Steroids
In the 1940's, not long after the discovery and isolation of testosterone, the hormone in the body that can help build rock-hard muscles, it was learned that baseball players on the St. Louis Cardinals had loaded up on extra large doses of vitamins to try to enhance their performance. This led Paul de Kruif, a popular science writer of the day, to comment: ''We know how the St. Louis Cardinals have won championships supercharged by vitamins. It would be interesting to watch the productive power of an industry or a professional group that would try a systematic supercharge with testosterone.'' Was that statement, about the pennant-winning predecessors of Mark McGwire's team from St. Louis, also a highly prophetic description of an experiment being tested now more than a half-century later? For more than a year, Mark McGwire has been taking androstenedione (pronounced andro-STEEN-die-own) or simply ''andro'' as the athletes call it, an over-the-counter supplement that converts to testosterone in the body. Though Mr. McGwire and others say it has helped him to a banner homerun season, surprisingly little is known about androstenedione, including whether it works at all.
And other major questions remain unanswered: Is taking andro safe, and what are the long-term effects of using the supplement? Androstenedione is a ''pre-hormone,'' meaning that it is a precursor that is converted into testosterone. Testosterone is produced mainly in the male testes (and, to a lesser extent, in the adrenal glands and in a woman's ovaries) and is responsible for male characteristics like increased muscle, facial hair and a deep voice. Elevated levels of testosterone also enable athletes to work out harder and recover more quickly. Androstenedione was first developed in the 1970's by East German scientists to try to enhance their athletes' Olympic performances. The substance was introduced commercially in this country two years ago by Patrick Arnold, a chemist, as president of Seymour Bio-Organics of Seymour, Ill. Manufacturers assert that a 100-milligram dose of androstenedione increases testosterone levels by 300 percent and lasts for about three hours. Although androstenedione, which is in a class called C-19 steroids, is inactive when it first enters the body, it quickly becomes anabolic and converts into testosterone to produce muscle growth like other anabolic steroids. Unlike many anabolic steroids, which are widely banned, it is allowed in professional baseball. But it is banned by other sports governing bodies, including the National Football League and the International Olympic Committee. Anyone can buy andro as a result of 1994 drug deregulation laws. But some stores refuse to stock it because of possible risks.
Dr. Linn Goldberg, professor of medicine and head of the division of health promotion and sports medicine at the Oregon Health Sciences University, sees little difference between androstenedione and the anabolic steroids that have ignited controversy in sports throughout the years. ''When androstenedione is converted to testosterone, it is no different than taking anabolic steroids,'' he said. ''It's an attempt to cheat to improve your performance, by unnaturally boosting your testosterone levels.''
Another reason some athletes may use androstenedione is its suspected ability to mask the illegal use of testosterone. To Jeffrey Brown, an endocrinologist at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston, ''There's no question that androstenedione could be used very effectively to escape detection of testosterone use.''
Dr. Don H. Catlin, a professor of medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, added, ''In today's world, athletes who are determined to cheat know that natural substances are the way to, because they are so difficult to detect.'' Other detractors point to possible harm in using androstenedione. Although scientists say there are insufficient data on this particular substance to draw definitive conclusions, the case against anabolic steroids and excess testosterone is clear. It is well documented that testosterone in excess amounts can be very harmful, especially to children and adolescents.
Dr. Goldberg believes that supplement manufacturers and athletes who are using androstenedione play down the possibility of harmful effects. ''They keep saying androstenedione is no big deal,'' said Dr. Goldberg who is also a crew chief for drug testing for the United States Olympic Committee. ''But if it's not a big deal, why are athletes taking it? It is unhealthy.'' Steroid use can lead to a number of dangerous side effects including, lowered levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which benefits the heart, and lowered levels of harmful low-density lipoprotein; stimulation of prostate tumors; clotting disorders, and liver problems. Psychologically, anabolic steroids can make a person more aggressive and in some can cause uncontrolled aggressive behavior and psychosis. Cosmetic changes that can be set off by steroids include baldness, increased body hair, acne and breast growth in men. Women who are pregnant and men with prostate problems are specifically advised by androstenedione manufactures to avoid the substance. Teen-agers using androstenedione may also face increased risk of serious side effects. For instance, in adolescents, steroids trick the body into thinking it is older and can shut off bone growth, thus stunting height.
Dr. Goldberg and his colleague Dr. Diane Elliot have completed a three-year study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, designed to persuade adolescent athletes to stay clear of supplements like androstenedione and other steroids. Their program, tested among 3,200 athletes in 31 high schools in Oregon and Washington, reduced student-athletes' desire to use steroids and lowered new anabolic steroid use by a reported 50 percent. They used one of the lesser known effects of prolonged use of steroids -- reduction in the size of the testicles -- to drive the point home.
In a video, a 275-pound high school football player, is shown holding a frying pan with two grapefruits. He points to the grapefruits and says, ''These are your testicles.'' Then he replaces the grapefruit with peanuts and says: ''These are your testicles when you use steroids. Any questions?'' Dr. Goldberg pointed out that the reduction to peanut-size testicles was factual.
