The Damages of Steroids- Underneath the Skin

How Are Steroids Abused?

Some people, both athletes and non-athletes, abuse AAS in an attempt to enhance performance and/or improve physical appearance. AAS are taken orally or injected, typically in cycles rather than continuously. “Cycling” refers to a pattern of use in which steroids are taken for periods of weeks or months, after which use is stopped for a period of time and then restarted. In addition, users often combine several different types of steroids in an attempt to maximize their effectiveness, a practice referred to as “stacking.”

How Do Steroids Affect the Brain?

The immediate effects of AAS in the brain are mediated by their binding to androgen (male sex hormone) and estrogen (female sex hormone) receptors on the surface of a cell. This AAS–receptor complex can then shuttle into the cell nucleus to influence patterns of gene expression. Because of this, the acute effects of AAS in the brain are substantially different from those of other drugs of abuse. The most important difference is that AAS are not euphorigenic, meaning they do not trigger rapid increases in the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is responsible for the “high” that often drives substance abuse behaviors. However, long-term use of AAS can eventually have an impact on some of the same brain pathways and chemicals—such as dopamine, serotonin, and opioid systems—that are affected by other drugs of abuse. Considering the combined effect of their complex direct and indirect actions, it is not surprising that AAS can affect mood and behavior in significant ways.

AAS and Mental Health

Preclinical, clinical, and anecdotal reports suggest that steroids may contribute to psychiatric dysfunction. Research shows that abuse of anabolic steroids may lead to aggression and other adverse effects.¹ For example, although many users report feeling good about themselves while on anabolic steroids, extreme mood swings can also occur, including manic-like symptoms that could lead to violence.² Researchers have also observed that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.

Addictive Potential

Animal studies have shown that AAS are reinforcing—that is, animals will self-administer AAS when given the opportunity, just as they do with other addictive drugs.^3,4 This property is more difficult to demonstrate in humans, but the potential for AAS abusers to become addicted is consistent with their continued abuse despite physical problems and negative effects on social relations.⁵ Also, steroid abusers typically spend large amounts of time and money obtaining the drug: this is another indication of addiction. Individuals who abuse steroids can experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking AAS—these include mood swings, fatigue, restlessness, loss of appetite, insomnia, reduced sex drive, and steroid cravings, all of which may contribute to continued abuse. One of the most dangerous withdrawal symptoms is depression— when persistent, it can sometimes lead to suicide attempts.
Research also indicates that some users might turn to other drugs to alleviate some of the negative effects of AAS. For example, a study of 227 men admitted in 1999 to a private treatment center for dependence on heroin or other opioids found that 9.3 percent had abused AAS before trying any other illicit drug. Of these, 86 percent first used opioids to counteract insomnia and irritability resulting from the steroids.

Here We go again

OK guys so this is just another example of how steroids gives an user an unnatural and unhealthy amount of testosterone. In this video the first subject that is interviewed is Peter. Im not going to waste your time so if you want you can skip to 6:33 in the video. This is after Peter is injected with steroids. He has to be injected by Larry, a family friend because well HA, this is ironic but Peter our steroid user is afraid of needles. YES thats right Mr. Tough guy himself is afraid of a little needle. Anyway after he is injected Peter claims that after two hours of injection testosterone levels spike so peter hits the gym. While he hits the gym Peter claims that he is doing a large amount of reps with a large amount of weight. He is lifting weight that he was no where close to what he was able to lift before. Now tell me after watching that think about the a man around the same build, that has been working out, eats healthy, and had been fit all his life trying to lift the same weight and simply cannot do it. What do you say to that? Think about whats going on in his mind. Cause i can tell you right now hes thinking that what just happened was absolute bullshit. Hes thinking right now how the hell did this guy just put up that weight wen I couldn't even make it budge and I'm sure when he finds out that this Peter is on steroids hes going to cave in to using steroids. Because it is natural male instinct to be the best, to defeat the best and fight off anyone that is trying to be the best. It is your job as a MAN TO BE AT THE TOP. With Steroids it makes this task so much easier.

