The History of Steroids in Bodybuilding
Periodically on the various internet bodybuilding forums someone makes a completely baseless statement about steroid use, when it started, and who was using them back in the 'old days'. When I see ignorance being masqueraded as fact I almost always feel compelled to join the discussion and refute some of the often outrageous statements being hurled about. I'm going to recap what's known about the history of anabolic steroid use in sports so I can refer people to this entry rather than go through it time and time again.
All reliable sources - publications by Terry Todd, John Fair, Randy Roach, Bill Starr, etc, as well as interviews and letters from John Ziegler, John Grimek, Bill March, etc - indicate that experimentation with testosterone for athletic purposes began in the U.S. sometime in either late 1954 or 1955. These 'trials' were short-lived, however, as the results were disappointing and testosterone use was deemed ineffective and carried the risk of harmful side-effects. A statistical analysis of Olympic-style Weightlifting performances published in the International Journal of the History of Sport concluded that Soviet athletes likely first used testosterone sometime between 1952 and 1956.
Dr. John Ziegler, physician for the U.S. Olympic Weightlifting team (i.e. the York team), described in interviews of learning about the Soviet use of testosterone injections at the 1954 World Weightlifting Championships in Vienna, Austria in October of that year. Some time after returning home, Ziegler convinced York affiliated lifters John Grimek, Jim Park and Yaz Kuzahara to be test subjects and receive testosterone injections (oral testosterone was known to be clinically ineffective by that time). By Grimek's account, the results were disappointing. In a private letter, dated at the time, Grimek spoke of seeing nothing in the way of gains and quiting the injections because he felt he was actually regressing. Jim Park received only one injection which he claimed did nothing for him physically, but made him incredibly horny. It is unclear as to Kuzahara's experience but, in any case, it was not positive enough to warrant continued use and further experimentation was ceased. In light of the terrible side effects that Ziegler had heard of and witnessed Soviet users suffering, and lack of significant results in his own test subjects, no further experimentation with testosterone was tried by the York (U.S.) Weightlifting team for the duration of the 1950s.
This was not the end of Ziegler's involvement with steroids, however. Ziegler began work with CIBA Pharmaceuticals in 1955 to develop a testosterone derivative that would carry the anabolic properties of testosterone without the undesirable side effects. Preliminary results began coming in by 1956, and Dianabol was released to the U.S. prescription drug market in 1958 for use in wasting conditions. CIBA's competitor, Searle, beat them to the market, however, and introduced Nilevar, the first synthetic anabolic/androgenic steroid, to the prescription drug market in 1956 (used as a polio treatment).
In late 1959 (some claim as early as 1958, some as late as 1960) Ziegler decided to try the new Dianabol on some of the non-medal contending York lifters and enlisted Grimek to convince a few lifters to begin taking it under his (Ziegler's) supervision. Lower level or non-competitive lifters were chosen for the initial trials so as not to risk marring the performance of medal contenders at the upcoming 1960 Olympics (Dianabol was, at that time, a relatively untested drug and York chief Bob Hoffman was said to have feared trying it on his top lifters). Bill March, Tony Garcy, John Grimek, Ziegler himself and later Lou Riecke were the first Guinea Pigs, and the results were much more promising this time around.
From there, Dianabol use quickly spread to the entire York Weightlifting team. Now, up-and-coming York lifters and Strength and Health magazine writers such as Bill Starr and Tommy Suggs started letting the secret out to the bodybuilding community, and by the early-to-mid 1960s almost all high-level competitive bodybuilders were taking steroids in the weeks leading up to contests. This pre-contest cycling scheme by bodybuilders was based on the Weightlifters' practice of escalating steroid use in the weeks leading up to lifting meets - the logic being that just as the lifters wanted to be at their best (strongest) come meet day, bodybuilders wanted to peak at their biggest on the day of the contest. It didn't take long for steroid use to spill into the 'off-season' as well, as this allowed bodybuilders to build more ultimate muscle mass.
The man who would go on to become the first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott, gained 8 pounds of muscle in two months between the 1960 Mr. Los Angeles (in which he placed third), and the 1960 Mr. California (which he won, defeating the two men who had placed above him in the Mr. Los Angeles two months earlier). A year earlier he had won the Mr. Idaho weighing just 152 pounds. Larry credits Rheo Blair, and his protein powder, as being instrumental in his sudden improvement. However, considering Larry's dramatic gains from that point onward, and Blair's reported possession of Nilevar a few years earlier before he even moved to California, it is quite likely that this time in 1960 also marks Larry's first usage of steroids (something to which he admits but, to my knowledge, hasn't specified the date).
But the early 1960s did't mark the true origins of bodybuilder's regular use of steroids, however. In an early edition of his book Getting Stronger, Bill Pearl told of meeting Arthur Jones (founder of the Nautilus line of training equipment and father of the "HIT" style of training) in 1958 and learning of Nilevar from him. After a little further investigation, Pearl began a twelve-week cycle of the steroid and gained 25 pounds. At around that same time, Irvin Johnson (aka Rheo H. Blair - 'father' of the first protein powders) is said to have had Searle's Nilevar in his possession, though he isn't believed to have been widely distributing it to bodybuilders at that time.
So what can we gather from all of this? First of all, no bodybuilder or lifter was using synthetic steroids before 1956 - they didn't exist. Most likely, only the very highest level West Coast bodybuilders knew of them by 1958. From there it seems that knowledge of Nilevar and Dianabol to build muscle and strength was kept relatively in the closet until the early 1960s. After all, Hoffman did not want outside athletes to know his lifters' secrets and he was using their sudden gains via Dianabol to promote his supplement line and isometric training courses and racks. Bill Starr wrote that until he was a national calibre lifter with York in the early 1960s he had never heard of steroids. Reg Park (Mr. Universe 1951, 1958, 1965) said that the first he heard of them were in connection with rumours about East German and Soviet athletes during the 1960 Olympics, though he later heard of "steroids" being used on British POWs from Singapore in WWII as they were being nursed back to health in Australian hospitals. Chet Yorton (Mr. America 1966, Mr. Universe 1966, 1975) has said that he first heard of steroids (Nilevar) in 1964, and decided not to risk using them - Yorton went on to become one of the sports most outspoken campaigners against steroid use and founder of the first drug-tested, natural bodybuilding federation. The condition of national and world level bodybuilders appears to have taken a visible leap between 1960 to 1964.
As for testosterone itself, Paul de Kruif's 1945 book "The Male Hormone" is often cited as "proof" that bodybuilders knew of and were using testosterone in the 1940s. But even though testosterone had been identified by researchers and isolated in laboratory settings as early as the 1930s, it didn't receive FDA approval as a prescription drug until 1950 and, therefore, injectable testosterone was produced only sporadically and in small batches for research purposes, before that time. De Kruif himself made no clear connection between testosterone use and possible athletic applications, though he did briefly raise the question if it could surpass the effects of large vitamin doses in baseball players - aside from this single sentence, his arguments were purely from the perspective of using testosterone to restore the vitality and health of hypogonadal and aging men.
It has been said that John Grimek, upon reading publications such as de Kruif's, was inquiring about testosterone in the 1940s. But he would have had nothing other than a possible hunch that it could be used for athletic purposes, and no source or opportunity to experiment with it. There were, in fact, two companies in California advertising "genuine testosterone" tablets through mail order in the late 1940s, but were ordered to stop by the FDA in early-to-mid 1951 when regulations to control the distribution of controlled substances were tightened. It was well known by researchers at that time, however, that the liver effectively clears almost all orally ingested testosterone within seconds, even very large doses (clearance rate of 24.5mg/min/kg), so these tablets would have produced no effects even if they did contain crystalline testosterone. The low bioavailability of oral testosterone is precisely why injections were used in early research and why synthetic steroids were eventually developed.
It wasn't until 1954/1955 with Ziegler, that Grimek wrote of getting his first testosterone injections. It stands to reason that if even Grimek had no access to bioavailable testosterone before 1954-55 and no knowledge of other top level bodybuilders or lifters using it before then - and as editor of Strength and Health magazine and second in command at York he certainly was in a position to know - then it is very unlikely that anyone in the west was effectively using testosterone for athletic/physique purposes before late 1954/1955. Given that these early experiments were unsuccessful and brief (likely because they knew little about dosing for increased strength and muscle mass), it is most likely that the first western bodybuilders began steroid use not with testosterone itself, but with Nilevar, sometime after 1956 to 1958. From there, Dianabol enters the picture at the elite level and by 1964 even the muscle magazines, such as Iron Man, were writing about what they called the "tissue building drugs".
For a western bodybuilder or lifter to be using testosterone before late 1954/1955 he would had to have known more about the biochemistry of testosterone and it's potential athletic effects than any western sports physician - and have had access to what was then a relatively rarely used prescription drug. He would also had to have known more about how to effectively dose it than John Ziegler, who would go on to co-develop Dianabol just a few years later. Nobody in the west can say for sure exactly when the Soviets began using testosterone, but the likely date is sometime before October 1954 and possibly as early as 1952.
As mentioned, injectable testosterone was first approved for prescription as a cancer, wasting and burn treatment in the U.S. in 1950. Before that it was available for research purposes only, with the FDA tightening regulations and enforcement in the early 1950s. Ads for "genuine testosterone tablets" were placed in national newspapers by two California companies from 1946 to 1951, but the actual ingredients of these tablets were uncontrolled, cannot be verified, and due to the body's clearance rate oral testosterone would be inconsequential anyway. For a bodybuilder to be effectively using testosterone before 1950 he would not only had to have known more about the biochemistry, dosing and potential athletic applications of it than anybody else in the world (including the research scientists working with it), but also have had access to what was then an experimental drug, isolated in limited amounts for controlled research purposes, and not produced in quantity for a public or prescription market. "Snake oil" ads for testosterone tablets, even if they contained what was advertised (which in itself was vague), would not have significantly impacted blood testosterone levels due to the liver's massive testosterone clearance rate and cannot be considered a reliable source.
For these reasons it can be stated with near certainty that Steve Reeves, Clancy Ross, John Grimek, Jack Delinger, Reg Park, John Farbotnik, George Eiferman, etc - who all won major physique titles before the Soviets began using testosterone and before synthetic steroids were introduced in 1956 - were not using bioavailable testosterone or synthetic steroids at the time of their Mr. America, Mr. USA and Mr. Universe wins. Furthermore, it is unlikely that any major title winner was a steroid user before 1957-58 (Pearl won the Mr. USA and Mr. Universe titles in 1956 before his knowledge of Nilevar). Some athletes' careers from the era, such as Reg Park's, do span the introduction of steroids into bodybuilding. In Park's case, he weighed 226 lbs when he won the Mr. Britain title in 1949, 214 lbs when he won the Mr. Universe title in 1951, 215 lbs when he won it the second time in 1958, and 216 lbs when he placed 3rd in 1971 (at age 43 - he returned again in 1973 to place 2nd). If Park did jump on the steroid bandwagon when he learned of them in 1960, then they produced one pound of muscle in 11 years for him.
All reliable sources - publications by Terry Todd, John Fair, Randy Roach, Bill Starr, etc, as well as interviews and letters from John Ziegler, John Grimek, Bill March, etc - indicate that experimentation with testosterone for athletic purposes began in the U.S. sometime in either late 1954 or 1955. These 'trials' were short-lived, however, as the results were disappointing and testosterone use was deemed ineffective and carried the risk of harmful side-effects. A statistical analysis of Olympic-style Weightlifting performances published in the International Journal of the History of Sport concluded that Soviet athletes likely first used testosterone sometime between 1952 and 1956.
