Anabolic Steroids . . . An Analysis

by Peter Spencer-Krause
Physical Education Instructor
University of Illinois

INTRODUCTION

UNTIL April of 1964 very little had been written in popular form about anabolic steroids. However, an article published in that month's issue of True entitled "The Pill That Could Kill Sport" blew up a storm of response that continues to show little sign of abating. Unfortunately most of the response has clouded rather than clarified the issue. A lot has been said but little has been shown. Thus it is my intention in this article to uncover some of the relevant facts that lie buried deep under a heap of suppositions and value-judgments. I do not intend to give any advice or any warnings-the facts speak for themselves, and if the reader cannot hear them it is doubtful that he would heed me.

CLASSIFICATION & CHEMISTRY

"Steroids" or "steroid hormones," to give them their full title, fall into one of four classifications depending on their structure. They may be either androgenic, cortical, estrogenic or progestational. They are usually artificially produced chemical replicas of a natural hormonal secretion produced by certain ductless glands in the human body. It is those steroids that fall under the general heading of "androgenic substances" that are the concern of this article.

Basically Testosterone, Methytestosterone, Nortestosterone, Fluoxymesterone, Norethandrolone, Methandienone, Methandrostenolene and Oxymetholone are the members of this family. The last two, however, are peculiar in that they have no natural counterpart--they are not replicas of a natural hormonal secretion--and therefore cannot strictly be considered hormones but should rather be referred to as steroidal synthetics. The others are all androgens proper, or male sex hormones and consequently have the effect of stimulating male sexual maturation with its accompanying masculinizing process. Thus "androgenic anabolic steroid" simply refers to a substance that is synthetic, growth-promoting and masculinizing in effect. The manufacturers of "Methandrostenolone," one of the steroidal synthetics, claim that it exhibits not only growth promoting properties "but also a marked production [reduction] or absence of androgenic (masculinizing) side effects."(1) However a leading article in a November issue of the British Medical Journal last year maintained that "All anabolic steroids so far investigated have proved to have some androgenic activity."(2)

It is believed that anabolic steroids facilitate nitrogen retention in the body and that protein is therefore more effectively synthesized. Even after continued administration of steroids when animals have begun to lose weight, it has been noted that the amount of nitrogen retention in the body has remained constant, and it has been presumed that the loss of body weight is due to body fat being converted into protein.

CLINICAL USAGE

Anabolic steroids have been used by the medical profession since as early as 1935. They have been indicated or recommended for the treatment of arthritis and states of general debilitation. Perhaps they have been used most widely in the treatment of older patients in increasing their weight and vitality. This treatment of such cases is no longer as common as it was.

EVIDENCE OF GROWTH PROMOTING EFFECTS

Much of the evidence is hearsay or circumstantial and consequently very far from positive proof. Laboratory controlled tests and experiments have been made, but the circumstances have been such that the conclusions have little relevance within the context of this article. However, a review and appraisal of both, some of the circumstantial evidence and some of the results of the experiments is, I think, in order.

It is true that a number of athletes have attested to the "miracles" wrought by anabolic steroids, but no physiological cause-effect relationships have ever been established by these people. Neil Steinhauer, the only shot-putter to have beaten Randy Matson in the last couple of years, admits that during the fall of 1964 he took anabolic hormone pills every day for a month, while at the same time lifting as he put it, "heavy weights." Six months later he put the shot 63 feet 5½ inches, over 7 feet farther than his best throw of the year before. He took the pills again, for a month, late in 1965, and in the Spring of 1966 he again bettered his own best, this time by almost four feet. Apparently Steinhauer definitely thinks that the pills helped him and is on record as saying that "they do stimulate muscle growth" however he added that "they're more psychological than anything else."(3) Needless to say no scientific data has been forwarded to show that his improvement was directly due to his taking an anabolic steroid.

Bill Toomey also owns to the taking of steroids. It seems that he took them in April of 1966, and in one season moved from sixteenth to first place on the all-time decathlon list. People have been quick to draw the conclusion that it was "the pill that did the trick." Toomey is far more cautious. Talking about the pill, he said, "I don't really think I can validly state it was an aid." (4)

One could cite many other examples, but the general pattern is the same. Even if the athlete does attribute some of his gain to the taking of an anabolic steroid, he is quick to add that hard work was the essential contributing factor to his success.

Unfortunately the number of scientifically controlled tests concerning the growth promoting effect of anabolic steroids on young athletic men are few and far between. However, one such test entitled "The Effects of an Anabolic Steroid on the Physical Performance of Young Men."(5) was conducted in 1965. Forty-seven men were divided into four groups: Eight were given a placebo, nine an anabolic steroid, fifteen a placebo and made to follow an exercise routine, and fifteen were given an anabolic steroid and made to follow an exercise routine. The subjects receiving the anabolic steroid took twenty milligrams per day. Those conducting the tests were unable, at the end of sixteen weeks, to find any evidence to show that anabolic steroids increased either performance or strength. It should, I think, be pointed out that the exercise routine lasted for only thirty minutes and was a "physical conditioning program"-it was followed five days a week. (This may well be the reason why there were no strength gains noted even though the hormone dosage was so high.)

