the advancement of age the body’s attributes and mental function level change to a greater extent. With growing age the capacity of learning becomes slow and we often forget the details. These changes lead to “senior moment” in healthy elders and to cognitive impairment and dementia in others.

In the study researchers discovered that the decline of testosterone level with age and mental functions had some connectivity. For instance, in midlife the higher testosterone level is linked with better preservation of tissue in some parts of the brain while in advancing age, the increased level of the hormone is associated with better performance on cognitive tests.

From Science Daily:

When we think about the powers of testosterone, we usually do not consider mental processes. However, research suggests that testosterone levels may affect men’s cognitive performance, reports the January 2008 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.

All the body’s attributes change with age, and mental functions are no exception. Memory is the most fragile mental function. With age, new learning is slower, new information is processed less carefully, and details often slip. These changes give rise to the “senior moment” in healthy elders and to cognitive impairment and dementia in others.

Testosterone levels decline with age, just when memory begins to slow. Might falling hormone levels account for some of the problem? Perhaps, says Harvard Men’s Health Watch. The data are far from conclusive, but studies have found some connections. For instance, higher testosterone levels in midlife have been linked to better preservation of tissue in some parts of the brain. And in older men, higher testosterone levels have been associated with better performance on cognitive tests.

Whatever the results of the study showed, one question is still remains unanswered that do the treatments use for reducing testosterone can lead to cognitive decline? Besides this, the study also raises the question that whether testosterone therapy may improve mental function in healthy older men or even can be used for those with cognitive impairment.

However, the research warned that high testosterone levels might prove harmful as well. In this regard, Harvard Men’s Health Watch suggested that till more studies were done, men should not use testosterone or any other androgen to improve mental function.