Androgens

Abstract

Androgen abuse is the most potent and prevalent form of sports doping detected. It originated from the early years of the Cold War as an epidemic confined to drug cheating within elite power sports. In the decades following the end of the Cold War, it has become disseminated into an endemic based within the illicit drug subcultures serving recreational abusers seeking cosmetic body sculpting effects. Within sports, both direct androgen abuse (administration of androgens), as well as indirect androgen abuse (administration of nonandrogenic drugs to increase endogenous testosterone), is mostly readily detectable with mass spectrometry-based anti-doping urine tests. The ongoing temptation of fame and fortune and the effectiveness of androgen abuse in power sports continue to entice cheating via renewed approaches aiming to exploit androgens. These require ongoing vigilance, inventiveness in anti-doping science, and targeting coaches as well as athletes in order to build resilience against doping and maintain fairness in elite sport. The challenge of androgen abuse in the community among recreational abusers has barely been recognized and effective approaches remain to be developed.

Sex differences in elite track and field performances and inferences about steroid doping

“…The androgenic effects associated with testosterone were characterized in the 1930s and exogenous androgens were adopted in sport during the early years of the Cold War likely due to sociopolitical pressures to demonstrate geopolitical supremacy (Handelsman, 2021; Iyer and Handelsman, 2016). In this framework, several countries embraced a national system of androgen doping to improve sport performance commonly known as ‘state-sponsored doping programs’ (Fitch, 2008).…”

“…Androgenic-anabolic steroids are considered to be most effective among sporting events associated with maximal muscle power (Iyer and Handelsman, 2016). Additionally, they are likely more effective among females who have much lower endogenous androgen concentrations than males (Handelsman et al, 2018).…”

Annual banned‐substance review: analytical approaches in human sports drug testing

“…The misuse of pseudo‐endogenous and synthetic anabolic‐androgenic steroids (AAS) is still the anti‐doping rule violation most frequently detected by sports drug testing laboratories. Besides representing a major issue in elite sport, studies concerning motivation and lack of comprehension of related health issues continue to suggest an alarming situation also among recreational AAS users.…”