With the pressure of competition looming in their minds, an increasing number of athletes are turning to steroids to help improve their performance and gain a winning edge over non-users.
Though anabolic-androgenic steroids, synthetic versions of the male hormone testosterone, serve powerful and useful medical purposes, many experts agree that the misuse of these drugs can lead to devastating consequences.
The drug’s increasing prevalence has led to a rise in the potential for damage.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse’s “Monitoring the Future” survey, there was a general increase in steroid use from 1.5 to 1.8 percent in 2006.
And while steroid use in general is rare, the drug’s effectiveness makes it especially risky and has led to a rise in the potential for damage for the few who do use it.
“The topic of anabolic steroids has sparked controversy in recent years, since they are so prevalent and effective,” said Barney Schlinger, a professor in the UCLA Department of Physiological Science.
“What makes them so interesting is that they can go wherever they want in the body ““ the molecular structure allows them to pass through all tissues,” Schlinger said. “They are very potent because a small amount of hormones can have a huge impact.”
Anabolic steroids, such as Deca Durabolin or Dianabol taken in by injection or orally in the form of a pill, can be medically used for bone marrow and growth stimulation, hormone replacement therapy, and muscle wasting due to cancer or AIDS.
“Yet when anabolic steroids are misused, as many athletes take 10 to 100 times the prescribed dosage to increase muscle mass, extremely harmful side effects can occur,” said Don Catlin, president of the Anti-Doping Research Institute and former director of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory.
“They improve performance in lots of sports, not just lifting and throwing, but running and cycling as well,” Catlin said. “If they didn’t work, there wouldn’t be an issue.”
A common misconception associated with anabolic steroid use is the belief that side effects are uncommon.
Rather, experts such as Catlin say everyone will experience side effects, it is just a matter of how mild those are.
Side effects in women may include the undesirable masculinizing effect of excess facial and underarm hair and irregular menstrual cycles, while men may experience hair loss, develop breasts, and become sterile.
But changes extend beyond the physical realm ““ they can be psychological as well.
Depression and mood swings are commonly cited problems.
Still, many people are overlooking such health effects and opting to take the steroids, Catlin said.
“It’s a matter of risk-taking,” Catlin said. “You have to pay the price to gain the benefits.”
Jake Dean, a center and guard for the UCLA football team said he and his fellow teammates look ahead in the long run when debating whether or not to use steroids.
“It’s a few years of glory for the possibility of a lifetime of pain,” said Dean, a first-year history student.
If the side effects do not deter the athlete, sometimes the penalties ““ usually a suspension or a ban from the sport ““ will.
Evidence of steroid use will lead to the dismissal of athletes from participation.
Using illegal substances to gain a competitive advantage over others is essentially cheating, Dean said.
“Sports is not just competition (but it also deals) with many aspects of life,” Dean said. “If you cheat in sports, it’s like you’re cheating in life.”
The increasing knowledge and awareness of the drug’s use has led to the creation of more effective ways to screen individuals for the drug.
Recent research has resulted in more accurate and advanced techniques for drug testing.
The most effective method used currently by UCLA is called mass spectrometry, analyzing molecules in the urine. There has never been a false positive, Catlin said.