Supplements & Steroids

It is still debated as to whether mass building supplement use is a 'gateway' into steroid abuse but the general consensus indicates an increased risk. The common belief that 'supplements' are not dangerous has resulted in a considerable lack of research into their use among adolescent males.

Estimations in 2005 by the National Centre for Education Statistics, suggested that some 5,4% of school children 14-17 years old had used or were using steroids. Adolescent anabolic steroid use is an international problem, with prevalence rates among high school boys ranging from 5-11%.

Performance enhancing drugs have been around for centuries; the ancient Greeks used strychnine and hallucinogenic mushrooms in preparation for the original Olympic Games - the first associated death of an athlete occurred in 1886. The initial use of performance enhancing drugs was related to sporting achievement but today we see more males utilizing supplements for non-sporting gains.

German scientists discovered testosterone, the primary male hormone in the 1930s, and developed analogs during experimentation - this lead to the invention of anabolic-androgenic steroids. Dianabol was introduced to the market in the 1950s as a product to build muscle mass and strength. Steroid use in sport had reached critical point by the 1960s - the dilemma is the fact that testosterone is a naturally occurring entity in the body. Originally synthesized for legitimate medical practice, the effects of the drug have changed into a thriving underground market.

Body building is probably one of the greatest offenders with regards steroid use, yet 80% of all users do no competitive sport. Steroids are used to gain the competitive edge - however, the number of adolescents using steroids for cosmetic purposes is still on the rise. In addition to body image dissatisfaction and muscle dysmorphia, far too many impressionable adolescents are being pressured by coaches to 'beef-up' to gain advantages in the sports arena.

Supplement users believe that the product is able to build muscle mass - the reality is that gains in mass are predominantly water retention related and essentially no greater than a high-protein diet would produce. A huge industry hawks protein products, amino acids, fat burners, vitamin combinations, minerals and other exotic substances; the most common fall into four main categories:

·        protein supplements (powders such as Lean Gainer, Power Bar, Met-Rx etc.)

·        creatine (Phosphagen, Creatine Edge etc.)

·        ephedrine (Thermadrine, Dymetadrine, ma huang etc.)

·        adrenal hormones (DHEA, androstenedione etc.)

There are many components pushing a youth into supplement use; the ectomorphic child who feels physically inferior and is looking to gain muscle mass, the parental 'sponsor' who gives financially in order for the child to purchase these often expensive supplements, the ill-informed sports coach who wants the team to win at all cost and the profit-seeking producers and distributors of supplements. Take a moment to glance down the grocery isle that contains the 'safe' mass building supplements - the range is horrifying. There is no empirical evidence to support the premise that performance enhancing supplements are safe for use among adolescent males - users beware.