Steroids and Why its Considered Cheating

The debate surrounding the issue of steroids and human growth hormone shouldn't be about whether or not PEDs are safe, effective, dangerous, ineffective or anything else. The governing bodies of sport - whether it be MLB, NHL, the Olympics - have stated that participants cannot use PEDs. Therefore, those who use these substances are breaking the rules and are cheating, whether or not there are screening tests to catch or deter.

Using PEDs is akin to Barry Bonds using an aluminum bat, Roger Clemens using a smaller baseball, Tiger Woods using an unapproved ball or club or carrying an extra club, or Roberto Luongo using 20-inch wide goalie pads. If you want to argue that athletes should be allowed to use any substances that they want, fine. If you want to argue that baseball - or other leagues - shouldn't be allowed to prohibit certain behaviors or ban the use of performance-enhancing substances, or make and enforce any regulations that are designed to regulate their sport go ahead and try.  But those arguments are not part of the current situation that MLB is dealing with.

You’ll have a hard time making the argument Major League Baseball shouldn’t be allowed to ban bats made of certain materials or that the PGA can’t decide that there are limits to the types of clubs that golfers can use, and limit how many clubs a player can carry in his bag.

The bottom line is the-powers-that-be can set the rules for competition as they see fit and anyone who breaks them is cheating, especially in the case of PEDs. Apparently this is an antiquated notion, but there still is such a concept as abiding by the rules and right versus wrong, even when it comes baseball and football.

In the world of car racing, major fines and suspensions are commonplace when teams and their drivers break the rules. You know, cheat. Some of the biggest teams and drivers in Nascar have been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars and have had management-types suspended. In Formula 1 racing, last year Britain’s McLaren team was fined $100 million for “technical espionage.” Cheating = punishment in some segments of the sports world.

A well-known national columnist who appears on ESPN has written that, “Honesty about steroids would be refreshing,” and that he would love for a jock to step up and said, “Yes, I used HGH. Used it all the time, illegally, under the supervision of trainers I pay well to keep me at optimum efficiency. My body is my business and a source of great profit in the entertainment industry, and I’ve hired the best mechanics to keep this machine running right. I’m sorry that this is something that you tolerate from the governor of California and Rambo, but not me.”

As a quick aside, anytime anyone trying to make a rational argument veers into the land of fictional characters or compares a situation where there are no rules to a situation where there are rules, you know that they are in trouble.

What this writer wants - provides us with - is not honesty, but a lame excuse for being selfish and for cheating. This excuse is the same as the one used by the white-collar criminal who ignores the rules set up by the Internal Revenue Service so that they can get rich or make their buddies and/or shareholders rich.

Here’s a translation. “Yes, I didn’t pay my taxes. I haven’t paid my taxes in years, in blatant disregard for the law, under the supervision of my lawyers and accountants that I pay well to make and keep me rich. How I make my money and run my business is my business and is a source of great profit in the entertainment industry, and I’ve hired the best people to keep my machine running right and ensuring that I have an unfair advantage while breaking the law. I don’t care about anyone who abides by the rules.”

Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia, Lay, Ebbers, Rigas, BALCO, Conte, Jones, Bonds, McGwire, Palmiero, Canseco, Harrison, Stubblefield.

It appears that our society has so lost its way in matters of right versus wrong and following and respecting the rules that this issue has become clouded. People are actually writing and saying that it's no big deal that Miguel Tejada lied to federal investigators.

The argument for and against the use of these substances is secondary to the issue that the use of the substances isn't allowed. Whether or not there are tests that can be given to detect use, if MLB says testosterone supplementation is not allowed, whether players get tested or not, if they use it they are cheating. And by the effort and energy expended by athletes so as not to get caught using, or admit using, it’s easy to see that these people themselves know that what they were doing was wrong.

There is a debate that can be held regarding the merits of using PEDs. There is a reason for a discussion that deals with the fact that a non-athlete might be able to make use of a breakthrough therapy, where the pro athlete cannot. From a public health standpoint people do need to know what the ramifications are of taking something like HGH.

However, these issues are different than the issue at hand. The governing bodies of sport have the obligation and right to determine the conditions under which participants compete, and that anyone who willfully breaks these rules is cheating and subject to discipline.
Join me on my talk show Performance Enhancing Radio every Tuesday at 8PM EST to discuss the issue.

