Anabolic steroids actually provide many benefits especially if it is used for medical treatment. However, its misuse has given the drug a very bad reputation. When you hear steroids, you will always think of its negative side effects. But when it is used properly and with the guidance of a health professional or a doctor, these side effects are minimized or avoided. Young cadet Matt Dear died of steroid complications due to self-medication. Taylor Hooton committed suicide because he wants to take a shortcut in becoming one of the greatest baseball players in his school. Jose Canseco admitted that he is on a testosterone therapy because of long term use of steroids but it made him one of the best baseball sluggers in the country. Chris Benoit murdered his family and killed himself because of steroids. All of these cases are attributed to abuse of the drug.

Any kind of medicine if taken at high dosages can be harmful to the body. People usually get the side effects because they want to take shortcuts. The culture plays a major role why there are a lot of people who are now engaged in bodybuilding. A bodybuilder said that taking steroids are common among bodybuilders. But the problem is they usually take beyond the recommended dosage. “You’re supposed to take just one a day, but the other guys all take five a day so I decided I should do that as well. It quickly became routine to take a pill before work,” he said.

According to Roy Jones, a substance abuse worker, the profile of steroids users have changed dramatically. “The average age used to be 34. But in the last decade it has gone down to 22 or 23. They are generally male and, unlike before, aren’t using the drugs to enhance performance but simply to enhance their image. The people I was seeing came from professions across the board - solicitors, bankers, people in average jobs. They wanted to lose body fat and to look toned,” he told the Dailymail.

A steroid expert interviewed by BBC said that the link between steroid misuse and actual behavior changes can be very hard to prove. According to Jim McVeigh of the Centre for Public Health of John Moores University at Liverpool said the evidence was “quite thin.” “To date it’s not been possible to prove a causal effect between anabolic steroids and aggression. Part of the problem is that a lot of the side-effects are self-reported so there is a high level of bias. Also, because of the nature of the drugs used it is rare to identify the exact drug used. It’s an illicit market - most of the drugs are fake or counterfeit and we do not know what’s in them,” he said.

He also said that any change on behavior of the user is difficult to blame on any history of steroid abuse. There are drugs which may be fine with other users but others may experience side effects. “But you can’t separate out the effects of the drug from other factors like lifestyle and personality traits when it comes to behaviour. Steroid use is just one of a number of factors to consider,” MVeigh added.

The use of muscle enhancers and bodybuilding supplements in the UK is still increasing despite strict regulations of the drug. It is a class c drug but most often it can be purchased at local gyms and underground markets. In the latest estimate of the British Crime Survey, there are at least 226,000 people who have used steroids. However, health experts believe that the statistics are way to low. They said that there are still a huge number of undocumented steroid users in the country.

Nick Francis of The Sun interviewed several health experts and some of them work in needle exchange programs. It was revealed that the majority of the needles came from steroid users. According to Dr. Ken Checinski, a consultant psychologist for drugs information charity FRANK, half of the needles they requested were steroid packs. “I do a lot of work with needle-exchange services, run by Addaction, the UK’s biggest drug-treatment charity. It used to be mostly needles used for injection of drugs like heroin,” he said. There is a huge increase in the number of users.

“Steroids definitely make people who are already prone to mood issues worse, and can make a placid person irritable, depressed and violent in extreme cases,” said Dr. Checinski. Anabolic steroids are also used in legitimate medical treatments but Dr. Checinski said that it could still cause mood disorders which can be depression or anger.

Another drug charity worker interviewed by Francis revealed the same facts. Roy Jones of drugs charity Turning Point said that the needle-exchange programs in the country are flooded with steroid users surpassing the number of users of recreational drugs like heroin. “We’re seeing more and more people come in with steroid use - from all walks of life, including doctors and lawyers. Their average age used to be around 34 but now a lot of users are in their late teens or early twenties,” Jones said. There are even students as young as 12 years old who are already interested in taking steroids.

According to Dr. Jim McVeigh of John Moores University in Liverpool, the increasing number is caused by people’s belief that steroids can help them achieve what they want at a faster pace. “We’re now seeing a much higher proportion of people turning to anabolic steroids as a quick fix. They take them too lightly. The number of users is definitely greater than stated in the official statistics,” McVeigh said.

Almost all bodybuilders depend on anabolic steroids to increase muscles and gain more weight. However, health experts warn them of the possible side effects of using steroids for longer periods and their tendency to abuse these drugs. “Having dealt with a number of steroid users over the years, I would say the steroids are as bad for the liver as alcohol. They also cause baldness and acne on the face and body,” said Dr. Checinski. “They don’t increase strength as much as size, with users looking big but not necessarily becoming stronger. But people with low self-esteem, or who feel pressure to have a strong physique, are most likely to use them,” he added.

