1. Anabolic Steroids and Drug Abuse in Sports
Drugs and Our Society
Part 12
CJUS/HPE 151

2. Historical Use Not a recent phenomena
- chemicals used to enhance performance
- old as sports itself
Athlete drug use
- early concoctions made sense
- placebo effect
- just thinking / improves performance
- increase abilities

3. Historical Use, cont. No longer believe: - ground hooves of an ass
- but belief in the powder
- enhance competitor’s self-confidence
- why take chances?
Greek Olympians
- herbs / mushrooms
- pharmaceutical action (stimulant)

4. Historical Use, cont. a. Aztec athletes - cactus based stimulant
- resembled strychnine
b. Competition developed
- tribal societies
- war or hunting
c. Various psychoactive plants
- battles and hunting

5. Historical Use, cont. d. Used in sports from beginning
Early use of stimulants
- 1800s / early 1900s
- three types:
a. Strychnine
- rat poison
- CNS stimulant (low doses)
- larger doses = brain seizures

6. Historical Use, cont. - convulsions / death
(1) Boxers: increased aggressiveness
- kept from tiring
(2) Thomas Hicks: 1904 Olympics
- collapsed end of marathon
- brandy and strychnine
(3) Amphetamines

7. Historical Use, cont. - dangerous drugs less attractive
(4) Strychnine use continued
- world competition into 1960s
b. Cocaine
- available in 1800s
- Mariani’s Coca Wine (French cycle)
- “wine for athletes”
- pure cocaine was adopted (potent)

8. Historical Use, cont. c. Caffeine - coffee as a mild stimulant
- pure caffeine / caffeine tablets
- numerous reports of ‘doping’
- swimmers / cyclists / boxers / runners / etc
Then as now
- suspicion raised by losers
a. Word “dope” applied
- Dutch word used in So. Africa
- cheap brandy

9. Historical Use, cont. - given to: race horses / racing dogs
- to slow down
b. From horses to people
- improve performance
- people / animals same substances
- coca wine / cocaine
- before drug testing days
Amphetamines

10. Historical Use, cont. - unknown when started (stimulant effect)
- not long after introduction (1930s)
a. Widely used in world
- during WWII
b s / 1950s: reports of pep pills
- professional soccer players (England /
Italy)
- boxers / cyclists: new energy source

11. Historical Use, cont. a. More potent than caffeine
- longer lasting than cocaine
- safer than strychnine
b. Ideal ergogenic drug
- “energy producing”
- both training / competition
1952: Winter Olympics (Oslo)

12. Historical Use, cont.
- syringes / broken ampoules in speed skating locker room
- indication: amphetamine presence
a : Summer Olympics (Helsinki)
: Melbourne Olympics
- several deaths attributed to drugs
b : Olympic Games (Rome)
- amphetamine spread to most sports

13. Historical Use, cont. - Danish cyclist died / others collapsed
- “sunstroke” aided by amphetamines
- blood flow / to cool body
c. Led to investigation
- anti-doping laws (Belgium / France)
- others, less concerned
International drug testing
- began testing / sporadic / cycling

14. Historical Use, cont. a. 1960s: athletes refusing
- failing tests / disqualified
b. Early testing efforts:
- not prevent death of Tommy Simpson
- ex-world cycling champion
: Tour de France
c. Seen on TV / drugs found in luggage
- two types amphetamines

15. Historical Use, cont. 1968: IOC – disqualify any who refuse test
- or using banned drugs
a. Started in Mexico City
- fewer than 700 urine tests
b. Each subsequent competition
- more testing
- more disqualifications
- more controversy

16. Historical Use, cont. United States / drug usage in sports
- did not seem concerned
s / 1970s reports: football players
a. Amphetamine use: major change in US
- stay awake / extra energy / lose weight
b. Legal / harmless pep pills
- football teams ordered large quantities
- routine supplies / trainers dispersed

