June 25th, 2008
According to a recent study, participation in sports with real or perceived requirements motivates teens to adapt aggressive weight control behaviors including use of anabolic steroids. The study conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota was published in 2007 in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Ballet, sports, and wrestling are some of the sports that are linked with this weight control practice among teenagers. The study found that 6% of males between the ages 12 to 18 induced vomiting within the week before survey. Those who are not into weight-related sports figured only at 0.9%.
Diuretics are also being used to maintain ‘ideal’ weight. The use of diuretics within the previous year was reported by 4.2% of males in a weigh-related sport, while only 0.8% of those who were not involve in this type of sport.
In females, steroid use was reported at 6.8% by those involved in weight-related sports while only 2.3% of those who are not participating in weight-related sport. Laxatives are also substances commonly used to control weight.
Said study has surveyed more than 4,500 middle and high school students from the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area.
Synthetic steroids are derived male hormone, testosterone. They are particularly popular in the athletics, especially in competitive sports, because they increase muscle mass and strength. According to anecdotal reports, steroids also improve endurance and accelerate recovery from injury.
The negative effects of steroid use may be due to abuse and misuse of these compounds. Users may experience health problems such as liver damage and cardiovascular dysfunction.
Steroid use is considered cheating in sports. It has been (and still is) a hot issue in competitive sports. And it looks like critics and supporters of steroid use could not find a common ground to talk about the many aspects of steroid use in athletics, including the legal and medical issues.
Supporters would say that synthetic steroids use is not an evil deed, as many suppose. Or, more to the point, as many presuppose as many sectors of society are not informed about the nature of these drugs, and yet are capable of arriving at derogatory conclusion. Stigma is almost always a product of misinformed or uniformed point of view; and stigma can morph into many forms that can further fuel the already hot topic. One such form is caricatures.
Steroid use in sports is quite a favorite subject of the art of caricaturing, and steroid users and supporters oftentimes do not agree with the portrayal. There’s this one caricature that elicits ire from steroid defenders, go to www.CartoonStock.com, and get a picture (or a caricature, to be more precise) of how others view steroids and their non-medical use.
True, supporters say, steroids do enhance the performance and physique of athletes, but several factors are required for an athlete to be the winner in the playing field. Also, using steroids is not different from enhancing one’s physical appearance through cosmetic products and surgeries. A liposuction, for instance, a surgical procedure used to rid the body off excess fatty tissues can be compared to using Proviron to avoid fat accumulation in the body.
At one end of this tightrope, are the critics who say that it is ethically and morally wrong to use these synthetic compounds as they cause undue advantage over other competitors. Therefore, whoever is found out using steroids should suffer punishments in the form of fines or ban from playing the sports.
Now, we ask when will there be a satisfactory agreement between these two sides? But the more important question is when will the stigma against steroid use end?
Looks like steroid are not only popular among athletes, but also among police enforcers. The ongoing investigation on steroid use in several police departments across the United States is speaking volumes.
The steroid scandal in Tennessee law enforcement agencies is intensifying, with the recent firing of Charles Cakora, an officer in the Hendersonville Police Department. And according to Drug Enforcement Agency sources, the drag net is expanding involving more individuals and more states in the investigation.
Police departments are also currently planning to implement random testing for steroids. The New York Police Department, which has the largest police force in the country, will commence with its random screening come July this year. The announcement was made last month due to allegations that a criminal ring was supplying steroids to police officers. The NYPD has already adapted a program in testing for narcotics on its 36,000 officers. With the plan steroid screening, NYPD is expected to shell out $1 million each year.
Boston Police Department Commissioner Edward Davis is also thinking along the same line as the NYPD. As reported by Boston Globe, it seems Davis would like to submit police officers to regular testing for steroids. Currently, the BPD is regularly testing its officers for narcotics like cocaine and amphetamines. Officers are only screened for steroids if there is a suspicion of using these controlled substances. This is because testing for steroids costs a lot more than testing someone for narcotics use. A test routine for anabolic would cost at least $100 while only about $25 can test a suspected narcotic user.
The BPD has been involved in a steroid scandal in 2006 when federal investigators has found out that three police officers assigned in the department’s motorcycle unit were using steroids.
Steroids, or anabolic-androgenic steroids, are synthetic derivatives of the hormone testosterone. They are popular in competitive sports due to their enhancement of performance and physique.
