Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Sports Medicine
Published in: Sports Medicine 5/2002

01-04-2002 | Leading Article

Anabolic Steroids

A Review for the Clinician

Authors: Eric C. Kutscher, Brian C. Lund, Paul J. Perry

Published in: Sports Medicine | Issue 5/2002

Login to get access

Abstract

The number of athletes self-administering ergogenic pharmacological agents to increase their competitive edge continues to be a problem. Most athletes using anabolic steroids (AS) have acquired a crude pharmacological database regarding these drugs. Their opinions regarding steroids have been derived from their subjective experiences and anecdotal information. For this reason, traditional warnings regarding the lack of efficacy and potential dangers of steroid misuse are disregarded. A common widely held opinion among bodybuilders is that the anabolic steroid experts are the athletic gurus who for years have utilised themselves as the experimental participants and then dispensed their empirical findings. This review will address the common anabolic steroid misconceptions held by many of today’s athletes by providing an evaluation of the scientific literature related to AS in athletic performance.
Literature
1.
2.
Maharaj VR, Dookie T, Mohammed S, et al. Knowledge, attitudes and practices of anabolic steroid usage among gym users in Trinidad. West Indian Med J 2000; 49: 55–8PubMed
3.
4.
Silver MD. Use of ergogenic aids by athletes. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2001; 9: 61–70PubMed
5.
Wood AJ. Androgens in men: uses and misuses. N Engl J Med 1996; 334: 707–14CrossRef
6.
Yates WR, Perry PJ, Anderson KH. Illicit anabolic steroid use: a controlled personality study. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1990; 81: 548–50PubMedCrossRef
7.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Health Competition Foundation National survey on performance enhancing drugs in sports. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association [online]. Available from URL: http://​www.​bcbs.​com [Accessed 2001 Jan 1]
8.
Sullivan ML, Martinez CM, Gennis P, et al. The cardiac toxicity of anabolic steroids. Prog Cardiovasc Dis 1998; 41: 1–15PubMedCrossRef
9.
Faigenbaum AD, Zaichkowsky LD, et al. Anabolic steroid use by male and female middle school students [abstract]. Pediatrics 1998; 101 (5): E6CrossRef
10.
11.
Buckley WE, Yesalis CE, Bennell DL. Astudy of anabolic steroid use at the secondary school level: recommendations for prevention. In: Yesalis CE, editor. Anabolic steroids in sport and exercise. Champaign (IL): Human Kinetics Publishing, 1993: 71–86
12.
Green GA, Uryasz FD, Petr TA, et al. NCAA study of substance use and misuse habits of college student-athletes. Clin J Sport Med 2001; 11: 51–6PubMedCrossRef
13.
Yesalis CE, Buckley WE, Anderson WA, et al. Athletes’ projections of anabolic steroid use. Clin Sports Med 1990; 2: 155–71
14.
Yesalis CE, Herrick R, Buckley W, et al. Self-reported use of anabolic-androgenic steroids by elite power lifters. Physician Sportmed 1988; 16: 91–100
15.
Tricker R, O’Neill M, Cook D. The incidence of anabolic steroid use among competitive body builders. J Drug Educ 1989; 19: 313–25PubMedCrossRef
16.
Verroken M. Ethical aspects and the prevalence of hormone abuse in sport. J Endocrinol 2001; 170: 9–54CrossRef
17.
Kadi F, Eriksson A, Holmer S, et al.Effects of anabolic steroids on the muscle cells of strength trained athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1999; 31: 1528–34PubMedCrossRef
18.
Sheffield-Moore M. Androgens and the control of skeletal muscle protein synthesis. Ann Med 2000; 32: 181–6PubMedCrossRef
19.
Kadi F. Adaptation of human skeletal muscle to training and anabolic steroids. Acta Physiol Scand Suppl 2000; 646: 1–52PubMed
20.
Haupt HA, Rovere GD. Anabolic steroids: a review of the literature. Am J Sports Med 1984; 12: 469–84PubMedCrossRef
21.
Bhasin S, Storer TW, Berman N, et al. The effects of supraphysiologic doses of testosterone on muscle size and strength in normal men. N Engl J Med 1996; 335: 1–7PubMedCrossRef
22.
Mayer M, Rosen F. Interaction of anabolic steroids with glucocorticoid receptor sites in rat muscle cytosol. Am J Physiol 1975; 229: 1381–6PubMed
23.
Rubinow DR, Schmidt PJ. Androgens, brain, and behavior. Am J Psychiatry 1996; 153: 974–84PubMed
24.
Lamb DR. Anabolic steroids in athletics: how well do they work and how dangerous are they? Am J Sports Med 1984; 12: 31–8PubMedCrossRef
25.
Ariel G, Saville W. Anabolic steroids: the physiological effects of placebos. Med Sci Sports 1972; 4: 124–6
26.
Crist DM, Stackpole PJ, Peale GT. Effects of androgenic-anabolic steroids on neuromuscular power and body composition. J Appl Physiol 1983; 54: 366–70PubMedCrossRef
27.
Hickson RC, Ball KL, Falduto MT. Adverse effects of anabolic steroids. Med Toxicol Adverse Drug Exp 1989; 4: 254–71PubMedCrossRef
28.
Freed DL, Banks AJ, Longson D, et al. Anabolic steroids in athletics: crossover double-blind trial on weightlifters. BMJ 1975; 2: 471–3PubMedCrossRef
29.
