¶ … predict anabolic steroids on the controversial forefront of drugs that enhance performance. Halfway through the period, no attempt has been met from the governing bodies of sports towards the control of its use. It is only recent that North America's major governing bodies of sport came to an agreement of punishing and banning anabolic-steroids involved athletes from participating in any competition. The strict punitive measures have a primary development concern of promoting fair play and doing away with nagging health risks that are associates to androgenic-anabolic steroids. However, controversy is still in play as to whether the use of anabolic steroids is deterred by these programs in question (Hoffman & Ratamess, 2006).
The steroids, Anabolic-androgenic, are a derivation of the male sex hormone; testosterone, that is man-made. Physiologically speaking, an increase in the concentration of testosterone will stimulate the synthesis of protein with effective results in strength, body mass, and muscle size (Bhasin et al., 1996; 2001). Additionally, the testosterones together with its synthetic derivatives are the sole cause of maturation and development of the secondary male sexual characteristics (i.e. body hair increase, masculinity in the voice, libido, aggressiveness and production of sperm) (Hoffman & Ratamess, 2006).
The typical use of anabolic steroids by Athletes is in a regimen of "stacking" where the administration of several varieties of drugs is implemented simultaneously. The reason behind the concept of stacking is to elevate each drug's potency....
Majority of the users will consume the anabolic steroids in a pattern-like cycle, which is to imply that the athletes will administer the drugs for a couple of weeks or even months to an alternate cycle change of discontinued use under the same window period. The drug administration pattern by the athletes is in form of a pyramid followed by a steady dosage increase for a couple of weeks (Hoffman & Ratamess, 2006).
An approach towards the termination of the cycle leads to a 'step-down' by the athlete in order to cope with the negative side effects and its probable likelihood. It is the point where a number of athletes will discontinue their drug use pattern and even perhaps start a different drug cycle. A recent study has pointed out the involvement of 3.1 agents in the typical steroid regimen under a known cycle ranging from 5 to 10 weeks (Perry et al., 2005). The variation in the administered dosage by the athlete was a reported variation of 5 to 29 times more than the alternate physiological dosages (Perry et al., 2005). The higher dosages of pharmacology are a necessary embrace towards the elicitation of the desired gains by the athletes (Hoffman & Ratamess, 2006).
Anabolic steroid abuse
AASs (Anabolic Androgenic Steroids) are substances under control in a number of countries with inclusion to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and Australia. Moreover, their availability is readily accessible in sports club, black market, and via the Internet (Kicman, 2008). The United States is marketed by Greece, Romania, Russia, and…