In the 1940's, not long after the discovery and isolation of testosterone, the hormone in the body that can help build rock-hard muscles, it was learned that baseball players on the St. Louis Cardinals had loaded up on extra large doses of vitamins to try to enhance their performance. This led Paul de Kruif, a popular science writer of the day, to comment: ''We know how the St. Louis Cardinals have won championships supercharged by vitamins. It would be interesting to watch the productive power of an industry or a professional group that would try a systematic supercharge with testosterone.'' Was that statement, about the pennant-winning predecessors of Mark McGwire's team from St. Louis, also a highly prophetic description of an experiment being tested now more than a half-century later? For more than a year, Mark McGwire has been taking androstenedione (pronounced andro-STEEN-die-own) or simply ''andro'' as the athletes call it, an over-the-counter supplement that converts to testosterone in the body. Though Mr. McGwire and others say it has helped him to a banner homerun season, surprisingly little is known about androstenedione, including whether it works at all.
And other major questions remain unanswered: Is taking andro safe, and what are the long-term effects of using the supplement? Androstenedione is a ''pre-hormone,'' meaning that it is a precursor that is converted into testosterone. Testosterone is produced mainly in the male testes (and, to a lesser extent, in the adrenal glands and in a woman's ovaries) and is responsible for male characteristics like increased muscle, facial hair and a deep voice. Elevated levels of testosterone also enable athletes to work out harder and recover more quickly. Androstenedione was first developed in the 1970's by East German scientists to try to enhance their athletes' Olympic performances. The substance was introduced commercially in this country two years ago by Patrick Arnold, a chemist, as president of Seymour Bio-Organics of Seymour, Ill. Manufacturers assert that a 100-milligram dose of androstenedione increases testosterone levels by 300 percent and lasts for about three hours. Although androstenedione, which is in a class called C-19 steroids, is inactive when it first enters the body, it quickly becomes anabolic and converts into testosterone to produce muscle growth like other anabolic steroids. Unlike many anabolic steroids, which are widely banned, it is allowed in professional baseball. But it is banned by other sports governing bodies, including the National Football League and the International Olympic Committee. Anyone can buy andro as a result of 1994 drug deregulation laws. But some stores refuse to stock it because of possible risks.
Dr. Linn Goldberg, professor of medicine and head of the division of health promotion and sports medicine at the Oregon Health Sciences University, sees little difference between androstenedione and the anabolic steroids that have ignited controversy in sports throughout the years. ''When androstenedione is converted to testosterone, it is no different than taking anabolic steroids,'' he said. ''It's an attempt to cheat to improve your performance, by unnaturally boosting your testosterone levels.''
Another reason some athletes may use androstenedione is its suspected ability to mask the illegal use of testosterone. To Jeffrey Brown, an endocrinologist at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston, ''There's no question that androstenedione could be used very effectively to escape detection of testosterone use.''
Dr. Don H. Catlin, a professor of medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, added, ''In today's world, athletes who are determined to cheat know that natural substances are the way to, because they are so difficult to detect.'' Other detractors point to possible harm in using androstenedione. Although scientists say there are insufficient data on this particular substance to draw definitive conclusions, the case against anabolic steroids and excess testosterone is clear. It is well documented that testosterone in excess amounts can be very harmful, especially to children and adolescents.
Dr. Goldberg believes that supplement manufacturers and athletes who are using androstenedione play down the possibility of harmful effects. ''They keep saying androstenedione is no big deal,'' said Dr. Goldberg who is also a crew chief for drug testing for the United States Olympic Committee. ''But if it's not a big deal, why are athletes taking it? It is unhealthy.'' Steroid use can lead to a number of dangerous side effects including, lowered levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which benefits the heart, and lowered levels of harmful low-density lipoprotein; stimulation of prostate tumors; clotting disorders, and liver problems. Psychologically, anabolic steroids can make a person more aggressive and in some can cause uncontrolled aggressive behavior and psychosis. Cosmetic changes that can be set off by steroids include baldness, increased body hair, acne and breast growth in men. Women who are pregnant and men with prostate problems are specifically advised by androstenedione manufactures to avoid the substance. Teen-agers using androstenedione may also face increased risk of serious side effects. For instance, in adolescents, steroids trick the body into thinking it is older and can shut off bone growth, thus stunting height.
Dr. Goldberg and his colleague Dr. Diane Elliot have completed a three-year study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, designed to persuade adolescent athletes to stay clear of supplements like androstenedione and other steroids. Their program, tested among 3,200 athletes in 31 high schools in Oregon and Washington, reduced student-athletes' desire to use steroids and lowered new anabolic steroid use by a reported 50 percent. They used one of the lesser known effects of prolonged use of steroids -- reduction in the size of the testicles -- to drive the point home.
In a video, a 275-pound high school football player, is shown holding a frying pan with two grapefruits. He points to the grapefruits and says, ''These are your testicles.'' Then he replaces the grapefruit with peanuts and says: ''These are your testicles when you use steroids. Any questions?'' Dr. Goldberg pointed out that the reduction to peanut-size testicles was factual.