Everybody knows that steroid use became rampant in WWE. Professional wrestlers and the company were even implicated in a federal investigation several years ago. People are now curious if the WWE was able to stop the rampant use of these drugs when they implemented their own version of an anti-doping policy. McMahon said that the current Wellness Policy is effective in curtailing the use of anabolic steroids in the sports. “Without telling you too much about it because we have some confidentiality. I think we’re ranking pretty good. We just don’t have any problems at all. None,” McMahon told Lockhart.

With the nature of the sports, it is still hard to believe that the company was able to halt all wrestlers in using steroids. We can still see wrestlers with bulging muscles and physique typical of a steroid user. If they could not find any wrestler who is involved in doping, maybe there is a problem in the steroid testing policy or their athletes are way ahead in beating their wellness program.

In the interview, McMahon also commented on the previous statement of his wife Senatoriable Linda McMahon. Linda told the Businessweek that there was no enough evidence that long term steroids use can have adverse effects to the user. “There’s not much information that you guys know about steroids other than the media is writing hysterically about them, and maybe they should,” said McMahon.

He emphasized that there is no extensive research on the subject even by the government. “I don’t know there’s really been any great research you can point to that definitely says this is deleterious to your health or in some cases it helps you or whatever. So I don’t think there’s enough empirical research done, certainly not by the government.” McMahon added.

Meanwhile, former WWE Diva Dawn Marie admitted in an interview with the Connecticut Post that she also took anabolic steroids. She said that steroids are needed for her to stay in the sport. “Did Vince tell me to take that shortcut? No. Did WWE? No. Why did I do it? Because I thought that’s what I needed to do in order to keep up… There was not testing policy,” she said. Marie is now involved in the Wrestler’s Rescue charity.

According to the survey of the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), there were approximately 3.4% of high school seniors who have used anabolic steroids. Some lawmakers argue that the actual number of teens using performance enhancing drugs could be higher. This is the primary reason why some states have not remove their steroid testing program in high school. Even though they have a reduced budget for the testing, lawmakers and school officials are still hoping that it can deter steroid use among teens.

Anabolic steroids and other supplements are not actually dangerous if it is used with medical supervision. In fact anabolic steroids play a significant role in the treatment of some degenerative diseases like HIV and cancer. It is also used in the treatment of delayed puberty and some types of impotence. Steroids are also beneficial in promoting the growth of skeletal muscles and the development of male sexual characteristics. In the case of dietary supplements, some of them may also improve one’s health. People who have an active lifestyle or engage in sports usually use supplements to augment the intake of necessary nutrients.

However, these products are not intended to be used by younger people. Instead of getting the benefits from these supplements, they may suffer side effects and complications. According to some experts, steroids use in teens could affect their physical development. They may never reach their full adult height because an increase in synthetic hormones may give a wrong signal to the body to stop growing. Taking steroids and supplements can lead to addiction which can cause depression and roid rage. Other side effects are heart problems like heart attacks and stroke, liver disease, gynecomastia, facial hair or a deeper voice in women, fertility problems, hair loss and many others.

Steroid use in teens is difficult to curtail because of the availability of these products. Although anabolic steroids are controlled substances, it is still being sold online and even distributed at local gyms. Dietary supplements are also available in pharmacies and health stores. These can be purchased over-the-counter without prescriptions. The worst thing is most teens purchase these supplements without any supervision from a nutritionist or health professional.

According to a sports physician, there are supplements which are banned just like anabolic steroids. Though products like creatine, HMB, alanine, caffeine, green tea, conjugated linoleic acid and medium chain triglycerides are widely used supplements to increase athletic performance and develop muscles, expert supervision is still necessary.

But why is it that most football players and other athletes as well are against HGH testing? Author of the book “Spiral of Denial: Muscle Doping in American Football” Matt Chaney shared his insights on this issue when interviewed by Soren Hansen Hygum of DraftdayDK. An obvious reason is that football players don’t want to be caught using this drug. Urine testing can only effectively detect anabolic steroids but not HGH. To test for HGH, NFL should include new methods of detecting this drug like the adoption of blood testing. However, Chaney believes that contemporary players are very wary of releasing health information they consider private, regarding drugs or otherwise. Players do not trust the management if they can implement it effectively. Reports shows that blood testing for HGH can still result in a false positive.