Dr. John Ziegler, physician for the U.S. Olympic Weightlifting team (i.e. the York team), described in interviews of learning about the Soviet use of testosterone injections at the 1954 World Weightlifting Championships in Vienna, Austria in October of that year. Some time after returning home, Ziegler convinced York affiliated lifters John Grimek, Jim Park and Yaz Kuzahara to be test subjects and receive testosterone injections (oral testosterone was known to be clinically ineffective by that time). By Grimek's account, the results were disappointing. In a private letter, dated at the time, Grimek spoke of seeing nothing in the way of gains and quiting the injections because he felt he was actually regressing. Jim Park received only one injection which he claimed did nothing for him physically, but made him incredibly horny. It is unclear as to Kuzahara's experience but, in any case, it was not positive enough to warrant continued use and further experimentation was ceased. In light of the terrible side effects that Ziegler had heard of and witnessed Soviet users suffering, and lack of significant results in his own test subjects, no further experimentation with testosterone was tried by the York (U.S.) Weightlifting team for the duration of the 1950s.
This was not the end of Ziegler's involvement with steroids, however. Ziegler began work with CIBA Pharmaceuticals in 1955 to develop a testosterone derivative that would carry the anabolic properties of testosterone without the undesirable side effects. Preliminary results began coming in by 1956, and Dianabol was released to the U.S. prescription drug market in 1958 for use in wasting conditions. CIBA's competitor, Searle, beat them to the market, however, and introduced Nilevar, the first synthetic anabolic/androgenic steroid, to the prescription drug market in 1956 (used as a polio treatment).
In late 1959 (some claim as early as 1958, some as late as 1960) Ziegler decided to try the new Dianabol on some of the non-medal contending York lifters and enlisted Grimek to convince a few lifters to begin taking it under his (Ziegler's) supervision. Lower level or non-competitive lifters were chosen for the initial trials so as not to risk marring the performance of medal contenders at the upcoming 1960 Olympics (Dianabol was, at that time, a relatively untested drug and York chief Bob Hoffman was said to have feared trying it on his top lifters). Bill March, Tony Garcy, John Grimek, Ziegler himself and later Lou Riecke were the first Guinea Pigs, and the results were much more promising this time around.
From there, Dianabol use quickly spread to the entire York Weightlifting team. Now, up-and-coming York lifters and Strength and Health magazine writers such as Bill Starr and Tommy Suggs started letting the secret out to the bodybuilding community, and by the early-to-mid 1960s almost all high-level competitive bodybuilders were taking steroids in the weeks leading up to contests. This pre-contest cycling scheme by bodybuilders was based on the Weightlifters' practice of escalating steroid use in the weeks leading up to lifting meets - the logic being that just as the lifters wanted to be at their best (strongest) come meet day, bodybuilders wanted to peak at their biggest on the day of the contest. It didn't take long for steroid use to spill into the 'off-season' as well, as this allowed bodybuilders to build more ultimate muscle mass.
The man who would go on to become the first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott, gained 8 pounds of muscle in two months between the 1960 Mr. Los Angeles (in which he placed third), and the 1960 Mr. California (which he won, defeating the two men who had placed above him in the Mr. Los Angeles two months earlier). A year earlier he had won the Mr. Idaho weighing just 152 pounds. Larry credits Rheo Blair, and his protein powder, as being instrumental in his sudden improvement. However, considering Larry's dramatic gains from that point onward, and Blair's reported possession of Nilevar a few years earlier before he even moved to California, it is quite likely that this time in 1960 also marks Larry's first usage of steroids (something to which he admits but, to my knowledge, hasn't specified the date).
But the early 1960s did't mark the true origins of bodybuilder's regular use of steroids, however. In an early edition of his book Getting Stronger, Bill Pearl told of meeting Arthur Jones (founder of the Nautilus line of training equipment and father of the "HIT" style of training) in 1958 and learning of Nilevar from him. After a little further investigation, Pearl began a twelve-week cycle of the steroid and gained 25 pounds. At around that same time, Irvin Johnson (aka Rheo H. Blair - 'father' of the first protein powders) is said to have had Searle's Nilevar in his possession, though he isn't believed to have been widely distributing it to bodybuilders at that time.
So what can we gather from all of this? First of all, no bodybuilder or lifter was using synthetic steroids before 1956 - they didn't exist. Most likely, only the very highest level West Coast bodybuilders knew of them by 1958. From there it seems that knowledge of Nilevar and Dianabol to build muscle and strength was kept relatively in the closet until the early 1960s. After all, Hoffman did not want outside athletes to know his lifters' secrets and he was using their sudden gains via Dianabol to promote his supplement line and isometric training courses and racks. Bill Starr wrote that until he was a national calibre lifter with York in the early 1960s he had never heard of steroids. Reg Park (Mr. Universe 1951, 1958, 1965) said that the first he heard of them were in connection with rumours about East German and Soviet athletes during the 1960 Olympics, though he later heard of "steroids" being used on British POWs from Singapore in WWII as they were being nursed back to health in Australian hospitals. Chet Yorton (Mr. America 1966, Mr. Universe 1966, 1975) has said that he first heard of steroids (Nilevar) in 1964, and decided not to risk using them - Yorton went on to become one of the sports most outspoken campaigners against steroid use and founder of the first drug-tested, natural bodybuilding federation. The condition of national and world level bodybuilders appears to have taken a visible leap between 1960 to 1964.
As for testosterone itself, Paul de Kruif's 1945 book "The Male Hormone" is often cited as "proof" that bodybuilders knew of and were using testosterone in the 1940s. But even though testosterone had been identified by researchers and isolated in laboratory settings as early as the 1930s, it didn't receive FDA approval as a prescription drug until 1950 and, therefore, injectable testosterone was produced only sporadically and in small batches for research purposes, before that time. De Kruif himself made no clear connection between testosterone use and possible athletic applications, though he did briefly raise the question if it could surpass the effects of large vitamin doses in baseball players - aside from this single sentence, his arguments were purely from the perspective of using testosterone to restore the vitality and health of hypogonadal and aging men.
It has been said that John Grimek, upon reading publications such as de Kruif's, was inquiring about testosterone in the 1940s. But he would have had nothing other than a possible hunch that it could be used for athletic purposes, and no source or opportunity to experiment with it. There were, in fact, two companies in California advertising "genuine testosterone" tablets through mail order in the late 1940s, but were ordered to stop by the FDA in early-to-mid 1951 when regulations to control the distribution of controlled substances were tightened. It was well known by researchers at that time, however, that the liver effectively clears almost all orally ingested testosterone within seconds, even very large doses (clearance rate of 24.5mg/min/kg), so these tablets would have produced no effects even if they did contain crystalline testosterone. The low bioavailability of oral testosterone is precisely why injections were used in early research and why synthetic steroids were eventually developed.
It wasn't until 1954/1955 with Ziegler, that Grimek wrote of getting his first testosterone injections. It stands to reason that if even Grimek had no access to bioavailable testosterone before 1954-55 and no knowledge of other top level bodybuilders or lifters using it before then - and as editor of Strength and Health magazine and second in command at York he certainly was in a position to know - then it is very unlikely that anyone in the west was effectively using testosterone for athletic/physique purposes before late 1954/1955. Given that these early experiments were unsuccessful and brief (likely because they knew little about dosing for increased strength and muscle mass), it is most likely that the first western bodybuilders began steroid use not with testosterone itself, but with Nilevar, sometime after 1956 to 1958. From there, Dianabol enters the picture at the elite level and by 1964 even the muscle magazines, such as Iron Man, were writing about what they called the "tissue building drugs".
For a western bodybuilder or lifter to be using testosterone before late 1954/1955 he would had to have known more about the biochemistry of testosterone and it's potential athletic effects than any western sports physician - and have had access to what was then a relatively rarely used prescription drug. He would also had to have known more about how to effectively dose it than John Ziegler, who would go on to co-develop Dianabol just a few years later. Nobody in the west can say for sure exactly when the Soviets began using testosterone, but the likely date is sometime before October 1954 and possibly as early as 1952.
As mentioned, injectable testosterone was first approved for prescription as a cancer, wasting and burn treatment in the U.S. in 1950. Before that it was available for research purposes only, with the FDA tightening regulations and enforcement in the early 1950s. Ads for "genuine testosterone tablets" were placed in national newspapers by two California companies from 1946 to 1951, but the actual ingredients of these tablets were uncontrolled, cannot be verified, and due to the body's clearance rate oral testosterone would be inconsequential anyway. For a bodybuilder to be effectively using testosterone before 1950 he would not only had to have known more about the biochemistry, dosing and potential athletic applications of it than anybody else in the world (including the research scientists working with it), but also have had access to what was then an experimental drug, isolated in limited amounts for controlled research purposes, and not produced in quantity for a public or prescription market. "Snake oil" ads for testosterone tablets, even if they contained what was advertised (which in itself was vague), would not have significantly impacted blood testosterone levels due to the liver's massive testosterone clearance rate and cannot be considered a reliable source.
For these reasons it can be stated with near certainty that Steve Reeves, Clancy Ross, John Grimek, Jack Delinger, Reg Park, John Farbotnik, George Eiferman, etc - who all won major physique titles before the Soviets began using testosterone and before synthetic steroids were introduced in 1956 - were not using bioavailable testosterone or synthetic steroids at the time of their Mr. America, Mr. USA and Mr. Universe wins. Furthermore, it is unlikely that any major title winner was a steroid user before 1957-58 (Pearl won the Mr. USA and Mr. Universe titles in 1956 before his knowledge of Nilevar). Some athletes' careers from the era, such as Reg Park's, do span the introduction of steroids into bodybuilding. In Park's case, he weighed 226 lbs when he won the Mr. Britain title in 1949, 214 lbs when he won the Mr. Universe title in 1951, 215 lbs when he won it the second time in 1958, and 216 lbs when he placed 3rd in 1971 (at age 43 - he returned again in 1973 to place 2nd). If Park did jump on the steroid bandwagon when he learned of them in 1960, then they produced one pound of muscle in 11 years for him.
Bodybuilding Dirty Little Secrets
I wish people were honest with me when I started training.
I wish people were not pushing their own products in my face.
I wish there were no lies.
I wish somebody told me the sweet truth about bodybuilding when I was young...
Bodybuilding has lied to you. Actually bodybuilding has lied to everybody and this is the truth, the truth that nobody wants to tell and everybody denies.
Bodybuilding is a sport built on PEDs (Performance Enhancement Drugs). Without PEDs there is no bodybuilding. None.
When did bodybuilding start? According to the current data "the first bodybuilder" was Eugen Sandow who was born in 1867. He is the only world famous bodybuilder you are likely to hear about who was natural. The only one. However while the body of EugeneSandow is achievable naturally there are rumors that he used amphetamines to look drier/more ripped during his show/presentation day. But when were amphetamines discovered ?
When did bodybuilding start? According to the current data "the first bodybuilder" was Eugen Sandow who was born in 1867. He is the only world famous bodybuilder you are likely to hear about who was natural. The only one. However while the body of EugeneSandow is achievable naturally there are rumors that he used amphetamines to look drier/more ripped during his show/presentation day. But when were amphetamines discovered ?
From wikipedia
Amphetamine was first synthesized in 1887, by the German chemist L. Edeleano, the stimulant effects were not noticed. In the early 1930s, when amphetamine's CNS stimulant properties and use as a respiratory stimulant were discovered it was marketed as an inhaler for nasal congestion. At this time, medical professionals recommended amphetamine as a cure for a range of ailments-alcohol hangover, narcolepsy, depression, weight reduction, hyperactivity in children, and vomiting associated with pregnancy.
So, it's quite questionable whether Eugen Sandow used amphetamines but it's safe to say that his mass and level of leanness are clearly achievable naturally.
Every FAMOUS bodybuilder after Eugene Sandow is not natural and used/experimented/abused/ultra-abused steroids and other recreational drugs. The first bodybuilder that comes to mind is Steve Reeves. Steve Reeves was not a natural bodybuilder. He did experiment with low doses of steroids and other drugs. Truth be told people from back then are no different than people today - they still did everything in their power to get bigger. Everything.