The Man Whose arms EXPLODED!!!

Gregg Valentino is an admitted steroid user, and he achieved a moderate level of fame thanks to his massive 27-inch biceps, dubbed by Ripley's Believe It or Not as the world's biggest. Gregg Valentino a once a famous bodybuilder is now talking about his steroid use. As big as his muscles are, his personality is equal to the task. He is open, raw and bold enough to say anything that comes to his mind. After he was caught dealing steroids in 2001, his unfettered, brash personality led him to a writing career at Muscular Development Magazine. This is a clip from one of his videos about his use of steroids and his life when he illegally sold steroids.

Steroids, A Lethal Weapon in the NFL

Steroids in the NFL give the players an UNFAIR and DEADLY advantage over the players who are not using steroids. Six players, including the heart of the Minnesota Vikings' stout defensive line, were suspended for four games without pay by the NFL back in 2008 for violating the league's anti-doping policy. All six were punished for using a diuretic, which can serve as a masking agent for steroids. The suspended players were running back Deuce McAllister and defensive linemen Charles Grant and Will Smith of New Orleans; defensive linemen Kevin and Pat Williams of Minnesota; and long snapper Bryan Pittman of Houston. "I definitely was not trying to cheat in any form," McAllister told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "I tried to do everything the right way." The punishment means all six will miss the end of the regular season, an especially harsh blow to Minnesota, which relies heavily on the Williamses in its run defense, which ranks second in the league. Angelo Wright, the agent for Pat Williams, said Tuesday he planned to file a motion in federal court in the next 24 hours, presumably to put off his client's suspension. Tom Condon, the agent for Kevin Williams, said he hadn't yet determined what course of action to take. In a phone interview on ESPN's "First Take" on Wednesday, Pittman said he "was not on board with the injunction," which would allow him to play. He said he plans to serve the four-game suspension and come back next year. A seventh player, Atlanta's Grady Jackson, was not suspended. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Jeff Pash, the league's chief counsel, had asked for additional information. If a player's team makes the playoffs, the player will be eligible to return to the active roster on Dec. 29. The suspension of Pat and Kevin Williams, who are not related, may prove to be the most critical. The Vikings lead Chicago by a game in the NFC North with four games left, in large part because the Williamses are considered the NFL's best defensive tackle combination. Last Sunday, they led a goal-line stand that kept Chicago from taking a 14-3 second-quarter lead in Minneapolis. On the first play after the Bears were stopped, the Vikings' Gus Frerotte threw a 99-yard touchdown pass to Bernard Berrian, giving Minnesota a 10-7 lead it never lost, a 14-point swing. "In response to this afternoon's ruling, the Minnesota Vikings are very disappointed in the National Football League's suspension of Kevin and Pat Williams," the team said in a statement. "At the appropriate time, we will have further comment." Adolpho Birch, the NFL's vice president of law and labor policy, would not disclose during a conference call when the players tested positive. Word of the positive test first leaked in late October. Asked why it took until the final four games of the regular season to hand down the suspensions, Birch said it was "a function of a lot of factors." "I think if you ask most coaches, every game is important. I don't think they'd differentiate between the first and the last," Birch said. "We do have things in place to get them done as quickly as possible. But we had to deal with the number of players involved and adjust travel schedules. We have to fit it around the players' ability to attend." David Cornwell, the lawyer for Pittman and the three Saints, called the decisions "inconsistent with the objectives of the steroid policy." "Deuce, Will, and Charles did not try to enhance their performance with steroids, nor did they knowingly expose themselves to the adverse health risks of a diuretic," Cornwell said in an e-mail. "They took a weight loss supplement that they had every reason to believe was safe." In their appeals, some players said the banned substance Bumetanide was not listed as an ingredient in StarCaps, an over-the-counter weight-loss pill. In fact, Jackson filed suit against StarCaps in Alameda County Superior Court in California last month, seeking restitution for any lost salary and damages for "false advertising and unfair business practices." Sources told ESPN senior analyst Chris Mortensen that Pittman did not use StarCaps but tested positive for another banned diuretic. "I want the people and the fans to understand that I was not trying to mask steroids or any banned substances," Pittman said according to Houston television station KRIV. "I thought I took the proper procedures and methods by getting a doctor's authorization to take the diuretic," Pittman said, according to the station. "The diuretic I took did not dilute any urine specimen, which is what a player does when they are trying to mask something. The NFL toxicologist confirmed there was nothing else in my specimen other than the diuretic." In issuing the suspensions, the league reiterated the section of its policy that reads: "You and you alone are responsible for what goes into your body. Claiming that you used only legally available nutritional supplements will not help you in an appeal. ... Even if they are bought over-the-counter from a known establishment, there is currently no way to be sure that they contain the ingredients listed on the packaging or have not been tainted with prohibited substances ... "If you take these products, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK! For your own health and success in the league, we strongly encourage you to avoid the use of supplements altogether, or at the very least to be extremely careful about what you choose to take." The NFL also said it sent two notifications about StarCaps on Dec. 19, 2006 -- one to NFL club presidents, general managers and head athletic trainers and the second to NFLPA executive Stacy Robinson, who oversees the steroid policy for the union. That letter, according to the league, advised that StarCaps had been added to the list of prohibited dietary supplement companies. Renowed New York attorney Peter Ginsberg, who represented Kevin Williams in the appeal process, disputed the NFL's contention that StarCaps was added to the banned list of supplements. "What the [NFL] did, in fact, was issue that notification for commercial purposes, telling players not to endorse the manufacturer of StarCaps," Ginsberg told ESPN. "There was absolutely no warning about a nondisclosed banned ingredient. [The notice] was purely for commercial reasons and without regard for the health, welfare and safety of the player. For Adolpho Birch or anyone associated with the NFL to suggest there was a specific warning [on StarCaps] is disingenuous and disappointing. "Mr. Birch, in fact, personally informed the FDA that scientific studies showed that [StarCaps] contained Bumetanide. One of the scientists wanted to make that disclosure but Mr. Birch and Dr. Lombardo made the decision to suppress that information two years ago. They purposely kept information from players, all while claiming they have a policy for the health and safety of the players as well as the integrity of the league. The NFL violated its own integrity and subjected players to serious medical risks by their actions." Asked if the NFL would review its policy on diuretics, Birch said the policy is reviewed every year. "I suspect the players' association may want to look specifically at diuretics or some other issues. We'd be happy to do that with them if appropriate," he said. "I do think it's good policy. It works well. It has different aspects to it, but we will certainly listen with an open mind and if it's appropriate to make change, make changes."