The reliability of HGH test is still the primary concern of most professional players. This is also the reason why the MLB players association is not giving in to the clamor of including blood testing in the collective bargaining. According to Chaney, the current WADA blood test for rhGH, designed to differentiate the dominant GH isoform from its bio-engineered clone, apparently is useless for battling abuse in any sport, much less the NFL. “No drug-savvy football player in America would be so stupid as to flunk this test, with its detection window of only hours,” he said.

Although he admitted that there is a new development in WADA’s HGH tests. GH-biomarker test is said to have a 14-day detection window which makes it a more reliable anti-doping test. But even if WADA was able to improve its methods in detecting cheaters, athletes are still way ahead in avoiding detection. Chaney said that a lot of players and coaches use low-doses of testosterone and hGH stack to make it more effective at both enhancing performance and evading detection.

HGH use is popular among athletes because it helps in rapid rejuvenation of depleted muscles. It will be difficult to prevent its use in professional sports because many athletes believe HGH helps restore joints from wear and tear or from an injury. “For size and power, athletes believe androgens, testosterone and/or anabolic steroids, are necessary in concert with “Growth” to achieve great gains,” said Chaney during the interview.

Chaney believes that HGH use in NFL is still rampant. He cited some of the allegations of NFL players that 30% to 50% of players are using human growth hormones. Tony Mandarich, a former Packers lineman, also said that a lot of doctors are prescribing HGH to several players. Mandarich also admitted that he used anabolic steroids and HGH while playing in the NFL. “Retired NFL players have told me a large majority of active players use rhGH, at all positions in any given year, and many retirees enjoy the drug’s reinvigorating effects long after they’ve left the game and anabolic steroids,” added Chaney.

Chaney was asked if it is still possible for the NFL to prevent HGH use in the sport. “I’ve virtually given up hope that any technology will ever prevent muscle doping in any sport, from steroids to hGH, and elimination is out of the question,” Chaney replied. The problem is on how to improve the current methods of anti-doping which will need a lot of funding. Chaney suggested that the NFL can place restrictions on player sizes to at least control the use of performance enhancing drugs.

Raymond Stewart who acted as her coach and trained other athletes was sanctioned by the anti-doping agency because of violations of many anti-doping rules. He was charged with violations of WADA policies specifically sections 2.7 and 2.8. Based on the Jamaica Gleaner report, the USADA ruled that Stewart violated several USADA and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules in last month’s hearing in Dallas, Texas. The trainer was also banned for life.

According to the Gleaner, WADA’s section 2.7 is about doping violation for trafficking in any prohibited substance or prohibited method. Stewart also violated section 2.8 which states that a doping violation of administration or attempted administration of a prohibited substance or prohibited method to any athlete or assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up or any other type of complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation or attempted violation.

Although the investigation was centered on Stewart, the testimony of Angel Memo Heredia revealed that Beverly McDonald was also using anabolic steroids. It was alleged that the couple ordered anabolic steroids and received shipments of the drugs from Heredia as early as September 2000. Heredia also confirmed the additional evidences provided by USADA like the cheques and Western Union payments which were used to purchase performance enhancing drugs from the supplier. He also testified that on September 2000, Stewart and McDonald paid him US$240 for the purchase of an injectable drug winstrol. He said that it was intended for McDonald.

Heredia claimed that he has a long relationship with Stewart which lasted for a decade. He supplied the coach with performance enhancing substances which were allegedly given and used by his athletes. Another drug which Heredia sold to Stewart is the blood boosting drug EPO. This drug is commonly used by athletes and cyclists who need endurance. Many professional cyclists like Floyd Landis and Lance Armstrong were believed to be taking EPO to improve their performance. EPO was purportedly given by Stewart to McDonald during her training.

During the hearing Stewart argued that the anabolic steroids he purchased from Heredia were for his own consumption and he never gave these PED’s to his athletes. He said that these were used to treat his football-related health issues he had suffered. There were also taped conversations which prove that he was asking information about anabolic steroids from Heredia. Stewart said that he just wanted to be familiar on how these drugs are administered. He said that a lot of people are asking him about these drugs and he wanted to give them accurate information on its administration and use in training.

For many years, Armstrong vehemently denied any involvement in the use of performance enhancing drugs. In his latest interview, he said that he was able to pass 500 doping tests but did not return any positive test for a banned substance. However, dominating the Tour de France for seven straight years is something that makes other people wonder. In a sport where doping is common, it will be very difficult for Armstrong to isolate himself. And with the latest accusation of Floyd Landis on his doping, the rumors will just need some validation from authorities. This time it could come from Novitsky who is looking into his case.