As 2PAC would say: "Some things will never change."
After Eugene Sandow's death the scene of bodybuilding changed completely. The two famous bodybuilders were John Grimek and Steve Reeves. However Steve Reeves was much more Hollywood material due to his facial features and that's why he has become the face of bodybuilding at that time. He was Arnold before Arnold. He possessed that classic macho, a little too sensitive, look and people loved it.
Steve Reeves had excellent genetics for bodybuilding - small waist, wide shoulder, strong bones. During his military service Steve was called "The Shape". However there was one secret behind his reign few people know. That little secret is called - John Bosley Ziegler or the godfather of Methandrostenolone (known as Dianabol/D-bol). While D-bol was originally released in the 1960s by Ciba Specialty Chemicals (company Ziegler worked for at some point in his career) there were prototypes of the product already during the 1940s.
Excerpts from the article: Testosterone Dreams: Sex, doctors, and the male hormone
"Testosterone was first synthesized in 1935. Shortly after testosterone was produced in a European laboratory, following a competition among three pharmaceutical companies, Time magazine reported that: German and Swiss chemical laboratories are already prepared … to manufacture from sheep’s wool all the testosterone the world needs to cure homosexuals (and) revitalize old men.”
"The first public advocate of testosterone therapy for aging men was the popular science journalist Paul de Kruif, whose manifesto The Male Hormone was published with some fanfare in 1945. Excerpted in Reader’s Digest and promoted by a full-page review in Newsweek (“Hormones for He-Men”), The Male Hormone was in some respects a prophetic book. The potential market for a rejuvenating male hormone seemed to be enormous: “How many millions of American males, not the men they used to be, would flock to the physicians and the druggist, a bit shame-faced and surreptitious, maybe, but hopeful, murmuring: ‘Doc, how about some of this new male hormone?’
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During that period of time (the 40s) Ziegler experimented - on himself and athletes with many testosterone versions. Ziegler already had access to the popular steroid testosterone propionate and the extremely dangerous fat burner DNP. There was also experimentation with the powerful hormone insulin. The really scary part is that were are talking about the 1940s -the prime years of Steve Reeves. He, Grimek and a bunch of other lifters did catch that phase and were no strangers to the "finishing touch"*
During the 70s and 80s or in other words the era of Arnold Schwarzenegger steroids were quite common and used by pretty much most of bodybuilders. Arnold started taking steroids (mainly D-bol) at a very young age (teenager) and when he won Mr. Universe in 1969 at 19 years of age he was far from being a natural bodybuilder. He had really good structure and genetics but reality is - he did in fact take PEDs. All of this information was presented in the book called: Arnold: An Unauthorized Biography by Wendy Leigh. This book is very hard to find since Arnold's legal team is doing everything possible to eliminate its existence.
Many bodybuilders during the old days are trying hard to make everybody believe how little gear they used and that most of their success was due to the same old rules - training, diet, persistence. No, it was not like that. Here's an excerpt written by Nelson Montana, author of The Bodybuilding Truth.
During the 70s and 80s or in other words the era of Arnold Schwarzenegger steroids were quite common and used by pretty much most of bodybuilders. Arnold started taking steroids (mainly D-bol) at a very young age (teenager) and when he won Mr. Universe in 1969 at 19 years of age he was far from being a natural bodybuilder. He had really good structure and genetics but reality is - he did in fact take PEDs. All of this information was presented in the book called: Arnold: An Unauthorized Biography by Wendy Leigh. This book is very hard to find since Arnold's legal team is doing everything possible to eliminate its existence.
Many bodybuilders during the old days are trying hard to make everybody believe how little gear they used and that most of their success was due to the same old rules - training, diet, persistence. No, it was not like that. Here's an excerpt written by Nelson Montana, author of The Bodybuilding Truth.
DISCOVERING THE TRUTH
I have fairly recently trained down in Florida with top pro of the 70's and early 80's CASEY VIATOR.
I asked him directly about steroid use in the 70's and this is what he had to say.... and I quote...
"Don't let anyone fool you about our low doses. We were just as reckless with steroid use as they are today."
I asked him when the big doses started....
" The big doses started around 1974 and yes we were all right on top of it". Yes we ALL used GH back then and it was from real cadavers. The GH we all used was called CRESCORMIN and nobody was going to morgues to get it".
I wanted an example and I told him about what I heard my mentor, and his friend and former training partner, Mike Mentzer used......only 400 of deca/week and 30 of d-bol/day.
CASEY LAUGHED and then said this...." Mentzer used up to 2.5 grams of deca a week, God knows how much primobolin acetate, along with d-bol and growth, so as I said don't be fooled about our low doses as we were just as reckless as theses guys are today.
I "left it at that" and didn't question him about HIS specific gear use because he really doesn't like to talk about steroids and is very much against their use in bodybuilding.....he is ashamed of his past gear use bro's but is perfectly aware that it allowed him to compete at a very high level and attain to success as one of the biggest and strongest form 73-83.
During that same period of time the money loving Joe Weider had a vision - create an image using the best bodybuilders and show people a way to achieve that goal. The way was of course - supplements sold by him. Since many people would be training hard in the gym, emulating their heroes and yet staying far, far from their level of physical development there had to be a "supplement" that "makes" everything work. Joe Weider was selling those supplements.
The advertisements contained fake promises, fake pictures and most of all no working products. Just like today. Reality is most of Weider supplements were just powder milk and sugar. They tasted horrible and were based on the myth that you need enormous loads of protein to build muscle mass. Many of the bodybuilders who advertised the products were not even using the supplements themselves - just like today.
I have a question for you - how much money did you waist on supplements ? Don't get mad. We all did.
Bodybuilding had become really popular after the contest Mr. Olympia was created. The biggest bodybuilding contest to this day. The first Mr. Olympia was Larry Scott who was trained by the popular guru - Vince Gironda who himself was against steroids. Of course this was a lie and Vince Gironda took PEDs but responded poorly or as most people would say - "like a regular gym rat". One of the reasons he was a little too bitter and was screaming so loud against steroids. Virtually all of his pupils such as Larry Scott, Don Howorth, Rick Wayne, Mohamed Makkawy and many others used at least dianabol back in the day. Here's what they say about the subject:
Don Howorth: People said dianabol didn't do much but they were full of it. I took 20 mgs a day and my bench press skyrocketed. I never felt any side effects. I don't think I took enough to notice.
Larry Scott: We only used a couple of dianabol pills a day and they really made a difference. Messed with the Libido though.
While the stories about "just a few pills" may be partially true the professional bodybuilders during the 80s were taking about 100mgs of d-bol and of course many other substances. Here's what THE MYTH Sergio Oliva has to say on the subject:
Sergio Oliva: This is an area of great interest for people. I don't care who wants to take steroids, because that's a personal choice... that's his life. Now, today, everybody has access to them. I even saw in one of the big magazines that Arnold denies having used them, but Arnold was one of the first to bring steroids over to America. And everybody in the old days used them: Zane, Columbu, myself, Arnold, Larry Scott, Harold Poole, Dave Draper, and even Steve Reeves. There's no way to deny it. It wasn't much, nothing like today. But the development of drugs is much different. I used decca and dianabol, and that was something really big at the time; and decca was not considered that bad. It was even prescribed by doctors to help make your bones strong. Today you have guys weighing 200 pounds, and six months later they weigh 250-300 pounds! So you know these guys are taking something unbelievable. When they say they haven't taken any thing, you know that it's phony. (excerpt from interview made by By Brian D. Johnston )
After the Arnold era ended the bodybuilding scene was taken by guys Like Lee Haney, Dorian Yates, Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler, Nasser El Sonbaty..etc. They took the steroid abuse to the next level. Dorian Yates who is the prime example of average genetics was one of the first "mass monsters" mainly due to unheard before abuse of growth hormone and insulin. He was pushing 280lbs at 4% BF. Size only a few like Nasser El Sonbaty could match. At the same time he was promoting the so-called High Intensity training method made famous by Mike Mentzer. While the training principle itself has solid points most of it was pure hype and this method of training had absolutely zero impact on the outcome. The main rival of Dorian in 1997, Nasser El Sonbaty, has admitted to drug use and criticized professional bodybuilders for lying and hiding the truth.
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Nasser El Sonbaty used a lot of drugs through his life but was one of the few bodybuilders honest with the "kids".
The first Mr. Olympia was 200 pounds at about 5'7 height. Today we have guys competing at 250 pounds/5'7 height. What changed? The supplement industry developed? Better training equipment? More knowledge? More food? No. None of that was the reason for the muscle size increase. There's nothing new under the sun.Supplements still do nothing and most of the research backing them up is paid behind the scenes and corruption is all over the place. The only thing that changed are the dosages. How much gear does a professional bodybuilder use? A lot - grams of testosterone and insane amount of growth hormone which alone costs USD 40 000+ a year. All that is a "public secret". The text below is a quote of Wayne Demilia, President of the International Federation of Body Builders (IFBB)
When my guys tell you it costs more than $25,000 to get ready for a big contest, do you think they’re talking about pasta?
Despite claims like the above one many people continue to believe in miracles, wonders even though the reality is completely different. Truth be told if PEDs and other chemicals are removed from bodybuilding there won't be much improvement compared to Eugen Sandow's time. The only difference is that today's true natural bodybuilders compete a little leaner (less bodyfat) due to better dieting and recreational drugs such as yohimbe and the popular cutting stack - ECA (Ephedrine, coffeine and aspirin). Muscle size wise the natural guys are the same or at least the real ones are.
Many people claim that dieting, training methods and better training equipment are the reason for the progress of bodybuilding. The truth however is that the changes are not that significant. Old school bodybuilders since Sandow's time were known to eat - eggs, meat, milk...wholesome foods. Actually there was even some sort of protein supplement called Plasmon used by the lifters. Arthur Saxon also wrote in The Development of Physical Power about drinking Bovril (a beef extract) on a regular basis in addition to his usual food. On top of that I would even add that during Sandow's time refined sugar products were not everywhere like they are today. The "fake" foods we find today in the stores and we see on TV were not part of people's diet. So, the diet was the same - protein rich foods. Yes, there were no iPhone applications to track your macros but people still managed to survive. Let's now take a look at the training methods.
The training methods during the early days were - lift heavy weight. Many people before Steve Reeve's time were not familiar with "repetitions". They were simply lifting maximum weight but without burning out or going to failure. Quite similar to the training philosophy presented by Pavel Tsatsouline in most of his books. Right about the time of Steve Reeves people started relying more on repetitions because of the pump and the faster increase in size. One of the biggest differences during the old days was that there were no training splits and everybody was training the whole body each training day. For example Steve Reeves routine looked like that:
All exercises were done each training day and the workouts took a lot of time. At some point people decided to split the body and train different body parts on different days in order to reduce the duration of the workouts and recover better.
While people today are using splits we pretty much do the same thing. For example when you look at Steve Reeve's routine he does 1-2 exercises per bodypart and about 3 sets per exercise. That would make 6 sets per day or 18 sets a week. Modern bodybuilders usually do 4-5 exercises per bodypart each week. The number of sets is about 3-4. That makes around 20 sets per bodypart a week or volume similar to Steve's routine.
Regardless of how you train you won't gain two inches on your arm thanks to "evolved training method" and today even with all the "training advancement" people are still using old school routines such as 5x5, push/pull, 10x3...etc.
The only thing that changed over the last 70 years is the level of confusion. This is the truth and you may choose to ignore it and follow "Weider's training principles" or some other fancy over hyped training method but in the end of the today all natural bodybuilders end up having the same muscle mass as the guys from previous centuries. Why? It's quite simple actually - the level of testosterone in males and females has not changed dramatically. Without having large amount of testosterone in your body you will never build huge muscles. It's like trying to fly without wings - no matter how fast you move your arms eventually you fail miserably. The prove can actually be found in the usage of steroids - the bigger the dose, the bigger the man. In other words even if you are using steroids at some point in order to get bigger you will have to increase your dose or otherwise you won't grow after a certain point. There is a reason why professional bodybuilders are taking grams of anabolic steroids each week instead of 200mg of testosterone - you simply get bigger by using more drugs.
