Having read your recent piece on Mark Cuban's comments about anabolic steroids, I'm contacting you for the purpose of shedding more light on what at the very least is a conundrum. I think I can speak with some authority here. While I myself have never used anabolic steroids, I hold a degree in biochemistry, have run a fitness consulting practice since 1993, and prior to that, served as treatment director in a sports medicine clinic. I also competed at the national level in bodybuilding, my last contest being the 1982 AAU Mr. America. Most importantly, I was able to compete without the advantages of chemical enhancement, though today, in my 60s, I find myself wondering how much better I could have done had I gone the drug route.

The first oral anabolic steroid was developed at the height of the Cold War as a means of giving American Olympic weightlifters an edge over their Eastern Bloc counterparts. Working with CIBA pharmaceuticals, Maryland based physician, Dr. John Ziegler, MD put the drug DIANABOL (methandrostenolone) on the market in 1958. Ziegler prescribed 2 tabs a day (10mgs.) to the athletes with whom he was working. Eventually Dr. Ziegler lived to regret his work when he discovered that the athletes were taking many times more than his prescribed dosage. This should have been predictable, because a majority of world class athletes have compulsive personalities, and will do anything to win, even is it means risking their health.

Twenty-five years later, Beverly Hills physician Dr. Robert Kerr, MD was overseeing the drug programs of many Olympian and professional athletes. By this point the drug regimen consisted of oral anabolics such as the aforementioned DIANABOL, as well as injectible testosterone esters, human growth hormone, anti-estrogens, and diuretics. Dr. Kerr too was shocked to learn that many of his patients were "doctor shopping" and ingesting many times over his prescription. He should have known this, but apparently did not.

Much of the data surrounding drugs in sport is anecdotal. Ironically, drug testing was only begun in 1976 after ways to beat the drug tests had been developed. And while the public thinks that our athletes are clean, world records in strength and speed events have been falling like dominoes since that time. The IOC has no test for human growth hormone. They will also permit testostreone levels up to three times the normal level, though until the time of the last Olympics a level six times normal was permissable. Prior to the 1988 Olympics, Dr. William Taylor, MD was removed as doping control officer of the USOC for having written prescriptions for anabolic steroids and human growth hormone in his children's names and which he administered to himself.

Anabolic steroids work by allowing longer, harder training, with enhanced recovery. I've known many "gym rats" who took megadoses of anabolics and would spend five hours in the gym.......not training, but just hanging around talking. These guys didn't even look as though they had ever lifted weights. On the other hand, I've had many friends who took high doses of multiple drugs for years and today have no problems. Many of the problems linked to anabolic steroids are transitory, such as altered liver enzymes and altered lipid profiles. Other problems are potentially more serious.

There have been many which may or may not have been caused by drug useage. For example, in professional football, Lyle Alzado, who admitted to have had a $30,000 a year drug habit, died of a brain lymphoma at age 41. Steve Courson needed a heart transplant while only in his thirties. World Powerlifting Champion Larry Pacifico needed a coronary bypass procedure while in his 30s as well. Former Mr. America Steve Michalik nearly died from liver tumors and has since come out very strongly against steroid use. Marion Jones lost her Olympic Gold Medals and was sent to prison for having used drugs and lying about it. We have The Mitchell Report making a federal case over drug use in baseball. Admittedly some of this is overblown. But to answer Mark Cuban's comments about education and medical supervision of athletes on drugs. I don't think it will work for the very reason that while the athletes may know better, the compulsion to win may overpower their logic.

Having said that, I think that perhaps our culture has over glorified athletics. Take the money and glory away from sport and the associated problems, steroid use being only one among many, will wilt on the vine. Scroll down to view an article of mine.

Regards,
Jim Ganley

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