According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association's book, "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning," steroids are organic substances in the body that assist with growth and regulation of a number of bodily functions. However, athletes and exercisers have found ways to synthesize these natural hormones and used them to enhance performance. The International Olympic Committee refers to this as doping, and it is cause for severe penalty in most major sport governing bodies. Wilmore and Costill, authors of "Physiology of Sport and Exercise," report that three classes of hormonal agents are generally used to enhance performance: anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and oral contraceptives.
Anabolic Steroids
Anabolic steroids are designed to mimic the male sex hormone, testosterone. Steroids are purported to increase fat-free mass and strength, and possibly aerobic capacity. Further, anabolic steroids are believed to assist with recovery from training. Controlled studies have demonstrated increases in muscle mass and strength associated with consumption of anabolic steroids. However aerobic capacity does not appear to be affected. Anabolic steroids also come with a number of risks. Wilmore and Costill state that anabolic steroid use can lead to changes in personality, reduced sperm count, breast enlargement in men, breast reduction in women, and liver disease.
Human Growth Hormone
Human growth hormone is a protein secreted by the anterior pituitary gland and helps regulate skeletal and tissue growth. According to the NSCA, no controlled studies have been conducted on the efficacy of human growth hormone as a performance-enhancing supplement. However, putative benefits include stimulation of protein and muscle growth, bone growth, increased fat-burning, increased blood glucose and enhanced workout recovery. Wilmore and Costill report that non-performance-related clinical studies have demonstrated increased fat-free mass, decreased body fat and increased bone density as a result of human growth hormone consumption. The NSCA warns that human growth hormone may also produce adverse effects. Researchers believe that disfigurement of bones, arthritis, organ enlargement and difficulties with metabolism are all possible risks of using human growth hormone as performance-enhancing supplement.
Oral Contraceptives
Wilmore and Costill explain that athletes have begun to use oral contraceptives to obtain benefits of the hormone, estrogen. Birth control pills are believed to regulate the menstrual cycle for female athletes and prevent performance fluctuations associated with premenstrual syndrome. Clinical studies have shown that, while oral contraceptives can help control the timing of the menstrual cycle, performance-enhancing effects are limited. According to "Physiology of Sport and Exercise," common side effects of oral contraceptives include fatigue, dizziness and nausea, weight gain, hypertension, blood clots, liver tumors and heart problems.
References
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle (eds.); 2008
- International Olympic Committee: Anti-Doping Rules
- "Physiology of Sport and Exercise"; Jack H. Wilmore and David L. Costill (eds.); 2004