Today just like the old days money is king. And how do you make money in the muscle world - by creating pipe dreams. The newest sensation right now are the fitness YouTube channels such as FlexForRail (Matt Ogus), TheHodgeTwins, CTFletcher and many others. Virtually 90% of the famous channels are owned by steroid users. A good example would be Matt Ogus who is clearly a steroid user competing in "natural competitions". The kid is barely 20 and has the muscle maturity of a 32 years old man training for 12 years. He is also ripped but has a bloated (water retaining) face. For those who don't know that's a pure sign of drug abuse. Yet many people are following him on YouTube because of his "precious" advice while he is "making bank" uploading value deprived videos of him showing nothing more than his huge ego and the effectiveness of anabolic drugs.
Typical look of bloated steroid user
Without pipe dreams being sold nobody would make any money. Nobody. The supplement companies will bankrupt, the famous bodybuilders won't be payed, the "gurus" will vanish, the youtube channels of steroids users such Matt Ogus, HodgeTwins and Scooby will disappear.
It's all one big conspiracy - from the gym membership to the last protein shake.
Imagine a world where everybody knew that every single supplement is useless?
Imagine a world where everybody knew that you don't need to train six times a week?
Imagine a world where everybody knew that natural training ends at 170lbs 5'10 5% BF if you have good genetics?
Imagine a world where the professional bodybuilders are barely bench pressing 300 lbs after 10 years of training?
Imagine a world where Mr. Olympia is 200lbs 6'3.
Imagine that world.
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* finishing touch - most professional bodybuilders describe the usage of steroids as polishing of the physique while the reality is that drugs are the engine of bodybuilding and have been so from the start.
* finishing touch - most professional bodybuilders describe the usage of steroids as polishing of the physique while the reality is that drugs are the engine of bodybuilding and have been so from the start.
Different Types Of Steroids In Body Building
Different types of steroids are being used by many people in body building.
Even athletes participating in many different types of sports have been using steriods to improve performance and build muscle for over 90 years. The non-medical use of different types of steroids is widespread among athletes engaged in power sports such as power-lifting, body building, baseball, football and rugby. The popularity stems from their perceived contribution to increase muscle bulk and strength and to improve competitiveness. There are more than one million estimated users of different types of steroids in the United States alone. Approximately 2% of athletes between the ages of 10 and 14, and 5% to 10% of high school athletes have used many types of steroids, even though their use is prohibited. In addition, approximately 5% of college athletes currently use different types of steroids. Because of legal and administrative issues it is difficult to estimate the number of Olympic and professional athletes currently using the drugs. However, a number of Olympic Gold Medalists have had their medals withdrawn for using different types of steroids.
Different types of steroids are being used by many people in body building.
Even athletes participating in many different types of sports have been using steriods to improve performance and build muscle for over 90 years. The non-medical use of different types of steroids is widespread among athletes engaged in power sports such as power-lifting, body building, baseball, football and rugby. The popularity stems from their perceived contribution to increase muscle bulk and strength and to improve competitiveness. There are more than one million estimated users of different types of steroids in the United States alone. Approximately 2% of athletes between the ages of 10 and 14, and 5% to 10% of high school athletes have used many types of steroids, even though their use is prohibited. In addition, approximately 5% of college athletes currently use different types of steroids. Because of legal and administrative issues it is difficult to estimate the number of Olympic and professional athletes currently using the drugs. However, a number of Olympic Gold Medalists have had their medals withdrawn for using different types of steroids.
The use of steroids that people believe are safe steriods for improved competitiveness violates ethical principles and is strictly prohibited by the military services as well as the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and other national sports governing bodies. Avoid the many different types of steroids and click here to take a sound approach to body building and athletic success.
"What Are Steroids & How Do They Work?"
The answer to the question - What are steriods - is simple. They are synthetic derivatives of the hormone testosterone, which is responsible for the development of male characteristics. The pituitary gland in the brain controls the production of testosterone in the male testes. Testosterone has both androgenic (masculinizing effects) and anabolic (tissue-building) properties. The main functions of testosterone in an adult are to:
- Promote secondary male sex characteristics, such as hair patterns and deepening of voice
- Increase muscle mass
- Initiate and maintain sperm production
Different anabolic steroids were developed by structurally altering testosterone to reduce its breakdown, and to maximize its tissue-building (anabolic) effects. The more common different types of steroids are listed below. This class of steroids was first used therapeutically to treat certain disorders of the blood, bone mass deterioration, protein wasting states, and as a replacement therapy for male children deficient in testosterone. Anabolic steroids used in body building and sports should not be confused with corticosteroids which act as anti-inflammatory agents and are used to treat a variety of medical conditions.
Please be aware that no steroids are safe steroids.
Many Types Of Steroids Used In Body Building & Sports
- Generic Name: Boldenone - Street Name: Vebonol
- Generic Name: Clostebol - Street Name: Steranobol
- Generic Name: DehydroehIarmethyItestosterone - Street Name: Turnibol
- Generic Name: Fluoxymesterone - Street Name: Android F, Halotestin, Ora-testryl
- Generic Name: Mesterolone - Street Name: Androviron, Proviron
- Generic Name: Metandienone - Street Name: Danabol, Dianabol
- Generic Name: Metenolone - Street Name: Primoboian, Primonabol-Depot
- Generic Name: Methandrostenolone - Street Name: Dianabol
- Generic Name: MethyItestosterone - Street Name: Android, Estratest, Methartdren
- Generic Name: Nandrolone - Street Name: Durabolin, Deca-Durabolin
- Generic Name: Norethandrolone - Street Name: Nilevar
- Generic Name: Oxandrolone - Street Name: Anavar
- Generic Name: Oxymesterone - Street Name: Oranabol, Theranabol
- Generic Name: Oxymetholone - Street Name: Anadrol, Nilevar, Anapoton 50
- Generic Name: Stonozolol - Street Name: Winstrol, Stroma
- Generic Name: Testosterone - Street Name: Malogen, Malogex, Delatestryl
- Generic Name: Human Growth Hormone - Street Name: Human Growth Hormone
Here we will review & explain some more types of steroids.
Growth Hormone
Different steroids such as Human growth hormone (hGH) is a hormone produced in the brain, The hormone is commonly used to increase the height of very short children and until recently to increase strength in the elderly. Athletes have been known to use many types of steroids such as hGH at a black market cost of about $2,000 for an 8-week course. The known, effects of many types of steroids such as hGH in, the athlete are shown below.
Physiologic Effects of Growth Hormone
- Increases muscle mass
- Increases fat breakdown for energy
- Conserves blood glucose and muscle glycogen storage
- Increases height in the skeletally immature individual
- Increases size of hands, feet, and jaw
- Enhances healing of musculoskeletal injuries
Unfortunately, the increase in muscle mass does not increase muscle strength as much as strength training. No increase in height has been seen in a fully grown person, however, different types of steroids such as hGH may increase hand, foot, jaw and body size.
Not exactly something you may want.
There is little known about the adverse effects of many different anabolic steroids such as hGH use in the normal body building athlete, but the skeletal muscle growth may be abnormal and therefore the muscles may be weak. Given that steroids used in body building such as hGH use is banned by the IOC, NFL, NCAA and most sports governing bodies, it should not be used.
Clenbuterol
Clenbuterol, like many other types of steroids is a drug used by veterinarians to increase muscle mass in livestock, is being used by many in body building. However, like many different steroids used in body building increases in muscle strength have not been shown in humans. In addition, there are numerous adverse side effects, including rapid heart rate, muscle tremors, headaches, nausea, dizziness, fever and chills. Although technically classified as a B2-agonist, it is officially considered an anabolic agent by the USOC, and is thus on their list of prohibited different types of steroids.
Erythropoietin
Steroids like Erythropoietin (EPO) are used by endurance athletes, but not so much in body building, to improve performance. One type of EPO, called rEPO or rhEPO, is used to treat a number of blood diseases. Athletes use steroids like rEPO because it increases the red blood cell count by stimulating red blood cell production and speeding red blood cell release from the bone marrow to the blood stream. The rod blood cells carry oxygen to the muscles, so more red cells mean more oxygen. The effects of many steroids like rEPO are actually similar to those seen in any athlete who trains at altitude. In order for these changes to occur, the athlete must have an adequate iron intake and maintain an aerobic training schedule. As with many types of steroids, the increase in red blood cell, production can cause a number of significant adverse effects. The types of steroids like this can cause high blood pressure, a flu-like syndrome, and a sluggish blood flow. Blood flow becomes sluggish when the percentage of red blood cells reaches 55%. Normal ranges are 4096 to 48% in men and 36% to 45% in women. Sluggish blood flow causes a variety of complaints, including headache, dizziness, ringing in the ears, visual changes, and chest pain. Other possible complications from different types of steroids like this are heart attack, seizure, or stroke due to a blockage of blood flow. Up to 18 deaths due to different types of steroids like rEPO have been reported in cyclists. The use of blood doping or different types of steroids like rEPO is prohibited by all sport governing bodies.
"Summary Of The Many Types Of Steroids Used In Body Building & Other Sports"
In conclusion, none of the different types of steroids discussed above offer any guarantee that your performance will improve. However, there is a good chance you could compromise your health & future by using even just one of the different types of steroids available in body building. The benefits of different types of steroids are limited and the potential harmful effects of different types of steroids are clear. Our advice is to keep up with your training according to the methods described in other body building sections on this site or by clicking here for a recommended resource.
Lebanese bodybuilding and steroid scene article.
The air inside Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium is thick with the smell of sweat and body oil. A handful of men flex and pose onstage as the emcee shouts instructions over the roaring crowd.Veins pop alarmingly as they grunt and strain with single-minded concentration. George, an ex-bodybuilder whose name has been changed to protect confidentiality, stands near the judge’s area at the annual Lebanese Bodybuilding Championship, which took place last weekend. He studies the competitors intently.
“See that guy?” he asks in a whisper, while pointing to a contestant who looks puny and underdeveloped next to the bulging bronzed giants on either side of him. “He doesn’t use steroids. It’s obvious. He just can’t compete.”
Performance-enhancing substances such as steroids and growth hormones are the elephant in the room at bodybuilding championships, gyms and playing fields across the globe. Many people take these substances, which are illegal in Lebanon and most countries, in order to achieve a variety of physiological effects including increased energy and rapid muscle growth. The most commonly used are anabolic steroids, which are usually injected into the bloodstream and mimic the effects of testosterone in the body, increasing protein synthesis in the muscles.
They also cause a variety of harmful or unpleasant side effects, according to Dr. Johnny Ibrahim, the official doctor of Lebanon’s national football team.
“Steroids develop the contractile muscles, including the heart,” he says. “The heart becomes bigger and then you can have hypertrophy of the heart. When you add the extra energy someone gets as a result of taking steroids, they can easily die from heart failure.”
“Other problems include hirsutism, or excess hair, heavy sweating and hormonal issues. You can also become impotent or infertile and some men develop increased breast size or psychological effects such as intense anger,” he says.
Ibrahim warns that the majority of these side effects are permanent: “The damage from steroids is irreversible.”
According to Jihad Haddad, medical secretary of the Lebanese Olympic Committee, steroids are fast becoming an epidemic in Lebanon.
“Anabolic steroids and growth hormone are a problem among bodybuilders, but also among athletes like rugby players and people just looking to improve their physique,” says Haddad.
Haddad, who administers tests that detect the presence of steroids in Lebanese Olympic contenders, says he has been seeing an increasing number of athletes test positive for these substances. “We did 169 tests, and we had about 10 percent positive results,” Haddad says.