17. Historical Use, cont. End of 60s: considered drugs of abuse
- dangerous / violent behavior
a. Players sued NFL
- allowed / required to play
b : officially banned
- physicians / trainers no longer dispense
- no longer condoned by NFL
- did little to enforce / request copies

18. Historical Use, cont. c. Athletes: own physician / illegal means
- NFL: players get them / own business
- not push athletes beyond endurance
d. Current policy:
- restricts use of amphetamines
- other drugs
- no matter where obtained
Steroids

19. Steroids - WWII: malnourished people
- gain weight / build up more rapidly
- given male hormone testosterone
a. Testosterone
- male sex hormone
- two major effects
b. Androgenic effects
- masculinizing actions

20. Steroids, cont. (1) Growth of reproductive organs (2) Deepening voice
(3) Increased facial hair
c. Anabolic effects
- promote constructive metabolism
- building tissue

21. Steroids, cont. (1) Muscle mass - arms / legs / stomach / chest
(2) Internal organs
- heart muscle / liver / lungs
(3) Control body fat
- limits throughout body
- reduces around waist

22. Steroids, cont. (4) Protein synthesis - burn more fat
(5) Increase calcium
- stronger bones
1950s: synthesize various steroids
- fewer androgenic effects
- more anabolic
- “anabolic steroids” (none entirely free)

23. Steroids, cont. a. Soviet Union: large scale - build up athletes
Olympics: straight testosterone
- excessive doses
- unfortunate side effects
b. Helps men / women become muscular
- masculinity effects on women
- enlarged prostate on men
- both definite drawbacks

24. Steroids, cont. c. US team physician:
- help develop / test anabolic steroids
- quickly adopted (weight lifters / body
builders)
d. American / British
- first to acknowledge use
- discus / shotput events
e. Widespread use in 1960s

25. Steroids, cont. - throughout track / field
f. Drugs not officially banned
- nor tested for until 1970s
g Olympics:
- East German swim coach
- women swimmers have deep voices
- “come to swim / not to sing”

26. Steroids, cont. Whether effect or not: CONTROVERSIAL
- medical position: they are not
- lore in locker room was different
a. Anabolic steroids
- make anyone bigger / stronger
- more masculine looking
b. Apparent: more faith in locker room talk
- taking no chances

27. Steroids, cont. Physician’s Desk Reference:
- “Anabolic steroids have not been shown to enhance athletic ability.”
a. Tell to Ben Johnson (Canadian )
- record in 100 meter run
- or competitors
b. Testosterone has tremendous effect on
muscle mass during puberty

28. Steroids, cont. c. What is not so clear: the impact of
- additional anabolic stimulation
- adolescent / adult males
- have normal circulating levels
REGULATION
- drug produces: dependence / violent crime /
toxic side effects
- justification to place restrictions

29. Regulation, cont. a. 1988: Congressional Hearings
- place on controlled substances list
b. Evidence presented:
- large black market ($100 million year)
- concern for youth (more ‘macho’)
c : Omnibus Crime Control Act
- listed under Schedule III
- controlled substance

30. Regulation, cont. - required more record keeping - limited refills
Psychological effects
- on-going research
a. Certain beneficial effects
- increases amount of work in training
- increases intensity of effort in games

31. Psychological Effects, cont.
b. Negative effects
- stimulant-like high
- increased aggressiveness (beneficial?)
- psychological dependence (depressed)
- “roid rage”
Adverse effects on body
- many concerns about use
a. Not achieve full height

32. Adverse Effects, cont. - premature closing of growth plates of
long bones
- limits adult height
b. Cysts on liver
- high blood pressure / heart disease
Other dietary supplements
a. Androstenedione

33. Dietary Supplements, cont.
- acts as metabolic precursor to
testosterone
- available as ‘ergogenic agent’
b. Mark McGwire
hitting season (70 home runs)
- used this supplement (legal)
c. No other sport allows except baseball