As the 2011 MLB baseball season is just beginning to warm up, Manny Ramirez already called it quits, deciding to retire instead of going through an impending MLB drug treatment program after he was tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Sources say that Manny Ramirez was facing a 100-game suspension. It should come as no surprise that he took this route, as he was simply not the Manny Ramirez everyone knew after testing positive back in May 2009, where he was suspended for 50 games. ”Major League Baseball recently notified Manny Ramirez of an issue under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” the league said in a statement. ”Rather than continue with the process under the program, Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player. If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the Drug Program will be completed. MLB will not have any further comment on this matter.” After the suspension, Manny had a .460 slugging percentage and had only nine home runs in 90 games for the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers, his lowest numbers since his rookie year back in 1993, when he was 21 years old. Manny wished to retire this time around. Since the MLB starting issuing performance-enhancing drug suspensions, Manny has tested positive twice. This puts a darker cloud on a career mainly known for Manny just simply being Manny, that is, the fun-loving goofball who had great power at the plate. He was also the MVP for the Boston Red Sox when they finally broke the infamous curse back in 2004 after winning the World Series. Manny was one of the best hitters of his generation, and now he walks out the door with his legacy tarnished and his dignity stripped. He ended his career with a .312 AVG, .411 OPB as well as .585 SLG. Possibly Hall of Fame statistics, but his legacy has been hit hard by the steroid accusations, as will most players like Alex Rodriguez, and basically anyone who may one day be trying to wind up in Cooperstown.