According to George, easy access to these substances in Lebanon is partially to blame. “You can go to some pharmacies and get steroids,” he says. “It’s not difficult.”
Tarek Gherbal, athletic therapist at the American University of Beirut, says that although Lebanese pharmacies are making an attempt to more strictly regulate the sale of anabolic steroids, these substances are easily obtained over the black market.
“The problem is a growing black market trade,” says Gherbal.” The black market here is very developed, so the personal trainer at your gym … can get you substances that will give you immediate growth, without telling you any of the potential side effects or the harm it can do you.”
According to Gherbal, he has treated patients who have experienced some of these side effects and subsequently regretted their steroid use.
“A couple of patients I see in my clinic literally cry and say ‘I wish someone had told me that I would be facing this someday, I wouldn’t have shot a needle,’” he says.
George, who admits to having used steroids in the past, says that although he has never personally experienced any harmful side effects, he knows many bodybuilders who have.
“If you ask any heavy steroid user if they would go back and do it again, they’d say no,” he says.
George said that he started using steroids because he felt like he had reached the limit of what he could accomplish with training and exercise.
“I had reached my maximum natural potential,” he says. “I had been training for 10 years and I got to a certain level and I wanted to break that barrier.”
The competitive bodybuilding world is an environment in which steroid use is almost compulsory, according to George.
“If you’re a swimmer, taking steroids won’t improve your performance that much,” he says. “But as a bodybuilder, you take steroids to build muscle. The natural process of doing this is very slow and it has a limit. When you take steroids, it speeds up the process by five, six times … There’s no way you can compete without taking them.”
George says that while he understands why professional bodybuilders take steroids, he doesn’t think it’s worth the risk to someone just looking to become more muscular.
“If competition is your goal, you might want to take some risks,” he says. “But if you’re not even going to compete … why would you do it? It’s a huge price to pay.”
According to Ibrahim, the government has a responsibility to control the sale and use of performance-enhancing substances.
“There are a lot of people making money from this, and the problem is that the government isn’t taking care of it. These things are as dangerous as drugs,” he says.
Haddad says that steps are being taken to address the issue. A draft law that he helped to write was recently submitted to Parliament and is awaiting consideration. “Now we have introduced a law that will hopefully create a national anti-doping agency,” he says. “There will be regulations and anti-doping officers that collaborate with the police.”
Backstage at the bodybuilding competition, Noel Saliba, a muscular but proportional young man, looks cheerful despite his loss. Asked if he has ever used steroids, Saliba shakes his head emphatically. “No way,” he says, shooting a glance at one of his hulking fellow competitors. “The side effects are really bad, and I have a family.”
He smiles ruefully for a moment.
“But if I had taken them, I would have definitely won.”
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What are Anabolic Steroids?
How Many People are Using Anabolic Steroids?
What are the Adverse Cardiovascular Effects?
Some Thoughts
“See that guy?” he asks in a whisper, while pointing to a contestant who looks puny and underdeveloped next to the bulging bronzed giants on either side of him. “He doesn’t use steroids. It’s obvious. He just can’t compete.”
Performance-enhancing substances such as steroids and growth hormones are the elephant in the room at bodybuilding championships, gyms and playing fields across the globe. Many people take these substances, which are illegal in Lebanon and most countries, in order to achieve a variety of physiological effects including increased energy and rapid muscle growth. The most commonly used are anabolic steroids, which are usually injected into the bloodstream and mimic the effects of testosterone in the body, increasing protein synthesis in the muscles.
They also cause a variety of harmful or unpleasant side effects, according to Dr. Johnny Ibrahim, the official doctor of Lebanon’s national football team.
“Steroids develop the contractile muscles, including the heart,” he says. “The heart becomes bigger and then you can have hypertrophy of the heart. When you add the extra energy someone gets as a result of taking steroids, they can easily die from heart failure.”
“Other problems include hirsutism, or excess hair, heavy sweating and hormonal issues. You can also become impotent or infertile and some men develop increased breast size or psychological effects such as intense anger,” he says.
Ibrahim warns that the majority of these side effects are permanent: “The damage from steroids is irreversible.”
According to Jihad Haddad, medical secretary of the Lebanese Olympic Committee, steroids are fast becoming an epidemic in Lebanon.
“Anabolic steroids and growth hormone are a problem among bodybuilders, but also among athletes like rugby players and people just looking to improve their physique,” says Haddad.
Haddad, who administers tests that detect the presence of steroids in Lebanese Olympic contenders, says he has been seeing an increasing number of athletes test positive for these substances. “We did 169 tests, and we had about 10 percent positive results,” Haddad says.
According to George, easy access to these substances in Lebanon is partially to blame. “You can go to some pharmacies and get steroids,” he says. “It’s not difficult.”
Tarek Gherbal, athletic therapist at the American University of Beirut, says that although Lebanese pharmacies are making an attempt to more strictly regulate the sale of anabolic steroids, these substances are easily obtained over the black market.
“The problem is a growing black market trade,” says Gherbal.” The black market here is very developed, so the personal trainer at your gym … can get you substances that will give you immediate growth, without telling you any of the potential side effects or the harm it can do you.”
According to Gherbal, he has treated patients who have experienced some of these side effects and subsequently regretted their steroid use.
“A couple of patients I see in my clinic literally cry and say ‘I wish someone had told me that I would be facing this someday, I wouldn’t have shot a needle,’” he says.
George, who admits to having used steroids in the past, says that although he has never personally experienced any harmful side effects, he knows many bodybuilders who have.
“If you ask any heavy steroid user if they would go back and do it again, they’d say no,” he says.
George said that he started using steroids because he felt like he had reached the limit of what he could accomplish with training and exercise.
“I had reached my maximum natural potential,” he says. “I had been training for 10 years and I got to a certain level and I wanted to break that barrier.”
The competitive bodybuilding world is an environment in which steroid use is almost compulsory, according to George.
“If you’re a swimmer, taking steroids won’t improve your performance that much,” he says. “But as a bodybuilder, you take steroids to build muscle. The natural process of doing this is very slow and it has a limit. When you take steroids, it speeds up the process by five, six times … There’s no way you can compete without taking them.”
George says that while he understands why professional bodybuilders take steroids, he doesn’t think it’s worth the risk to someone just looking to become more muscular.
“If competition is your goal, you might want to take some risks,” he says. “But if you’re not even going to compete … why would you do it? It’s a huge price to pay.”
According to Ibrahim, the government has a responsibility to control the sale and use of performance-enhancing substances.
“There are a lot of people making money from this, and the problem is that the government isn’t taking care of it. These things are as dangerous as drugs,” he says.
Haddad says that steps are being taken to address the issue. A draft law that he helped to write was recently submitted to Parliament and is awaiting consideration. “Now we have introduced a law that will hopefully create a national anti-doping agency,” he says. “There will be regulations and anti-doping officers that collaborate with the police.”
Backstage at the bodybuilding competition, Noel Saliba, a muscular but proportional young man, looks cheerful despite his loss. Asked if he has ever used steroids, Saliba shakes his head emphatically. “No way,” he says, shooting a glance at one of his hulking fellow competitors. “The side effects are really bad, and I have a family.”
He smiles ruefully for a moment.
“But if I had taken them, I would have definitely won.”
New study "Testosterone and the law of retaliation".
The study examines whether exposure to prenatal testosterone predicts aggressive responses to unfair offers during bargaining. The research finds that individual differences in prenatal testosterone predict whether one will act in retaliation after receiving an unfair offer. Those with higher testosterone levels made lower return offers after they themselves received an unfair offer.
“This research holds important implications for our understanding of the relationship between social challenges and the levels of testosterone present during early prenatal development," said Adam Galinsky, the Morris and Alice Kaplan Professor of Ethics and Decision in Management at Kellogg. “As anticipated, the effects of testosterone during sensitive developmental periods do not motivate aggressive behavior per se, but rather increase the appeal of getting even.”
To test the theory, Galinsky and co-author Richard Ronay of Columbia Business School conducted a series of experiments designed around students playing an ultimatum game. In the first experiment, both male and female participants who possessed higher levels of prenatal testosterone exposure made lower return offers following an unfair offer. The second experiment replicated the effect in an unfair offer condition, but found that when participants received a fair offer of 50 percent, the level of testosterone no longer predicted the return offers.
Additionally, the test also found that the testosterone level did not alter the perceived fairness of low-ball offers but predicted how people responded to this fairness. Those with higher levels of testosterone were more likely to act on their sense of unfairness by retaliating in response.
“Our results have implications for situations with opportunities for repeat negotiations, especially in the workplace and when the power relationships might be changing,” said Galinsky. “The takeaway is that if you push too hard against a person with high testosterone, then when the tables are turned they will fire back at you. For example, executives who are on the losing end of a salary negotiation might take his or her client list after they leave the company.”
“This research holds important implications for our understanding of the relationship between social challenges and the levels of testosterone present during early prenatal development," said Adam Galinsky, the Morris and Alice Kaplan Professor of Ethics and Decision in Management at Kellogg. “As anticipated, the effects of testosterone during sensitive developmental periods do not motivate aggressive behavior per se, but rather increase the appeal of getting even.”
To test the theory, Galinsky and co-author Richard Ronay of Columbia Business School conducted a series of experiments designed around students playing an ultimatum game. In the first experiment, both male and female participants who possessed higher levels of prenatal testosterone exposure made lower return offers following an unfair offer. The second experiment replicated the effect in an unfair offer condition, but found that when participants received a fair offer of 50 percent, the level of testosterone no longer predicted the return offers.
Additionally, the test also found that the testosterone level did not alter the perceived fairness of low-ball offers but predicted how people responded to this fairness. Those with higher levels of testosterone were more likely to act on their sense of unfairness by retaliating in response.
“Our results have implications for situations with opportunities for repeat negotiations, especially in the workplace and when the power relationships might be changing,” said Galinsky. “The takeaway is that if you push too hard against a person with high testosterone, then when the tables are turned they will fire back at you. For example, executives who are on the losing end of a salary negotiation might take his or her client list after they leave the company.”
Testosterone Pellets Are Being Commonly Used
Currently, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is being done using different methods and techniques such as pills, creams, gels, injections and pellets. All these medication methods are intended to increase the production of testosterone hormone in the body so that the affected person can be brought into being with acceptable levels of this sex hormone for ensuring proper functioning of body and sexual health.
And with the assistance of these supplements, necessary and adequate amount of supplementary testosterone is delivered to the body, so that dropped standard levels of this hormone could be complied with.
During the treatment of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy followed by pellet supplements, small pellets are utilized that are the size of a grain of rice. These pellets are inserted under the skin painlessly and are bioidentical embedded with sufficient amounts of estrogen and testosterone hormones. This effective method of dealing with low t is being used efficiently and confidently for men and women in the same way, as testosterone hormone is a hormone that is the need of both male and female bodies.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy in use for the wellbeing, and general health and wellness improvement of the prospects that are dealing with reasonable t, and wish to decrease the severity and health results that they experience as a result of the reduced levels of t.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is in use for the wellbeing and overall health improvement of the persons who are suffering from low t, and want to reduced the severity and health effects that they suffer from due to the low levels of t. Although, use of treatment method totally depends on the health of the sufferer of andropause as pellets, pills, creams and injections may not be suitable for everyone, and effects and health concerns of effects of these supplements may vary from person to person. Thus, your doctor will decide about to what extent you can benefit from bioidentical hormone replacement therapy with pellets.
And with the assistance of these supplements, necessary and adequate amount of supplementary testosterone is delivered to the body, so that dropped standard levels of this hormone could be complied with.
