BANNED STEROIDS

What are anabolic steroids?
Steroids are hormones. Anabolic steroids or more precisely, anabolic/androgenic steroids are also referred to as ergogenic or performance-enhancing drugs. They are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, a natural male hormone.

Most healthy males produce between 2 to 10 milligrams of testosterone a day. The hormone's anabolic effect promotes retention of nitrogen, and this helps muscle growth. It helps the male reproductive system to grow during puberty, assists with the growth of body hair, and the deepening of the voice. Today, anabolic steroids are chemically manufactured. Steroids can be administered by injection, or can be taken orally. Injectable steroids are longer lasting in the body and can be detected in the body for a longer period of time.

How do anabolic steroids work in the body?
The body produces testosterone predominantly in the testes in the male, and adrenal glands in the female. During puberty the testes (20 or 40 fold increase compared to early childhood levels) release testosterone. This hormone is largely responsible for the changes in muscle, bone structure and density.

Who uses anabolic steroids and why?
When athletes use steroids they might believe that steroids will give them a "winning edge," in developing their power and strength, and increase recovery from heavy workouts. Fuller and LaFountain (1987) found that athletes rationalized their use by trying to justify that using steroids caused no harm either to themselves or to others. Also, individuals perceived their competitors were taking anabolic drugs, so they needed to use to compete at the same level.

Some individuals use steroids because they perceive that increased muscle mass improves their appearance (Yesalis, 1998). Mottram (1996) has suggested that social norms about "bigger being better," feelings of inadequacy, and low self-esteem may influence the younger generation's use of steroids .

How prevalent is the use of steroids?
Surveys and anecdotal evidence indicate that the rate of non-medical steroid use may be increasing. Reports of steroid use indicate that between 250,000 and 1 million individuals use. According to Yesalis (1998) more than 300,000 used steroids during one year. The National Institute of Health (1999) reported that 2.9% of 12th graders used steroids.

Which anabolic drugs does the NCAA ban?

Boldenone
Testosterone
Dromostanolone
Dihydrotestosterone
Methenolone
Norethandrolone
Oxymetholone
Clostebol
DHEA
Fluoxymesterone Androstenedione
Mesterolone
Methyltestosterone
Oxandrolone
Dehydrochlormethyl-Testosterone
Epitestosterone
Methandienone
Nandrolone
Oxymesterone
Stanozolol