For the first time, Greg Lemond agreed on the statements of Landis. It can be recalled that Lemond testified against Landis’ steroids case but this time he believes that Landis is telling the truth in his claims of the systematic doping of the US Postal Service team and Armstrong. “I think he’s telling the truth. I think the level of detail, the descriptions, I think it rings true,” he told the Denver Post.

The 3-time cycling champion also hinted that the federal probe will unearth significant evidences against Lance. “The evidence will come from the investigation and I believe it will be overwhelming,” he said. Lemond, a long time critic of Armstrong hopes that he will be able to share his knowledge and provide important information once the grand jury asks him to testify.

Tim Herman, Armstrong’s lawyer complained about the leaks of the investigation to the media. “This appears to be a full-blown and largely unmonitored exploration of Floyd Landis’ patently unreliable and routinely changing accusations of possible improper conduct in the professional cycling industry at large,” he said in his complaint sent to the federal prosecutors. Landis sent cycling authorities and other stakeholders the details of Armstrong’s alleged EPO use and systematic doping program.

Armstrong is confident that he will be able to clear his name as long as there is a fair investigation. He also told the media that he hired the services of Los Angeles-based criminal defense lawyer Bryan D. Daly, a former federal prosecutor, to represent him in the case. Armstrong knows that the doping allegation is a serious one. This could ruin his reputation as a professional cyclist and as a role model for thousands of cancer patients who look-up to him as a symbol of hope. Armstrong is a cancer survivor and has been active in outreach activities helping cancer patients.

“Obviously, you need some legal counsel on this… I wouldn’t read anything into it. I’m 100 percent confident that there will be a satisfactory resolution for me,” Armstrong said. “You’ve got to protect yourself. You know, I think anybody involved should have legal protection, and know their rights and know what’s truly best for them,” he told the AP.

Thomas was one of the several professional athletes involved in the BALCO investigation. The athletes called in the BALCO case either pleaded guilty or convicted of using steroids and other performance enhancing drugs except for Barry Bonds who is still fighting his perjury case in court. Bonds maintained his position that the never knowingly ingested anabolic steroids.

The 3 judges of the Appeals Court unanimously rejected Thomas’ claim that her answer to the grand jury were literally truthful thus the conviction should be overturned. During the investigation, Thomas denied that he received anabolic steroids from Patrick Arnold of BALCO. Arnold is a chemist of the company who developed undetectable steroids which were sold to professional athletes. He pleaded guilty in 2006.

Thomas admitted that he got one legal drug from Arnold but not steroids and she told the grand jury that he never took any anabolic steroids. However, a failed test for steroids in 2001 proves that she was really taking performance enhancing drugs. She tested positive for norbolethone in a cycling competition in Belgium in 2001. She was banned from the sport for life in 2002.

Thomas’ lawyers argued that Arnold never “gave” their client with steroids because the drugs were supplied by Arnold’s girlfriend. They also claimed that the drug that she took was not included in the banned list during that time. Based on the court records, a testimony showed that Thomas contacted Arnold asking for steroids. The grand jury concluded that the word “gave” was also synonymous with supplied. It was also found out that the drugs were later identified by expert witnesses as anabolic steroids.

Judge Jay Bybee ruled that “a reasonable jury could conclude beyond a reasonable doubt” that Thomas understood the questions and answered falsely. They also upheld the previous court decision to allow trial testimony on the side of effects of steroids. “Evidence of the physical effects of Thomas’s alleged testosterone ingestion was highly material to the issue of whether Thomas knowingly used steroids,” said in the court ruling.

Some of the prominent people who were charged and convicted in the BALCO investigation were track coach Trevor Graham, Olympian track and field athlete Marion Jones and former Raiders lineman Dana Stubblefield. The court is expected to set the trial date on Barry Bonds’ case on Friday. His case was also delayed because of the appeal made by the prosecutors. However, the Appeals Court denied the inclusion of evidences without the testimony of his trainer, Greg Anderson. According to the prosecutors, those evidences will prove that Bonds used anabolic steroids. It includes Bond’s alleged positive test for steroids.

According to Bud Selig, the implementation of blood testing in the Minor League represents a significant step in the detection of the illegal use of human growth hormone. The MLB has instituted a comprehensive drug policy in the minor league. In fact, they already handed suspensions to some erring players caught using anabolic steroids. “The Minor League Program employs state of the art testing procedures and the addition of HGH testing provides an example for all of our drug policies in the future,” said Selig.

