| Edge January 1, 2003
Anabolic Steroids and Women: The Increased Risk
Factor
Special feature by Alison Aulph, B.Sc.
|
A good knowledge of
training and nutrition can create an outstanding physique with plenty of muscle without
having to resort to dangerous drugs. Emmanuela Pintus is an all-natural, national-level
female bodybuilder who has won the Lightweight class at the CBBF National World Qualifier
-- a competition that is drug-tested by the CCES and Canada's IOC lab.
(photo June 2002 by Doug Schneider) |
|
According to the American National Institute
of Drug Abuse, steroid use among young women is rising faster than in any other segment of
the population. Until recently, the stereotypical steroid abuser was seen as the
aggressive male gym rat. It seemed impossible that girls as young as 12 would abuse
anabolic steroids. This article will attempt to explain this recent phenomenon as it
discusses steroids in general.
The history of steroids
The discovery of steroids occurred in Germany 70 years ago.
In the 1930s, Dr. Charles Kochakian, discovered that anabolic steroids when administered
to human subjects, increased protein production. This increased protein production led to
increased muscle growth. Steroids were so effective at rebuilding muscle that researchers
first viewed them as a miracle drug. People with grievous injuries or stricken by wasting
diseases could recover faster with the anabolic or tissue-building effects of steroids.
However, the anabolic properties could not be separated from the androgenic or
masculinizing effects of steroids. Women and prepubescent boys would exhibit unwelcome
side effects such as facial hair growth and voice change. Almost immediately, steroid use
for women and young boys was discouraged except under the most grievous of circumstances.
It is believed the first to use anabolic steroids to
enhance athletic performance were the Russian weightlifters of the 1950s. Steroid use
among athletes increased steadily in the 1960s and 1970s. Professional teams would employ
medical doctors to subscribe and monitor the steroid use of their athletes. Since steroids
were capable of building muscle and strength far beyond what naturally allowed, their use
was deemed as cheating. The ‘70s witnessed bans against steroids throughout all
sporting events. The first full-scale testing for anabolic steroids was in 1976 at the
Montreal Olympics.
Since the 1950s, a debate raged in the medical community as
to the efficacy of anabolic steroids. Studies were producing contradictions. In some, the
size and strength of muscles increased dramatically; in others, no increase was reported.
However, athletes continued to attest to the results they were seeing on the field and in
the gym. In the late 1980s the earlier studies were re-examined. It found the previous
studies, which deemed steroids ineffective, were giving subjects steroids without
monitoring diet and exercise. This concluded that steroids would produce the claimed
results only when coupled with a proper diet and intense exercise.
When it was proven that steroids would increase muscle
tissue and strength, the American government stepped in. In 1991, the Federal Anabolic
Control Act was passed making anabolic steroids illegal. Anabolic steroids are now a
Schedule III drug of the Controlled Substance Act, meaning they are illegal to obtain
without a prescription. Furthermore, medical doctors are prohibited to subscribe steroids
for athletic performance.
What are anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids produce greater-than-normal muscle size
and strength. They are man-made versions of the hormone testosterone. Hormones are body
chemicals produced by glands that affect the functions of body organs and tissues. The
hormone testosterone is produced by the male and female adrenal glands and the male
testes. It is responsible for the androgenic (masculinizing) and anabolic (tissue
building) changes that occur to young boys during puberty. At the onset of puberty,
another hormone tells the testes to increase production and release more testosterone into
the bloodstream. Throughout the body testosterone signals changes to occur such as
increased musculature, facial and pubic hair growth, deepening of the voice, and growth of
penis and scrotum. To this day, researchers have been unable to separate these androgenic
effects from the anabolic effects in steroids.
More than 100 types of anabolic steroids exist. They can be
taken orally or dermally with creams and patches, or injected directly into the
bloodstream. Anabolic steroids are used to treat all types of disease such as AIDs, male
infertility, cancer, and anemia. Athletes take steroids to increase strength, muscularity,
and reduce recovery time between workouts. The amounts taken by athletes are 10 to 100
times the dose prescribed for the aforementioned conditions. This is why steroid use among
athletes is usually referred to as "abuse," and why the side effects can be
dangerous -- even life-threatening.
How steroids work
Anabolic steroids build muscle tissue beyond what can be
achieved under normal conditions in two ways: by increasing protein synthesis and
preventing muscle tissue destruction.
Anabolic steroids must first enter the bloodstream before
they can work. Once in the bloodstream, steroids travel to muscle tissue where they attach
to the androgenic receptors on the muscle cells. They signal the receptors to produce
certain enzymes. In turn, these enzymes produce proteins and creatine phosphate. The
proteins are used for building muscle tissue. The creatine phosphate provides additional
energy to the muscle tissue, allowing for longer and more intense workouts. Combined,
these effects lead to the increase in strength and muscle mass that so many athletes
desire.
