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Effects Of Some Performance Enhancing Drugs
By Loring A. Windblad, Thu Dec 8th
"Andro! Hey, it's not illegal." So said Mark Maguire, Sammy Sosaand a host of other major league baseball players, some retired,who were openly using the drug Androstenedione into the 21stcentury. There was a Canadian sprinter not many years ago whowas stripped of his gold medal in the Olympics for having usedperformance enhancing drugs. Over the past 30 years or so therehave been many Olympic medal winners stripped of their medalsfor drug use and abuse. It's not illegal. I feel better when I use it. I don't get sotired in a double-header. I feel better after a good night'ssleep. But the bottom line is "It's not illegal!" Or it wasn't.It is now, in 2005. Should it be? Should the other performanceenhancing drugs be illegal? We really don't have all the geneticevidence in yet. Do performance enhancers, and especiallyanabolic steroids, have long-term deleterious genetic effects?We may not know for another 10-20-30 or more years? We may neverknow for sure? But the evidence of playing with chemicals is in,and there may be evidence to at least suggest (see artificialsweeteners) the possibility of genetic changes from prolongeduse. So just what are the major Performance Enhancers and what theydo, good and bad. Here are a few (following statistics from theMayo Clinic):
Creatine. Typical drug of choice for many high school athletes.Over-the-counter supplement best known for improving performancein sports involving short bursts of high-intensity activity suchas power lifting, wrestling and sprinting. Side effects includestomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and muscle cramps. High doses maybe associated with kidney, liver or heart problems. Seriousdehydration may occur from the redirection of the body's waterto the muscles. Possible leading cause of the death of a youngand promising professional baseball player in 2004. Androstenedione (andro). Proponents claim it boosts testosteroneproduction, which in turn increases muscle mass, energy andstrength. In reality, andro doesn't do any of that. The AnabolicSteroid Control Act of 2004 classified andro as a controlledsubstance, adding it to the list of banned anabolic andmaking its use illegal. In males it can actually decrease theproduction of testosterone while increasing the production ofestrogen. Side effects include acne, diminished spermproduction, shrinking of the testicles and enlargement of thebreasts. In females side effects include acne andmasculinization, such as deepening of the voice and male-patternbaldness. Andro might also stunt a child's growth. Ephedra. Ephedra is a plant that contains the chemicalephedrine, a stimulant similar to amphetamines. Athletes maytake an over-the-counter supplement containing ephedra to reducephysical fatigue, lose weight or improve mental alertness. InDecember 2003 the FDA announced the ban of ephedra because ofhealth concerns. Also known as ma-huang, popotillo and ephedraeherba, ephedra can cause such side
effects as strokes, seizuresand heart attacks. Ephedra can raise blood sugar and cause anirregular heart rhythm. Long-term use can lead to addiction.Check the labels of sports energy drinks or energy bars. Theymay include ephedra. Anabolic Steroids. Anabolic are taken orally or byinjection. In the U.S., this group of performance-enhancingdrugs is generally available only by prescription. Anabolicsteroids are particularly dangerous for adolescents becausetheir bones are still developing. The drugs can damage theheart, kidney and liver.Signs in males include increased acneand male-pattern baldness. If a girl takes anabolic shemay develop male characteristics such as deep voice or darkfacial hair. The more dangerous physical conditions, such asliver tumors, increased blood pressure and elevated cholesterol,won't be visible. Also, effects on a teen's future fertility areunknown. Teens who take anabolic may have angryoutbursts known as "'roid rage". They may seem unusually moodyand experience depression when they stop using the drugs. Othersigns of steroid use are paranoia, hallucination and psychosis. These are just the known benefits and side effects of theseperformance enhancing drugs. There likely are many other, verybad, side effects still to be discovered. If you are seriouslyconsidering using one or another (or more) of these drugs youshould do so only under a doctor's guidance. And my personaladvice in this regard is: get at least two doctors to agree toyour need. Need, not simple desire. Disclaimer: This article in no way should be taken as “medicaladvice” on any product, condition or course of action, nor doesit constitute in any way “medical advice” endorsing any specificproduct, specific result, nor any possible cure for anycondition or problem. This article is meant as a source ofinformation upon which you may base your decision as to whetheror not you should begin using any vitamin, mineral and/or herbalsupplement for better health, or begin using a “greens” productas a dietary supplement. If in doubt, or if you have questions, you should consult yourphysician and, if possible, consult a second physician for apossible different opinion. The author does not bear anyresponsibility for your decisions nor for the outcome of youractions based upon those decisions. Reference includes Author's personal experience and memory,previously published stories and USA Today Sports Weekly (drugstatistics provided by the Mayo Clinic) for June 8-14, 2005.Check this edition for additional and very frighteninginformation on High School steroid use. About the author:Loring Windblad has studied nutrition and exercise for more than40 years, is a published author and freelance writer. This article is Copyright 2005 by http://www.organicgreens.us,http://www.organicgreens.ca and Loring Windblad. This articlemay be freely copied and used on other web sites only if it iscopied complete with all links and text, including the AuthorsResource Box, intact and unchanged except for minorimprovements.
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