Although few studies have been made which are directly relevant to the subject of this article, a rather large number have been concerned with the relationship of hormones to nutrition, especially with regard to animals. Nalbandkov, in his book Reproductive Physiology, confirmed the results of a number of studies in this area and stated that the administration of steroids "not only increases protein anabolism but also the thickness of muscle fibers as well as the tensile strength and working ability of the muscles."(6) However these results have only been confirmed in animals. Dr. Charles D. Kochakian of the University of Alabama has been responsible for much of the work in this area, and from a number of his studies it would appear that the response to the administration of steroids "varies markedly among different species of animals."(7) It would seem not unreasonable therefore to presume that if the effects vary between for example rats and dogs, it would be improper to draw any direct conclusion about the effect of steroids on human beings from experiments carried out on animals.

SIDE EFFECTS

There is a great deal of scientifically documented literature available concerning the side effects of anabolic steroids, and thus it is difficult to decide which effects and sources to review, bearing in mind the space available.

Because anabolic steroids are generally synthetic hormones, the side effects in many instances are far more evident in females than in males, and indeed some are peculiar to the female. However, it is not within the scope of this article to deal with those effects limited to the female except to quote one of the leading authorities on such masculinizing effects: "There is no excuse for giving a known androgenic steroid such as methytestosterone even in small doses"(8) to pregnant women because of the established masculinizing effect on the fetus.

Perhaps the most important and generalized aspect of anabolic steroids is their effect on liver function tests. All seemed to produce an increase in sulfobronophthalin retention.(9) This strongly suggests a likelihood of liver damage in most cases; jaundice and intrahepatic obstruction is not unusual as an eventual consequence. In the case of the newer derivatives of testosterone in particular, it is advised that regular checks of BSP retention be made. Not surprisingly, therefore, the manufacturers of anabolic steroids advise against their administration to any persons with suspected liver impairment.

Endocrine disturbances of various descriptions have been reported in adult patients, including acne, increased libido (in women, and decreased libido in men). Transient impotency has also been reported in a number of male patients, though the incidence has been low. (10)

Anabolic steroids appear to promote carcinoma (cancerous growth) activity in the prostate and breast and are consequently contraindicated in patients with such disease, either active or latent.

CONCLUSIONS

We have seen that very little scientific work has been done in attempts to find a correlation between the taking of anabolic steroids and subsequent increase in strength and bulk in young men; when experiments have been made no correlation has been found. We do know that such correlations, and very positive ones, exist in the study of animals, but these results strongly suggest that we are not entitled to presume that the effects that have been observed in animals will or can be found in human beings. We do know that certain unpleasant side-effects in human beings have a strong positive correlation with the taking of these steroids. It would seem, therefore, that the taking of an anabolic steroid involves risking unpleasant side-effects for a desired effect which is the result of a combination of very hard and prolonged work and a factor which may well be nothing more than a psychological stimulus. Certainly many desperately need motivation, but can you who have read this article get a placebo effect from something you now know is not only a placebo but also potentially dangerous placebo?

Footnotes

1. Pamphlet entitled "Dianabole" published by Ciba Corporation, 1966.
2. British Medical Journal, Vol. 4 No. 5575 11th Nov. 1967, p. 307.
3. Ecker, Tom, "The Pill That Could Kill Sport," True, Vol. 48 No. 359, April 1967, p. 37.
4. Ibid. p. 81.
5. Fowler, William M. Jr., Gerald W. Gardner, Glen H. Egstrom "Effect of an Anabolic Steroid on Physical Performance of Young Men," Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol. 20 No.5, 1965, pp. 1038-1040.
6. Nalbandov, A. V., Reproductive Physiology. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman & Co., 1964, p. 212.
7. Kochakian, Charles D. "Protein Anabolic Property of Androgens" Alabama Journal of Medical Sciences, Vol. 1, No. I, January 1964, p. 24.
8. Wilkins Lawson "Masculinity of Female Fetus Due to Use of Orally Given Progestines" Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 172, No. 10, March 5, 1960, pp. 118-122.
9. Marquardt, Gilbert H., et.al., "Effect of Anabolic Steroids on Liver Function Tests and Creatine Excretion," Journal of the American Medical Association. Vol. 175, No. 10, March 11, 1961, pp. 851-853.
10. Longo, Frank W. and H. H. Zinsser. "The Effectiveness of Anabolic Agents Nilevar and Colchicine, in the Therapy of Patients Who Form Uric Acid Stones," Journal of Urology, Vol. 84, No. 6, Dec. 16, 1960, pp. 76-77.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

- This photo of Chet Yorton former Mr. Universe winner shows extreme muscularity as well as great muscular size and he weighs about 210 in this photo but reports he recently went down to 190 and still retains most of his huge measurements. He does not approve the use of tissue drugs, but does use and recommend good food supplements.

- Harold Poole, whose fine back is shown in the above photo by John Mese, has just won the "World's Best Built Man" title promoted by Dan Lurie. Harold continues to improve and has developed very heavy back muscles. In high school Harold was a champion wrestler.