During the treatment of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy followed by pellet supplements, small pellets are utilized that are the size of a grain of rice. These pellets are inserted under the skin painlessly and are bioidentical embedded with sufficient amounts of estrogen and testosterone hormones. This effective method of dealing with low t is being used efficiently and confidently for men and women in the same way, as testosterone hormone is a hormone that is the need of both male and female bodies.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy in use for the wellbeing, and general health and wellness improvement of the prospects that are dealing with reasonable t, and wish to decrease the severity and health results that they experience as a result of the reduced levels of t.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is in use for the wellbeing and overall health improvement of the persons who are suffering from low t, and want to reduced the severity and health effects that they suffer from due to the low levels of t. Although, use of treatment method totally depends on the health of the sufferer of andropause as pellets, pills, creams and injections may not be suitable for everyone, and effects and health concerns of effects of these supplements may vary from person to person. Thus, your doctor will decide about to what extent you can benefit from bioidentical hormone replacement therapy with pellets.
]
Cool women's bodybuilding steroid cycle time lapse video.
You can find it on this link.
Antin photographed herself while dieting as a take on how Greek sculptors found their ideal form by discarding unnecessary material from their marble blocks. Rather than crash diet, over 23 weeks I built my body to its maximum capacity. I did this by adhering to a strict bodybuilding regime constructed by master bodybuilding coach Charles Glass. David Kalick, a nutritionist specializing in diets for sports competition, designed a diet where I consumed the caloric intake of a 190-pound male athlete. I also took mild steroids for eight weeks of the training.
I documented my body as it changed, taking four photos a day, from four vantage points. I collapsed 23 weeks of training into 23 seconds, creating a time-lapse video (part of the two-channel installation Fast Twitch Slow Twitch). Juxtaposed against the speed-up of the time lapse are painfully slow motion scenes that depict moments from my training -- a raw egg dropping into a mouth or a face as it "maxes out.]]
Antin photographed herself while dieting as a take on how Greek sculptors found their ideal form by discarding unnecessary material from their marble blocks. Rather than crash diet, over 23 weeks I built my body to its maximum capacity. I did this by adhering to a strict bodybuilding regime constructed by master bodybuilding coach Charles Glass. David Kalick, a nutritionist specializing in diets for sports competition, designed a diet where I consumed the caloric intake of a 190-pound male athlete. I also took mild steroids for eight weeks of the training.
I documented my body as it changed, taking four photos a day, from four vantage points. I collapsed 23 weeks of training into 23 seconds, creating a time-lapse video (part of the two-channel installation Fast Twitch Slow Twitch). Juxtaposed against the speed-up of the time lapse are painfully slow motion scenes that depict moments from my training -- a raw egg dropping into a mouth or a face as it "maxes out.]]
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Saturday, June 27, 2015
THE EFFECT OF TAXADROL ON TESTOSTERONE
THE EFFECT OF A NATURAL COMPOUND (TAXADROL®) ON TESTOSTERONE LEVEL IN TWO SPECIES
Courtesy of All American Pharmaceutical, Billings Montana
Study Objective
The study was performed to assess the short-term benefits and possible side effects of Taxadrol® in rats and in human beings. This study was also intended to provide information on the potential health benefits and side effects of Taxadrol® for athletes, or any males, suffering from low testosterone levels.
The study was performed to assess the short-term benefits and possible side effects of Taxadrol® in rats and in human beings. This study was also intended to provide information on the potential health benefits and side effects of Taxadrol® for athletes, or any males, suffering from low testosterone levels.
Background
Taxadrol® is a mixture of botanical extracts derived from several all natural plant sources. These extracts are believed to be acting by either suppressing estrogen production/transformation, or encouraging the production of male hormone precursors. The action of increased testosterone production has been observed across species – in male Wistar rats, and in men.
Taxadrol® is a mixture of botanical extracts derived from several all natural plant sources. These extracts are believed to be acting by either suppressing estrogen production/transformation, or encouraging the production of male hormone precursors. The action of increased testosterone production has been observed across species – in male Wistar rats, and in men.
Participants and Method
A total of 160 male Wistar rats were randomly distributed in sixteen treatment groups. Taxadrol treatment ranged from 4 mg/kg to 16 mg/kg, twice daily, via the oral rout using a gastric tube. The treatment period ranged from 10 days to 31 days depending upon group. Animals were sacrificed and blood samples were assayed for testosterone levels at the close of the treatment period.
A total of three human male participants self-administered Taxadrol at a dose of 30 mg – once to three times daily, sublingually. Testosterone levels were measured before the initiation of the study and at its close.
A total of 160 male Wistar rats were randomly distributed in sixteen treatment groups. Taxadrol treatment ranged from 4 mg/kg to 16 mg/kg, twice daily, via the oral rout using a gastric tube. The treatment period ranged from 10 days to 31 days depending upon group. Animals were sacrificed and blood samples were assayed for testosterone levels at the close of the treatment period.
A total of three human male participants self-administered Taxadrol at a dose of 30 mg – once to three times daily, sublingually. Testosterone levels were measured before the initiation of the study and at its close.
Results
Following 17 days treatment there was a prominent, statistically significant increase in the levels total testosterone in the animals treated with the lower doses (4 and 8 mg/kg, twice daily). In animals treated with 8 mg/kg/twice daily, testosterone levels – both free and total, remained higher vs. the control group even after abstaining for 7 days.
Following 17 days treatment there was a prominent, statistically significant increase in the levels total testosterone in the animals treated with the lower doses (4 and 8 mg/kg, twice daily). In animals treated with 8 mg/kg/twice daily, testosterone levels – both free and total, remained higher vs. the control group even after abstaining for 7 days.
All human subjects experienced dramatic increases in testosterone levels (up to 180%). Improvements were noted in strength, endurance, increases in libido, increases in body weight and decreases in body fat. No side effects were reported, but a slide increase in aggressiveness was noted. Serum Albumin and C - reactive protein levels remained within the normal range.
News article on Singapore's steroid scene.
They have fanciful names like dianabol, stanozolol and deca durabolin.
But these substances can be harmful for those taking them without a doctor's prescription, in a vain attempt to improve their bodies.
While stories of free drug use circulate in pro-athlete circles, casual gym rats here are taking to the 'roids too, thanks - or no thanks - to unscrupulous trainers and dealers who sell these substances on the black market.
The New Paper on Sunday (TNPS) has found that it is not difficult obtaining them.
All it takes is the persona of a potential client who wants the drugs to bulk up or slim down faster.
A personal trainer offered, over the phone, to sell us the goods.
He quoted a price of $70 for 100 tablets of clenbuterol - a substance that claims to help burn body fat quickly.
He then assured the reporter that he has a constant supply of the stimulant and was eager to meet up to close the deal.
TNPS also managed to contact a dealer, an executive in a engineering company, who sells these substances to people in his gym-going circle to make a quick profit.
In a Facebook conversation, however, the 30-year-old self-confessed gym rat stressed that he sells them only to people he knows.
But it did not take much to persuade him into peddling some to an undercover reporter, pretending to be keen on bulking up.
The rendezvous took place in a park in the eastern part of Singapore, where the man sold the reporter 100 pale yellow anabol tablets for $70.
A vial of a substance known as stanozolol, which can be injected, also changed hands for $120.
The tiny vial, containing 20ml of fluid, comes in a box. On it, a warning read: "For animal treatment only."
TNPS understands that anabolic steroids here are often brought in by people who get them from Thailand, where they are available off the shelves.
The reporter was told that stanozololis "a very effective steroid" and that it "can really enhance your performance in the gym".
Research shows that stanazolol is an anabolic steroid which helps promote muscle growth.
It cannot be bought without a prescription here.
Sports medicine physician Dr Chiam Tut Fu, from SportsMed Central at Novena Medical Centre, warns categorically against people using the drugs meant for animals.
He says the misuse of anabolic steroids can lead to complications such as liver problems, an increase in incidence of heart disease and higher blood cholesterol levels.
And if users decide to inject themselves with the steroids, the part injected can be at risk of infection.
Anabolic steroids have their proper medical uses.
For instance, it can help patients, who have lost substantial mass after surgery or who have muscular degenerative diseases such as HIV or muscular dystrophy, regain much-needed muscle tissues.
Anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs are substances regulated under the Poisons Act in Singapore, says the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
HSA adds that these substances can be legally supplied only on a doctor's prescription or under the supervision of a pharmacist as they are potent substances and may cause adverse effects.
"Anyone found guilty of an offence under the Poisons Act is liable on conviction of a fine of up to $10,000 and or imprisonment for a term of up to two years," it warns.
Steroid use is spreading to even recreational gym-goers, who are turning to these drugs as a shortcut to achieving their "fitness" goals.
A 31-year-old personal trainer, who wants to be known only as Judy, says: "It is very common nowadays. In the past, only bodybuilders took them. Today, there are more young people taking them.
"Whenever I am in the gym, I often get people approaching me to ask if I sell such substances.
"I don't sell them, but as long as someone is willing to pay, it is not too difficult to find someone who does.
"Some personal trainers make up to 100 per cent profit from selling these substances. Stanazolol can sell up to $300 for a bottle."
A fitness manager in a local gym, Ms Celest Tan, 35, admits to using clenbuterol a few years ago.
"I took it out of curiosity. I wanted to lose weight too. So I bought 100 tablets of clenbuterol in a pack," she reveals.
Ms Tan weighed 66kg and wanted to lose 10kg.
Once she attained her ideal weight of 56kg, she stopped taking it.
"I worked out very vigorously every day and I didn't feel tired at all," she says.
But she adds that taking the substance gave her adverse side effects.
"My heartbeat was very fast and my hands were trembling. I also suffered from insomnia.
But these substances can be harmful for those taking them without a doctor's prescription, in a vain attempt to improve their bodies.
While stories of free drug use circulate in pro-athlete circles, casual gym rats here are taking to the 'roids too, thanks - or no thanks - to unscrupulous trainers and dealers who sell these substances on the black market.
The New Paper on Sunday (TNPS) has found that it is not difficult obtaining them.
All it takes is the persona of a potential client who wants the drugs to bulk up or slim down faster.
A personal trainer offered, over the phone, to sell us the goods.
He quoted a price of $70 for 100 tablets of clenbuterol - a substance that claims to help burn body fat quickly.
He then assured the reporter that he has a constant supply of the stimulant and was eager to meet up to close the deal.
TNPS also managed to contact a dealer, an executive in a engineering company, who sells these substances to people in his gym-going circle to make a quick profit.
In a Facebook conversation, however, the 30-year-old self-confessed gym rat stressed that he sells them only to people he knows.
But it did not take much to persuade him into peddling some to an undercover reporter, pretending to be keen on bulking up.
The rendezvous took place in a park in the eastern part of Singapore, where the man sold the reporter 100 pale yellow anabol tablets for $70.
A vial of a substance known as stanozolol, which can be injected, also changed hands for $120.
The tiny vial, containing 20ml of fluid, comes in a box. On it, a warning read: "For animal treatment only."
TNPS understands that anabolic steroids here are often brought in by people who get them from Thailand, where they are available off the shelves.
The reporter was told that stanozololis "a very effective steroid" and that it "can really enhance your performance in the gym".
Research shows that stanazolol is an anabolic steroid which helps promote muscle growth.
It cannot be bought without a prescription here.
Sports medicine physician Dr Chiam Tut Fu, from SportsMed Central at Novena Medical Centre, warns categorically against people using the drugs meant for animals.
He says the misuse of anabolic steroids can lead to complications such as liver problems, an increase in incidence of heart disease and higher blood cholesterol levels.
And if users decide to inject themselves with the steroids, the part injected can be at risk of infection.
Anabolic steroids have their proper medical uses.
For instance, it can help patients, who have lost substantial mass after surgery or who have muscular degenerative diseases such as HIV or muscular dystrophy, regain much-needed muscle tissues.
Anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs are substances regulated under the Poisons Act in Singapore, says the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
HSA adds that these substances can be legally supplied only on a doctor's prescription or under the supervision of a pharmacist as they are potent substances and may cause adverse effects.
"Anyone found guilty of an offence under the Poisons Act is liable on conviction of a fine of up to $10,000 and or imprisonment for a term of up to two years," it warns.