Perry PJ, Anderson KH, Yates WR. Illicit anabolic steroid use in athletes: a case series analysis. Am J Sports Med 1990; 18: 422–8PubMedCrossRef
30.
Gill GV. Anabolic steroid induced hypogonadism treated with human chorionic gonadotropin. Postgrad Med J 1998; 74: 45–6PubMedCrossRef
31.
Hervey GR, Knibbs AV, Burkenshaw L, et al. Effects of methandienone on the performance and body composition of men undergoing athletic training. Clin Sci 1981; 60: 457–61PubMed
32.
Duchaine D. Underground steroid handbook II. Venice (CA): HLR Technical Books, 1989
33.
Sader MA, Griffiths KA, McCredie RJ, et al. Androgenic anabolic steroids and arterial structure and function in male bodybuilders. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001; 37: 224–30PubMedCrossRef
34.
Ishak KG, Zimmerman HJ. Hepatotoxic effects of the anabolic/androgenic steroids. Semin Liver Dis 1987; 7: 230–6PubMedCrossRef
35.
Glazer G. Arthrogenic effects of anabolic steroids on serum lipid levels. Arch Intern Med 1991; 151: 1925–33PubMedCrossRef
36.
Koenig H, Goldstone A, Lu CY. Testosterone-mediated sexual dimorphism of the rodent heart: ventricular lysosomes, mitochondria, and cell growth are modulated by androgens. Circulation 1982; 50: 782–7CrossRef
37.
Jarow JP, Lipshultz LI. Anabolic steroid-induced hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Am J Sports Med 1990; 18: 429–31PubMedCrossRef
38.
MacIndoe JH, Perry PJ, Yates WR, et al. Testosterone suppression of the HPT axis. J Invest Med 1997; 45: 441–7
39.
Holma PK. Effects of an anabolic steroid (metandienone) on spermatogenesis. Contraception 1977; 15: 151–62PubMedCrossRef
40.
Yates WR, Perry PJ, MacIndoe J, et al. Psychosexual effects of three doses of testosterone cycling in normal men. Biol Psychiatry 1999; 45: 254–60PubMedCrossRef
41.
Turek PJ, Williams RH, Gilbauch JH, et al. The reversibility of anabolic steroid-induced azospermia. J Urol 1995; 153: 1628–30PubMedCrossRef
42.
Straus RH, Liggett MT, Lanese RR. Anabolic steroid use and perceived effects in ten weight-trained women athletes. JAMA 1985; 253: 2871–3CrossRef
43.
Conacher GN, Workman DG. Violent crime possibly associated with anabolic steroid use. Am J Psychiatry 1989; 146: 679PubMed
44.
Pope Jr HG, Katz DL. Affective and psychotic symptoms associated with anabolic steroid use. Am J Psychiatry 1988; 145: 487–90PubMed
45.
Seidman SN, Spatz E, Rizzo C, et al. Testosterone replacement therapy of hypogonadal men with major depressive disorder: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Clin Psychiatry 2001; 62: 406–12PubMedCrossRef
46.
Kouri EM, Lukas SE, Pope Jr HG, et al. Increased aggressive responding in male volunteers following the administration of gradually increasing doses of testosterone cypionate. Drug Alcohol Depend 1995; 40: 73–9PubMedCrossRef
47.
Matsumoto AM. Effects of chronic testosterone administration in normal men: safety and efficacy of high dosage testosterone and parallel dose-dependent suppression of luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, and sperm production. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1990; 70: 282–7PubMedCrossRef
48.
Pope Jr HG, Kouri EM, Hudson JI. Effects of supraphysiologic doses of testosterone on mood and aggression in normal men: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2000; 57: 133–40PubMedCrossRef
49.
Su TP, Pagliaro M, Schmidt PJ, et al. Neuropsychiatric effects of anabolic steroids in male normal volunteers. JAMA 1993; 269: 2760–4PubMedCrossRef
50.
Tricker R, Casaburi R, Strorer TW, et al. The effects of supraphysiological doses of testosterone on angry behavior in healthy eugonadal men-a clinical research center study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996; 81: 3754–8PubMedCrossRef
51.
Yates WR, Perry PJ, Murray S. Aggression and hostility in anabolic steroid users. Biol Psychiatry 1992; 31: 1232–4PubMedCrossRef
52.
Pope Jr HG, Katz DL. Psychiatric and medical effects of anabolic- androgenic steroid use. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1994; 51: 375–82PubMedCrossRef
53.
Brower KJ, Blow FC, Young JP, et al. Symptoms and correlates of anabolic-androgenic steroid dependence. Br J Addict 1991; 86: 759–68PubMedCrossRef
54.
Copeland J, Peters R, et al. Anabolic-androgenic steroid use disorder among a sample of Australian competitive and recreational users. Drug Alcohol Depend 2000; 60: 91–6PubMed
Metadata
Title
Anabolic Steroids
A Review for the Clinician
Authors
Eric C. Kutscher
Brian C. Lund
Paul J. Perry
Publication date
01-04-2002
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Sports Medicine / Issue 5/2002
Print ISSN: 0112-1642
Electronic ISSN: 1179-2035
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200232050-00001

Other articles of this Issue 5/2002

Sports Medicine 5/2002 Go to the issue

Review Article

Effect of Dietary Intake on Immune Function in Athletes

Injury Clinic

Adductor Muscle Strains in Sport

Review Article

Dermatologic Disorders of the Athlete

Leading Article

Blood Lipids and Lipoproteins in Child and Adolescent Athletes