Athletes who train at high levels for extended periods of
time may decrease their natural levels of testosterone and increase production of
glucocorticoids which break muscle tissue down. Without proper recovery time, athletes can
experience weight loss and decrease in performance. Steroids block the action of
glucocorticoids by increasing testosterone levels above and beyond the body’s normal
level. The athlete can therefore over-train without the adverse effects.
Steroids and women
The most dangerous thing about steroids is that they work,
especially in women. Women have naturally low levels of testosterone compared to men. A
woman produces 0.3 milligrams a day of testosterone from her adrenal glands whereas a man
produces 7 milligrams a day from his adrenals and testes. Therefore, smaller amounts of
steroids will have drastic effects on a female’s performance -- but at what cost?
Masculinizing side effects
As mentioned, medical science has been unable to separate
the muscle-building effects of steroids from the masculinizing effects. When used for
athletic performance, massive doses are taken. And with these doses, steroids cannot build
muscle in women without masculinizing side effects.
If anyone has doubts to this, simply recall the East German
women’s swim team of the 1976 Oympic Games. To everyone’s disbelief, they
dominated the games winning medals and breaking world records. To everyone’s horror,
it was immediately suspected that steroids were behind their victories. It was obvious
that the women’s voices and appearance were masculinized. Years later, after the fall
of communism, it was finally admitted that the East German government sponsored a steroid
program that allowed the doping of all Olympic athletes. Massive amounts of steroids were
given to the athletes when they were as young as 14. Today the women still retain the deep
voice and other masculinized features. Unfortunately, these are the least of their
worries. Many suffer from severe health issues caused by the other side effects of
steroids.
The list of side effects specific to women who take
anabolic steroids is listed below:
- Deeper voice
- Extension of pubic hair
- Enlargement of clitoris
- Growth of facial hair
- Male pattern balding
- Decrease in breast tissue
Women athletes should note that these changes in physique
often remain even after discontinued of steroids.
The other side effects
As mentioned, the East German women suffer from other
steroid-related side effects. Heart conditions, strokes, chronic miscarriages, and liver
disease have made their lives a living hell. These side effects equally affect both men
and women. The liver is usually the most damaged since one of its jobs is to clear
testosterone from the body. Especially with oral steroids, the unnaturally high amounts of
testosterone may lead to many dangerous and life-threatening liver conditions.
- Jaundice
- Peliosis
- Tumours
- Hepatic cholestasis
- Fatal liver failure
The effects on the liver are the most deadly of all steroid
side effects. It cannot be stressed enough: these side effects can kill you.
The list of harmful side effects does not end there.
Steroid abuse has also been linked to:
- Infertility
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Musculoskeletal injuries
- Increase in blood cholesterol levels
- Glucose intolerance
- Cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart)
The human body, especially the human female body, was not
built to have high levels of testosterone. Using steroids for athletic performance can
jeopardize an athlete’s well-being -- even their life.
Why women take steroids
If anabolic steroids are such a risk, why would the
National Institute of Drug Abuse find the use of steroids is on the rise with young women?
The answer appears to lie in the changing face of women's sports. Never before has women's
sport been so popular or lucrative. This had led to more female teams and athletes and
more competition. Girls perceive the risk of steroids as equal to the payoff they
"may" receive from their athletic performance. That's why two out every 100 high
school girls break the law and use steroids despite the potential for acne, hair loss, and
the possible long-term side effects.
Below is a list of the four most common reasons women and
girls say they use steroids.
- Improve their overall performance
- Decrease body fat and increase muscle mass
- Increase strength and endurance
- To reduce recovery time
What's more important than steroids
Many of the greatest athletes have achieved their goals
without the use of anabolic steroids. As studies in steroids demonstrate, steroids alone
cannot produce results. Diet and exercise are necessary and hence can override or undercut
the effects of any amount of doping. The most recent research in athletic performance
demonstrates that sleep is critical to athletic performance as well. Without the
recuperative effects of sleep, an athlete's hard work can be wasted. Mental conditioning
has also come to the forefront. It appears that a positive attitude, visualizing, and
other "mind games" significantly improve athletic performance. There is no such
thing as a "magic bullet" when it comes to athletic performance. The mind and
body are extremely complex and can only be harmed by the unnatural manipulation of the
body’s chemistry by anabolic steroids.
Alison Aulph is a freelance health and fitness writer.
She has a degree in biological science from the University of Guelph and is currently
enrolled at the University of Western Ontario. |