Steroid use is spreading to even recreational gym-goers, who are turning to these drugs as a shortcut to achieving their "fitness" goals.
A 31-year-old personal trainer, who wants to be known only as Judy, says: "It is very common nowadays. In the past, only bodybuilders took them. Today, there are more young people taking them.
"Whenever I am in the gym, I often get people approaching me to ask if I sell such substances.
"I don't sell them, but as long as someone is willing to pay, it is not too difficult to find someone who does.
"Some personal trainers make up to 100 per cent profit from selling these substances. Stanazolol can sell up to $300 for a bottle."
A fitness manager in a local gym, Ms Celest Tan, 35, admits to using clenbuterol a few years ago.
"I took it out of curiosity. I wanted to lose weight too. So I bought 100 tablets of clenbuterol in a pack," she reveals.
Ms Tan weighed 66kg and wanted to lose 10kg.
Once she attained her ideal weight of 56kg, she stopped taking it.
"I worked out very vigorously every day and I didn't feel tired at all," she says.
But she adds that taking the substance gave her adverse side effects.
"My heartbeat was very fast and my hands were trembling. I also suffered from insomnia.
"I know the adverse effects in taking them. Some are irreversible. So I stopped."
]
Steroid use in India's Bollywood.
They are Bollywood’s Greek Gods, with a seeming advantage even the Gods never had — steroids. As news of a leading actor being advised by doctors to stop gymming to counter acute muscle fatigue does the rounds, HT City spoke to celebrity fitness trainers and experts — and found some shocking truths about the shortcut men in the film industry use to get that perfect physique.
A renowned fitness trainer, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed, “A male star, known for his macho physique, approached me before he made it big and asked if he should take steroids to bulk up. I told him the pros and cons. I saw him after a month; he was a completely different person. Now that I see him in ads, I can bet my life that he’s on steroids. Recently, I read about him being unwell. He must be suffering from side effects.
"You don’t get big by training hard — you have hundreds of guys training in the gym... why don’t they get such bodies and only a handful of actors do? A male star who started the trend of taking his shirt off in films and a younger star who flaunted his rippling muscles in a double role in a recent hit film also rely heavily on steroids, he adds.
There’s a group of personal trainers who guarantee you a perfect body and put you on a steroid cycle,” he adds. He further says that a top actor who gave several interviews about how he acquired six-pack abs for one of Bollywood’s biggest hits and then lost all the bulk for a role of a college goer in his next film, is a “classic case”. “He might say he worked out hard for months but there are hundreds of guys who work out that much and drink protein shakes. They don’t get the kind of muscles he managed.”
Model-actor and former Mr India Aryan Vaid says, “I know of ‘trainers’ of mega stars who don’t know a thing about fitness. All they know is which steroids are legal so they can pump them into their clients. Most of the knowledge they have is off the Internet. But, they do good business because they have big names as their clients, some of whom pay these trainers as much as Rs 1 lakh a month for getting them perfect bodies. I’ve seen actors and models take injections to bulk up even before photo shoots… they don’t realise what it’s doing to their body.”
Actor Rahul Dev, who also co-owns a gym, adds, “The pressure is a lot, especially for newcomers, so some are left with no choice but to resort to shortcuts like steroids and liposuction.”
The editor of a popular health magazine, who did not wish to be named, told HT City, “When a super star, earlier known for his romantic roles suddenly got six pack abs for a movie, he relied heavily on medications burn fat. During the last two weeks before his shoot for a famous song, he had trouble even going to the loo because it would burn so much.”
We spoke to Satya Chaurasia, the fitness trainer whose clients include Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan, and he clarified that none of his clients have ever used steroids. “It’s a common practice in Bollywood to take anabolic steroids to bulk up fast for photo sessions or shoots. I don’t recommend them because I know the consequences.”
Medical experts warn of severe consequences. Delhi based sports medicine specialist, Dr Jatin Chaudhary, who has clients such as sports stars Sania Mirza and Yuvraj Singh, explains, “Some known Bollywood stars take steroids under guidance. They first rely on steroids to bulk up their bodies and then go to the US for detoxification treatment. Steroids can be risky if not taken under proper guidance. They can lead to cancer, hair fall, liver cirrhosis, liver failure and impotency.”
A renowned fitness trainer, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed, “A male star, known for his macho physique, approached me before he made it big and asked if he should take steroids to bulk up. I told him the pros and cons. I saw him after a month; he was a completely different person. Now that I see him in ads, I can bet my life that he’s on steroids. Recently, I read about him being unwell. He must be suffering from side effects.
"You don’t get big by training hard — you have hundreds of guys training in the gym... why don’t they get such bodies and only a handful of actors do? A male star who started the trend of taking his shirt off in films and a younger star who flaunted his rippling muscles in a double role in a recent hit film also rely heavily on steroids, he adds.
There’s a group of personal trainers who guarantee you a perfect body and put you on a steroid cycle,” he adds. He further says that a top actor who gave several interviews about how he acquired six-pack abs for one of Bollywood’s biggest hits and then lost all the bulk for a role of a college goer in his next film, is a “classic case”. “He might say he worked out hard for months but there are hundreds of guys who work out that much and drink protein shakes. They don’t get the kind of muscles he managed.”
Model-actor and former Mr India Aryan Vaid says, “I know of ‘trainers’ of mega stars who don’t know a thing about fitness. All they know is which steroids are legal so they can pump them into their clients. Most of the knowledge they have is off the Internet. But, they do good business because they have big names as their clients, some of whom pay these trainers as much as Rs 1 lakh a month for getting them perfect bodies. I’ve seen actors and models take injections to bulk up even before photo shoots… they don’t realise what it’s doing to their body.”
Actor Rahul Dev, who also co-owns a gym, adds, “The pressure is a lot, especially for newcomers, so some are left with no choice but to resort to shortcuts like steroids and liposuction.”
The editor of a popular health magazine, who did not wish to be named, told HT City, “When a super star, earlier known for his romantic roles suddenly got six pack abs for a movie, he relied heavily on medications burn fat. During the last two weeks before his shoot for a famous song, he had trouble even going to the loo because it would burn so much.”
We spoke to Satya Chaurasia, the fitness trainer whose clients include Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan, and he clarified that none of his clients have ever used steroids. “It’s a common practice in Bollywood to take anabolic steroids to bulk up fast for photo sessions or shoots. I don’t recommend them because I know the consequences.”
Medical experts warn of severe consequences. Delhi based sports medicine specialist, Dr Jatin Chaudhary, who has clients such as sports stars Sania Mirza and Yuvraj Singh, explains, “Some known Bollywood stars take steroids under guidance. They first rely on steroids to bulk up their bodies and then go to the US for detoxification treatment. Steroids can be risky if not taken under proper guidance. They can lead to cancer, hair fall, liver cirrhosis, liver failure and impotency.”
“Steroids produce results but have side-effects. Muscle mass and strength gained by using them is lost once usage is stopped,” says Deckline Leitao, who’s working with the Indian swimming and diving teams for the CWG as Performance Enhancement Specialist.
Testopel ( testosterone implant ) manufacturer to sponsor professional golfer wrongly accused of doping.
Testopel®, an FDA-approved testosterone replacement therapy product marketed by Slate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Durham, North Carolina, announced today that it has entered into a sponsorship agreement with professional golfer Doug Barron.
Barron, a long-time PGA Tour veteran from Memphis, Tennessee, is perhaps best known for being the first and only player in professional golf to be suspended for doping under the PGA Tour's "Anti-Doping" policy.
Barron's offense was taking a testosterone replacement medication prescribed to him by his medical doctors after blood tests revealed that he suffers from hypogonadism, a common but little understood medical condition informally called Low T. Caused by a reduction in circulating levels of the hormone testosterone, Low T is treatable with testosterone replacement medication designed to restore the individual's testosterone to a level within the range normally found in men who do not suffer from Low T.
Barron filed a lawsuit charging that the PGA Tour had dishonestly labeled him as a doper and a cheater for doing nothing more than "taking medications prescribed for him by his medical doctors for perfectly normal and legitimate medical reasons." His suit charged that the PGA Tour made knowingly false, misleading and defamatory statements about him "with reckless disregard for the entire truth of the subject matter."
The PGA Tour subsequently granted Barron the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy that it previously had denied to him. Neither side will comment about the lawsuit.
"Suspending Doug Barron for doping is dopey," Robert S. Whitehead, President & CEO of Slate Pharmaceuticals, Inc., said at the time of Barron's suspension. "The PGA Tour is creating the totally erroneous impression that Doug Barron is to golf what Mark McGwire is to baseball -- it's totally irresponsible."
In coming to Barron's defense at the time of his wrongful suspension, Slate Pharmaceuticals and its CEO Whitehead made it clear that they had no connection with Barron, had never met him or spoken with him or his doctors, and that Barron had never even used the company's testosterone replacement therapy product, Testopel®.
"The reason that I spoke out on this matter at the time, and the reason we are taking this unusual step of sponsoring a professional athlete who has had such a label unjustly hanged upon him," said CEO Whitehead, "is that by its ill-advised action the PGA Tour made an unfortunate contribution to medical ignorance and harmed efforts to improve men's health. There are many misconceptions about testosterone replacement therapy that have no scientific basis. Perpetuating these misconceptions keeps men who might need treatment from seeking the medical care that they need."
"Doug Barron's only offense was being the innocent victim of other people's ignorance," said Whitehead. "We look forward to this relationship with him."
No details of Testopel®'s sponsorship of Doug Barron were made public.
Barron, a long-time PGA Tour veteran from Memphis, Tennessee, is perhaps best known for being the first and only player in professional golf to be suspended for doping under the PGA Tour's "Anti-Doping" policy.
Barron's offense was taking a testosterone replacement medication prescribed to him by his medical doctors after blood tests revealed that he suffers from hypogonadism, a common but little understood medical condition informally called Low T. Caused by a reduction in circulating levels of the hormone testosterone, Low T is treatable with testosterone replacement medication designed to restore the individual's testosterone to a level within the range normally found in men who do not suffer from Low T.
Barron filed a lawsuit charging that the PGA Tour had dishonestly labeled him as a doper and a cheater for doing nothing more than "taking medications prescribed for him by his medical doctors for perfectly normal and legitimate medical reasons." His suit charged that the PGA Tour made knowingly false, misleading and defamatory statements about him "with reckless disregard for the entire truth of the subject matter."
The PGA Tour subsequently granted Barron the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy that it previously had denied to him. Neither side will comment about the lawsuit.
"Suspending Doug Barron for doping is dopey," Robert S. Whitehead, President & CEO of Slate Pharmaceuticals, Inc., said at the time of Barron's suspension. "The PGA Tour is creating the totally erroneous impression that Doug Barron is to golf what Mark McGwire is to baseball -- it's totally irresponsible."
In coming to Barron's defense at the time of his wrongful suspension, Slate Pharmaceuticals and its CEO Whitehead made it clear that they had no connection with Barron, had never met him or spoken with him or his doctors, and that Barron had never even used the company's testosterone replacement therapy product, Testopel®.
"The reason that I spoke out on this matter at the time, and the reason we are taking this unusual step of sponsoring a professional athlete who has had such a label unjustly hanged upon him," said CEO Whitehead, "is that by its ill-advised action the PGA Tour made an unfortunate contribution to medical ignorance and harmed efforts to improve men's health. There are many misconceptions about testosterone replacement therapy that have no scientific basis. Perpetuating these misconceptions keeps men who might need treatment from seeking the medical care that they need."
"Doug Barron's only offense was being the innocent victim of other people's ignorance," said Whitehead. "We look forward to this relationship with him."
No details of Testopel®'s sponsorship of Doug Barron were made public.
"I appreciate the fact that the people who market Testopel® saw my suspension as an injustice and stood up and spoke out about it, even though their product was not even the one I was using," said Doug Barron. "I look forward to working closely with Testopel® to help educate the public about just how common Low T is and how easily treatable it is. I believe that together we are going to make an important contribution to the cause of men's health. I intend to make this a cause."
