Steroids also can cause impotence in males. Females who use steroids may have problems with their menstrual cycles because steroids can disrupt the maturation and release of eggs from the ovaries. This disruption can cause long-term problems with fertility. Steroids taken for an extended period of time can also stunt growth in teenagers by causing the growth plates in the bones to mature too fast and fuse, cause irreversible liver damage, enlarge the heart muscles, contribute to heart disease and increase lipid and cholesterol levels, or other harmful side effects. Anabolic steroids are synthetic hormones that cause the body to produce muscle and prevent muscle breakdown. Some athletes take steroids in the hopes that they will improve their ability to hit farther, run faster, lift heavier weights, jump higher, or have more endurance. Parents should be aware that anabolic steroids are a drug like any other; in the USA, it is against the law to use anabolic steroids without a prescription.

The health problems caused by steroids may not appear for years after the steroids are taken. The risk of steroids causing bones to fuse early and preventing a teenager from reaching full growth potential is significant and is a high risk factor.

"Parents should talk to their children about healthy competition and drugs. They should ask their child what his or her concerns are and what are his or her coach's and team members' attitudes toward steroids," suggests Dr. Tynan. "Parents should encourage their children to prepare physically and mentally for competition by eating well and getting sufficient rest."

Parents that suspect that their child is using performance-enhancing drugs, should call their child's doctor. He or she may recommend that the child take a simple urine test at the doctor's office to detect the presence of steroids.

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The toxicology report on Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler released today implicates the use of the herbal supplement ephedra in his death, and underscores once more the dangers of ephedra use, particularly when combined with other risk factors.

An athletic boost in the short term may mean health problems in the long term for teens who use performance-enhancing drugs, warns a youth sports medicine specialist from the University of Michigan Health System

Proposed a warning label for all ephedra-containing dietary supplements. The proposed label warns about the risks of serious adverse events, including seizure, heart attack, stroke, and even death.

Wadler, who is attending the ACSM Annual Meeting in St. Louis this week, said that the subject of steroid use in baseball peaked in 1998, when Mark McGwire admitted to the use of the testosterone precursor, androstenedione.

Many physicians feel that some dietary supplements' should be considered drugs' because they contain known active ingredients, whereas dietary supplements' have little or no physiologic effects.

The average layperson might think age 10 a bit of a stretch. But according to several drug-use experts at The University of Montana, ergogenics aren't just for college and professional athletes. Their use starts as early as middle school and is common among high school athletes.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made an announcement that a series of actions aimed at protecting US citizens from the potential grave risks associated with dietary supplements that contain ephedra.

Leading research scientists are saying  that the detection of EPO and HGH abuse is quite difficult because they appear only in very very small quantities in body fluids. EPO increases oxygen uptake to the working muscles, and HGH improves muscle growth.

Parents don't have to sit helplessly by when they suspect -- or know -- their child is using a performance-enhancing drug. They should find out why their child is interested in using drugs and where the pressure is coming from. Is he or she getting wrong information from peers or from somebody at the gym?

Scientists are increasingly concerned that sophisticated techniques for evading drug tests will make it difficult for testers to catch athletes using steroids and other drugs, especially at future athletic competitions when genetic-based enhancements are expected to be prevalent.

The controversy over drug use in athletics has also led to Senator John McCain offering help from a Legislative level. Major League Baseball and the International Olympic Committee are continuing investigations and seeking out possible reform to existing policies relating to the use of steroids and other drugs.

 DEA And Illegal drugs  Drug Prevention Program  Steroid Precursors-Legislation  Testosterone and Alzheimer's Disease  Testosterone Gel  Steroid Use Increasing In Competition  Young People And Steroids

"We are not sure why women's testosterone elevation prior to competition is so much greater than it is in men. It is probably due to the fact that every day levels of testosterone are four times higher in men than they are in women.

Recent studies suggest that steroid abuse among teenagers is on the rise. The study indicates that students at the 8th grade level (and even younger) are beginning to experiment with steroids with little understanding of their potential deadly side effects.

USA Football has joined with a group of the nation's leading public health, medical and sports organizations to support legislation that relates to the regulation of dietary supplements that contain steroid precursors like ephedra.
 

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