For many years, critics has been very vocal on the inability of the major league to institute a more comprehensive drug testing policy which must include testing for human growth hormone. There are already many baseball players who admitted that they used growth hormones in the past. Some of them are Mark McGwire, Andy Pettite and Roger Clemens. Though Clemens still denies that he use human growth hormones or any performance enhancing drug during the prime of his career.

The failure of the MLB to adopt blood testing could be attributed to the collective bargaining in the league. The commissioner can’t implement any major policy without the concurrence of the MLB Players Association. Although, the players association indicated that they are willing to subject themselves to blood testing especially for HGH if there are already established and reliable testing for the said drug.

According to the MLBPA Executive Director Michael Weiner, they have been talking with the commissioner’s office on this subject for several months. “We look forward to further discussions with the commissioner’s office on this important topic, said Weiner. He also said that the top officials of the league did not discuss the specifics of their plan to start the random blood test in the minors.

Testing for HGH is considered as the first in the US for national sports. However, testing for this drug is already in place in the Olympics. Human growth hormone is also considered as a performance enhancing drug because of its anti-aging characteristics and it helps grow muscles. Most injured players use this drug to help them recover from injuries faster. HGH is not detected in urine. People who are against blood testing for HGH still questions the validity of its results and they consider it as an invasive procedure.

Gary Wadler of WADA welcomed the action of the MLB in adopting blood testing in the minor league. He believes that it is a significant step forward in curtailing the use of PED’s in the sport. WADA affirms their stand that blood testing for HGH is now reliable. They have been using the procedure since 2004 in the Olympics.

The allegation that Lance Armstrong has been using the blood boosting EPO for many years without being detected is something that should be taken seriously by the anti-doping authorities. Landis also alleged that the entire US Postal Service team was involved in a planned and systematic doping where blood transfusions are being done before competitions. The credibility of the cycling union is also at stake here when Landis alleged that Armstrong and his manager were able to bribed one of the union official to withhold a positive test for EPO.

The initiative of the US FDA to look into the doping allegation against Lance Armstrong and his possible involvement with other illegal transactions is a good move. This will help uncover problems in the UCI and other sporting organizations. The result of the investigation could improve the current regulations of the anti-doping authorities. And the most important thing is to punish those people who tarnished the sport of cycling for their personal gains. If Lance Armstrong is guilty, he should be sanctioned for his offense just like other cyclists who were banned for at least 2 years for doping.

The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency or WADA also welcomed the investigation on Armstrong. David Howman said that it is a significant inquiry. “The indications I have is that that significance is not going away. Therefore it’s of great importance,” he said. It is an important move to curtail doping in the sport and will benefit the countries who are involved in the controversy.

Although the investigation is on its infancy stage, Howman predicted that it could take years before the issue can be resolved. He even cited as an example the BALCO investigation. The inquiry on the alleged doping of Armstrong and the US Postal Service team is headed by Jeff Novitsky, the same person who spearheaded the BALCO investigation. “This is one where I would hope that it proceeds in a way that the evidence is gathered fully and properly and therefore less haste. I know that it’s going to take many months, it’s not going to take days. We might be talking about this still in 2016,” Howman told the Press Association Sport.

WADA is helping the FDA but have no direct role in the investigation. “The role that we play is one of facilitation. We are not primarily involved in the inquiry, we don’t have investigators, we don’t have the power to conduct the actual investigation ourselves,” said the WADA chief. Reports showed that the Interpol and other European anti-doping agencies were contacted to provide more information on the doping allegations. “What we can do with the links that we have is to ensure that those who do have the jurisdiction and the power, starting of course with those who have initiated this in the United States, can link with others who have similar powers in other countries,” Howman added.

Lance Armstrong already hinted that this year’s Tour de France would be his last. His retirement from the sport may not be a happy ending because of the possible charges that will be filed against him once the inquiry gathered concrete evidences on his EPO use, purchase of controlled substances and alleged fraudulent transactions. Armstrong maintained his stand that he never used any performance enhancing drugs to win his titles. Though, the Examiner.com published an excerpt of his book “It’s not about the bike: my journey back to life” that he admitted to using EPO. “During the third cycle [of chemotherapy], my hematocrit–the percentage of total blood volume flowing through my body–fell to less than 25, and the normal count is 46. Ironically, I was given a red blood cell booster called Epogen (EPO)…It was the only thing that kept me alive,” Armstrong explained in his book.