Anabolic Steroids and the Heart
I had a chance earlier today to visit with the production crew from Mississippi Public Broadcasting. They’re working on an upcoming television program on body building and were looking for information about the cardiovascular effects of anabolic steroids.
Also today, I came across a new study published this week (online, ahead of print) in the medical journal, JAMA Internal Medicine, that reported on a 40% increase in testosterone replacement therapy in middle-aged men during the time period from 2001-2011. The authors noted that testosterone replacement therapy was often prescribed without an established diagnosis of low testosterone levels (hypogonadism).
So….with steroids on my mind, I thought I’d share some information about these drugs, particularly as they relate to athletes.
What are Anabolic Steroids?
The history of anabolic steroids dates to the mid-1930s when the chemical structure of the male sex hormone testosterone was elucidated. Soon afterward, chemical synthesis of testosterone was possible in the laboratory.
The group of medications that we call anabolic steroids are synthetic derivatives of testosterone. These medications have a variety of arcane names including: nandrolone, methandienone, stanozolol, androsterone, and androstane, among others.
The anabolic steroids have 2 major groups of effects: androgenic effects andanabolic effects. The various available steroids differ from one another in the relative potency of these 2 sets of effects. Each manufacturer’s drug might then be targeted toward a specific use that focuses to a greater extent on one or the other of these sets of effects.
Clinically, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of anabolic steroids for: hypogonadism (eg, low testosterone level); generalized wasting in conditions such as human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV), acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), or cancer; hypoplastic anemias that accompany bone marrow failure or renal failure; growth stimulation in children with growth failure; male contraception; induction of male puberty; and gender identity disorder.
These medications can be delivered orally, intravenously, by intramuscular injection, or by transdermal patch.
The anabolic steroids should not be confused with the corticosteroids that are much more commonly used in clinical practice.
In 1990 the anabolic steroids were added to Schedule 3 of the Controlled Substance Act, making it a federal crime to possess these drugs in the United States without a prescription. For context, other drugs in Schedule 3 include the barbiturates, LSD precursors, ketamine, and some narcotic analgesics. The laws regarding the prescription and possesion of anabolic steroids vary from country to country.
Anabolic Steroids and Sports
The anabolic steroids have been used for decades by athletes of many different sports to gain competitive advantage. Used for this purpose, these drugs are often taken at many times the conventional prescription dosage. At these dosages, the anabolic steroids lead to an increase in muscle mass and likely potentiate the effects of exercise on gaining additional muscle mass and strength.
The first reliable tests for the detection of steroids (or their metabolites) became available in 1974 and anabolic steroids were added to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) banned substance list in 1976 and have been on theWorld Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned substance list since its inception in 1999. As such, these drugs are banned by the entire Olympic movement and by all sports organizations that adhere to the WADA code. In addition, these drugs are prohibited by the majority of professional sports organizations in the United States, including the National Football League, National Hockey League, National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball.
How Many People are Using Anabolic Steroids?
The number of Americans currently using anabolic steroids is unknown, but some estimates have placed that number at more than 3 million. In surveys of steroid usage among body-building or power athletes, rates of up to nearly 70% have been reported, with considerably greater usage among male athletes.
What are the General Side Effects?
Many unwanted side effects have been attributed to anabolic steroids. Some are drug-specific and dose-dependent. The list of adverse effects of anabolic steroids includes: in men, enlargement of the breasts (gynecomastia), suppression of naturally-produced testosterone, decreased sperm production, and testicular atrophy; in women, increases in body hair, decreases in menstrual cycles, and lowering of the voice; development or worsening of acne; and alterations in the mood, with increased aggression. In order to avoid the unwanted side effects of gynecomastia and weight retention, men who use steroids sometimes also take drugs (eg, Arimidex) that limit conversion of the steroids to estrogen.
What are the Adverse Cardiovascular Effects?
Our understanding of the cardiovascular effects of the anabolic steroids comes from a relatively small set of observations made in athletes taking these medications and from a small number of animal studies. Retrospective human studies in this area suffer from important methodologic problems such as: incomplete or inaccurate reporting on drug dosages by athletes; confounding influences of other supplements or medications that athletes may be taking; and the cardiovascular effects of an athlete’s training routine that may mimic some of the effects of steroids.
Some, but certainly not all studies, have shown an increase in blood pressureattributed to anabolic steroids. This issue has been difficult to study in power athletes because of the myriad of factors that influence the blood pressure, including weight-lifting itself. There are certainly anecdotes of finding cases of severe hypertension in athletes who have no other obvious cause than steroids. The amount of blood pressure elevation associated with long-term use of steroids appears to be mild to moderate and the effect may subside if the steroids are stopped.
The majority of studies show that anabolic steroids have an unfavorable effect on the serum lipid profile. These medications can lead to a 20% increase in the unhealthy, “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and also a 20% decrease in the healthy, “good” cholesterol (HDL). The exact mechanism for these changes has not been established. These changes are thought to develop within weeks of starting steroids and can linger for months after these medications are stopped, despite a relatively short pharmacologic half-life measured in days. Some studies have suggested that the oral route of administration may be worse in this regard than the injectable route. These unfavorable changes in the serum lipid profile are noteworthy because there is considerable evidence that high LDL and low HDL levels are associated with increased risk for coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Athletes who use anabolic steroids are often found to have thickening of the muscular walls of the left ventricle that we call left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The degree of hypertrophy can range from mild to severe. But to date, there has not been a long-term, carefully controlled, prospective study to help sort out the precise effects of steroids. The data regarding which portions of the left ventricle become hypertrophied have been inconsistent, but it appears that the resulting LVH may not be uniform throughout the chamber. It’s important to remember, though, that power exercise alone can produce LVH and that elevated blood pressure alone can produce LVH, and both of these influences will be in play in power athletes.
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) may occur in athletes who are taking anabolic steroids. This appears to be a rare event. In the absence of any other explanation, it might be easy to ascribe such deaths in otherwise healthy athletes to the steroids. But we can only speculate now about the mechanism by which steroid use might predispose the athlete to SCD. Nonetheless, there have certainly been athletes with SCD where autopsy findings have shown severe LVH or cardiac fibrosis (which might predispose to arrhythmias) where no potential cause except the steroids was obvious.
Acute myocardial infarction (MI), or “heart attack” may occur in young athletes who are taking anabolic steroids, often without any prior indication of heart disease. The cause-and-effect relationship between steroids and MI is not completely understood, but we know from animal studies that the steroids may increase platelet aggregation–a step that occurs clinically during sudden blockage of one of the coronary arteries during acute MI. We also know from animal studies that the steroids may increase oxygen demand of the cardiac muscle, potentially leading to a mismatch in blood/oxygen supply and demand during exercise. This may also play a role.
The precise epidemiologic link between steroid use and mortality is yet to be established. Small studies have shown that among users of anabolic steroids, the cause of death, perhaps not surprisingly, is cardiac in up to two thirds. One interesting recent study from Sweden identified users of anabolic steroids by blood tests (toxicology screen) that were administered during evaluations for some other medical problem. The investigators found that, over a several-year period, the mortality rate for users was 2-5 times that for non-users. The study was not controlled, though for many other, potentially important, factors that influence mortality.
Some Thoughts
To reiterate, our current understanding of the adverse cardiovascular effects of anabolic steroids is based on rather limited information gathered from a small number of research studies. The available reports, though, certainly give a glimpse of unwanted cardiovascular effects that may occur, even if the causal mechanisms are not yet understood. Going forward, we are unlikely to have large-scale prospective studies to gather more information and additional retrospective studies are likely to have the methodologic pitfalls I mentioned above. Given our current understanding, athletes who choose to use anabolic steroids should be aware of the possibilities of high blood pressure, unfavorable lipid profile, structural changes in the heart, and even heart attack or SCD.
Karachi bodybuilders taking cow and buffalo steroids for extra muscles.
Various aspiring bodybuilders in Karachi are taking supplements containing anabolic steroids, which are also given to cows and buffaloes, in the hope of 'extra muscles' that could be dangerous for their health.
Apart from imported bodybuilding steroids, many also purchase unlabelled and substandard products. "Most of the bodybuilding clubs in the city provide these steroids to the trainees that are brought from Lahore and Gujranwala" the Daily Times quoted Rashid, a bodybuilder, as saying.
"These steroids are mostly those given to horses competing in races and to buffaloes and cows to increase milk production," he added. Rashid also said an aspiring bodybuilder named Jahangir had recently died after using such steroids.
Malik, a 46-year-old drug dealer at the medicine market in Kachi Gali near Napier Road sells a large variety of bodybuilding supplements, the prices of which range between Rs 500 and 5,000.
However, he denies that he sells supplements containing anabolic steroids."The supplements at my shop are imported from the USA and do not harm the human body... they are just food supplements and bodybuilders can use them instead of having meat, eggs, fruits and beans etc... they save time and help in weight control as well," said Malik.
On the other hand, Amir, an instructor at a bodybuilding club near Sabzi Mandi has no uncertainties about using steroids. He said, "A good body is a product of good diet, supplements, exercise and proper rest."
Apart from imported bodybuilding steroids, many also purchase unlabelled and substandard products. "Most of the bodybuilding clubs in the city provide these steroids to the trainees that are brought from Lahore and Gujranwala" the Daily Times quoted Rashid, a bodybuilder, as saying.
"These steroids are mostly those given to horses competing in races and to buffaloes and cows to increase milk production," he added. Rashid also said an aspiring bodybuilder named Jahangir had recently died after using such steroids.
Malik, a 46-year-old drug dealer at the medicine market in Kachi Gali near Napier Road sells a large variety of bodybuilding supplements, the prices of which range between Rs 500 and 5,000.
However, he denies that he sells supplements containing anabolic steroids."The supplements at my shop are imported from the USA and do not harm the human body... they are just food supplements and bodybuilders can use them instead of having meat, eggs, fruits and beans etc... they save time and help in weight control as well," said Malik.
On the other hand, Amir, an instructor at a bodybuilding club near Sabzi Mandi has no uncertainties about using steroids. He said, "A good body is a product of good diet, supplements, exercise and proper rest."
He said anabolic steroids are available at drug stores at Kachi Gali and other areas, but sold undercover.
"Testosterone is an important steroid hormone and too low levels can seriously impair your health and speed up the aging process. Working out with weights or bike racing with low testosterone levels can be very dangerous and for this and other reasons millions of men over 35 are prescribed testosterine replacement therapy by their enlightened medical doctors. Low testosterone levels can lead to a long list of possible health problems and disease symptoms which are all profitable to treat with unexpired patent medicines. This is a huge business and the main reason testosterone therapy is not readily available for all those men (and women) who might benefit from such therapy. When you are healthy investors in patent medicines are losing money!!!! This is the reason Swedish doctors are programmed to start looking for a virus or anything else instead of testing for low testosterone levels in men even when the symptoms of low hormonal levels are so obvious. Swedish doctors are programmed to protect the financial health of the pharmaceutical industry and not the health of their patients. Well...it is a investment business. This is also the same reason why pharmaceutical companies are never interested in finding permanent cures or less disaease...only symptom treatment medicines with unexpired patents. Preferably a class of drugs can be outlawed when the patents expire and new patentable stuff is coming to treat the same symptoms in a never ending circle. This is the foundation of the Swedish government health care system and also the real reason why bodybuilding and bodybuilders are persecuted in Sweden. Bodybuilding and weight training raises your testosterone levels and health but lowers the profits of the pharmaceutical companies. The police razzias in Swedish gyms are part of the playing of the low testosterone game. Otherwise..how many men with dangerously low levels of testosterone did the Swedish police find in the gyms and how were these men helped???? Dooooooohhhhh!!!!!" - Cahling
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