If athletes have their performance-enhancing drugs, the office workers and students have their brain-enhancing drugs or the so-called brain steroids.
Yes, there are now such things as brain-enhancing drugs which are used by regular white-collar employees can work harder, longer, and better. They are also used by students to perform better in their academics. These are substances normally indicated for narcolepsy and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
Users of brain steroids have two informal classifications of these substances – sleep-replacement compounds and focus drugs.
Caffeine and Provigil (modafinil), a drug used to treat narcolepsy, belong to the first group. Provigil was purposely developed to promote wakefulness in patients with sleep disorders.
Ritalin (methylphenidate), Adderall and Focalin are of the second group, which reportedly improves cognitive functions such as focus and memory.
Ritalin and Adderall are particularly popular among today’s students. And because of the rampant usage of these drugs, many steroids users – anabolic steroids users, to be more precise – question how it is different than the use of AAS in the athletics.
If the federal authorities are cracking down on amateur and pro level athletes who are using anabolic steroids, why not do the same to the pill-popping student populace? Is there really a big difference between a student using drugs to get better grades and an athlete using the same (well, basically the same) to get better points?
Brain steroids users, like their counterparts in the sporting field, also adapt self-experimentation when it comes to dosage protocols. Since the Food and Drug Administration is unlikely to approve these drugs other than for their clinical applications, brain steroids users will be on that self-experimentation stage for a while.
Although anabolic steroids use is not criminalized, selling or possessing them with intent to distribute is considered a criminal act under the federal law. Violations can mean fines or imprisonment.
Anabolic steroids are a type of drug which is closely related to male testosterone. Another name for them is anabolic-androgenic steroids. Athletes and body builders often illegally use this drug in order to increase muscle mass and overall physical performance. There are a number of negative consequences which may arise as a result of steroid use including heart attack, shrinkage of testicles in men, breast reduction in women, and acne. Risks are often higher in drugs obtained illegally. Today, all major sports associations (in a variety of countries) have banned the use of anabolic steroids.
This type of drug can also be taken legally through a prescription. Doctors prescribe these steroids to men who do not produce enough of the hormone testosterone, to those who are experiencing anemia, or as a way of reducing swelling. If you or a loved one is addicted to anabolic steroids it may be beneficial to look into drug rehab at a drug treatment center. Drug treatment centers offer a wide variety of programs and are essential tools in the recovery process.
Popular types of steroids include:
Anabolic steroid can be injected, taken orally through pills, rubbed on through creams and gels, or be used in the form of a skin patch. Injection is the most common form of administration and is typically done through the muscle of the body. In serious cases of abuse, up to 100 times the recommended medical amount can be taken. When a person takes two or more different type of anabolic steroids at a time they are taking part in “stacking”, a practice meant to increase muscular mass at a faster rate.
When anabolic steroids are used by those in the medical field, these drugs are used to prevent bone loss, increase levels of testosterone in those with low amounts, help those with cancer, assist in the process of puberty, encourage eating, and help those with liver problems. If someone uses anabolic steroids illegally they typically use them to increase muscle mass (which may also improve physical appearance), reduce the amount of fat in the body, and improve sports performance. Illegal steroids are typically taken by sports players, teens, and body builders but can also be taken by females and business men.
Anabolic steroids can cause a variety of symptoms in users. These symptoms may change the body and severely reduce levels of self-esteem. Call one of the many drug and alcohol rehab centers today before you face symptoms of steroid use. Symptoms of anabolic steroid use include:
Anabolic Steroid Use in Men
Anabolic Steroid Use in Women
The effects of steroids are proven to be very harmful, and although beginning physical effects may seem worth the risk, internal damage associated with these drugs can be irreversible. Drug treatment centers have been proven effective in treating users of anabolic steroids and many offer specialized treatment programs to promote a full recovery. Long-term effects of steroid use include:
Some studies have suggested that addiction can take place in someone taking anabolic steroids. Those with such an addiction may have difficulty stopping use of steroids and may crave the drug the more its use continues. Also, when someone addicted to steroids finally ceases using it, they experience pain similar to withdrawal pains of other drug types.
Addiction to anabolic steroids can be a complicated dilemma, especially when facing this problem alone. By calling a drug rehab facility for treatment for drug abuse, you will be given support to overcome your addiction as well as be offered individualized therapy sessions and programs. You may not be able to stop steroid use on your own, but with the help of a drug treatment center, recovery is possible.