Another Baseball SLUGGER admits to using steroids

Alex Rodriguez has admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-2003, ESPN is reporting. Those were the first three seasons of Rodriguez's then-record 10-year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers. Rodriguez won his first AL MVP award in '03, his last year with the Rangers, before being traded to the Yankees prior to the start of the 2004 season. On Saturday, Sports Illustrated broke the news that Rodriguez had tested positive for two anabolic steroids in 2003. When reached for comment at a Miami gym last Thursday, Rodriguez told an SI reporter "You'll have to talk to the union" and "I'm not saying anything." During the interview with ESPN's Peter Gammons, Rodriguez said, "When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure, felt all the weight of the world on top of me to perform and perform at a high level every day. Back then, it was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young, I was stupid, I was naive and I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth, you know, being one of the greatest players of all time. And I did take a banned substance. For that, I'm very sorry and deeply regretful. And although it was the culture back then in major league baseball overall ... it was very ... I just feel that ... I'm just sorry. I'm sorry for that time, I'm sorry to my fans, I'm sorry to my fans in Texas. It wasn't until then that I thought about substance of any kind, and since then I've proved to myself and to everyone that I don't need any of that." When asked if his usage took place from 2001-2003, Rodriguez said, "That's pretty accurate." Gammons then asked, "What kind of substances were you taking?" Rodriguez responded, in part, "It was such a loosey-goosey era. I'm guilty for a lot of things, for being negligent, naïve, not asking the right questions. To be quite honest I don't know exactly what substance I was guilty of using." Rodriguez tested positive for testosterone and Primobolan, an injected or orally administered drug. According to SI's report, Primobolan "is detectable for a shorter period of time than the steroid previously favored by players, Deca-Durabolin." Steroids have been banned in baseball since 1991, but there was no testing for it until 2003, when survey testing was done to determine if the game needed to adopt a permanent testing policy. Rodriguez's name was on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. There were no penalties for players who tested positive and the names of those players were supposed to remain anonymous, but federal agents, using search warrants, seized those test results from one of the two labs MLB had used in connection with the '03 testing as part of the government's BALCO investigation. According to the Mitchell Report, which investigated steroid use in Major League Baseball and was released in late 2007, Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the players union, tipped off a player about an upcoming drug test that was supposed to be unannounced, violating an agreement with MLB. That player was not named in the report, but three major leaguers told SI that Rodriguez was also tipped by Orza in early September 2004 that he would be tested later that month. The MLBPA refused that claim on Saturday. When asked about it by an SI reporter last week, Orza said, "I'm not interested in discussing this information with you." In a 2007 60 Minutes interview with Katie Couric, Rodriguez flatly denied ever taking steroids. "For the record, have you ever used steroids, human growth hormone or any other performance-enhancing substance?" Couric asked. "No," said Rodriguez. "I've never felt overmatched on the baseball field. I've always been a very strong, dominant position. And I felt that if I did my work since I was, you know, a rookie back in Seattle, I didn't have a problem competing at any level. So, no." Rangers owner Tom Hicks, who took over the team in 1998, was shocked by Rodriguez's admission. "I feel personally betrayed. I feel deceived by Alex," Hicks said in a conference call. "He assured me that he had far too much respect for his own body to ever do that to himself. "I certainly don't believe that if he's now admitting that he started using when he came to the Texas Rangers, why should I believe that it didn't start before he came to the Texas Rangers?" In 2000, his last year in Seattle, Rodriguez batted .316 with 41 home runs and 132 RBIs. In 2001, his first season in Texas, Rodriguez set a career high with 52 home runs while batting .318 with a .622 slugging percentage, the second-highest number of his career. The following season, he established a new career high with 57 home runs, adding 142 RBIs and a .623 slugging percentage. In 2003, he dropped to .298 with 47 home runs and 118 RBIs and a .600 slugging percentage. In 2004, when Rodriguez says he was not taking any performance-enhancing drugs, he hit .286 with 36 homers, 106 RBIs and a .512 slugging percentage and .375 on-base percentage. The latter two numbers were his lowest single-season marks since 1999. Rodriguez has won three American League MVP awards, in 2003, 2005 and 2007. He is a two-time Gold Glover and a 12-time All-Star. Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees in February 2004. After the 2007 season, he opted out of his contract before signing a new 10-year deal that, with incentives, could be worth over $300 million. Two sources familiar with the contract told SI that there is no language about steroids in the contract that would put Rodriguez at risk of losing money.