Anabolic Steroids

Abstract

The term "anabolic steroids" refers to testosterone derivatives that are used either clinically or by athletes for their anabolic properties. However, scientists have questioned the anabolic effects of testosterone and its derivatives in normal men for decades. Most scientists concluded that anabolic steroids do not increase muscle size or strength in people with normal gonadal function and have discounted positive results as unduly influenced by positive expectations of athletes, inferior experimental design, or poor data analysis. There has been a tremendous disconnect between the conviction of athletes that these drugs are effective and the conviction of scientists that they aren't. In part, this disconnect results from the completely different dose regimens used by scientists to document the correction of deficiency states and by athletes striving to optimize athletic performance. Recently, careful scientific study of suprapharmacologic doses in clinical settings -including aging, human immunodeficiency virus, and other disease states -supports the efficacy of these regimens. However, the mechanism by which these doses act remains unclear."Anabolism" is defined as any state in which nitrogen is differentially retained in lean body mass, either through stimulation of protein synthesis and/or decreased breakdown of protein anywhere in the body. Testosterone, the main gonadal steroid in males, has marked anabolic effects in addition to its effects on reproduction that are easily observed in developing boys and when hypogonadal men receive testosterone as replacement therapy. However, its efficacy in normal men, as during its use in athletes or in clinical situations in which men are eugonadal, has been debated. A growing literature suggests that use of suprapharmacologic doses can, indeed, be anabolic in certain situations; however, the clear identification of these situations and the mechanism by which anabolic effects occur are unclear. Furthermore, the pharmacology of "anabolism" is in its infancy: no drugs currently available are "purely" anabolic but all possess androgenic properties as well. The present review briefly recapitulates the historic literature about the androgenic/anabolic steroids and describes literature supporting the anabolic activity of these drugs in normal people, focusing on the use of suprapharmacologic doses by athletes and clinicians to achieve anabolic effects in normal humans. We will present the emerging literature that is beginning to explore more specific mechanisms that might mediate the effects of suprapharmacologic regimens. The terms anabolic/androgenic steroids will be used throughout to reflect the combined actions of all drugs that are currently available.

The actions and side effects of Anabolic Steroids in sport and social abuse

“…When testosterone is synthesised in humans, its isomer epi-testosterone is also produced ( Figure 1). After the discovery and isolation of testosterone in 1935, it was demonstrated that testosterone possessed both anabolic and androgenic properties [25,42]. It has proved almost impossible to separate these pharmacological activities [25,42,86].…”

“…Since the 1950's there have been advances in the medicinal chemistry and pharmacology of the anabolic steroids [42,78].…”

“…Alterations to the structure of testosterone, so as to improve the pharmacokinetics of anabolic steroids, have resulted in drugs, which are orally active, have a longer plasma half-life and may be administered as depot injections. Orally active anabolic steroids have a 17alpha-methyl substitution, which also increases their hepatic toxicity, while esterification with a long chain carboxylic acid allows the anabolic steroid to be used as a depot drug [25,42,49].…”

“…Abuse of anabolic steroids leads to complex behavioural, psychological and psychiatric changes upon which there is little agreement [25,42]. Many of the studies are contradictory and have been carried out in different and noncomparable groups of either athletes or non-athletes and often, different outcomes or psychological variables are being measured.…”

Effective separation and simultaneous analysis of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) in their pharmaceutical formulations by a validated TLC-densitometry method

“…In addition to their medical uses, AAS have been widely misused by variety of athletes with the hope of improving their performance [2,3]. The use of AAS in sports has been banned since the mid-1970s but they are still the most misused class of drugs in sports.…”