This article is excerpted from NEWS NABBA, bodybuilding journal, Physical Culture, Weightlifting, Preatiletica, Dietetics.
Number 32 – November 1988. Directors: Dr. Philip Massaroni, prof. Carlo Altamura
Article Author: dr. Armando Grossi, dr. Roberto Salvatori.
USE OF ANABOLIC STEROIDS IN SPORTS PRACTICE
THERE IS NO ACTIVITY Anabolic Steroids’ androgens – the positive effect on growth MUSCLE IS PARTICULARLY PSYCHOLOGICAL – SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS AND TOXIC.
The use of pharmacological agents in order to increase strength & muscle tropism, has been gradually increasing in the practice of various sporting disciplines, in order to represent, in recent years, an issue of ethical health of non-minor. Among these substances, the most useful ones are the so-called anabolic steroids, which have features similar to male sex hormones produced by the interstitial cells of the testis, of which testosterone is the mixture simpler product. (IN THE PHOTO: liver cancer caused by the use of anabolic steroids. The liver adenoma was surgically removed).
‘S observation that these hormones, administered in hypogonadal males (ie, suffering from lack of testosterone production), had a significant effect on the development of muscle mass, has led to the idea that pharmacological doses (ie higher than those produced by the body ) of these compounds, could promote an increase in “lean mass” of the normal subject.
Physiologically, the male testosterone increases dramatically at puberty & is member of the hormone to the following functions:
Development of primary & secondary sexual characteristics (development of the genitals, tone of voice, facial hair, overweight distribution & muscle, prostate & accessory sex organs);
Desire & sexual potency;
Regulate the production of sperm;
Effects on various organs & tissues (red blood cell production, nitrogen balance, etc..)
The production of testosterone occurs in the testis, under the stimulus of hormones produced by the pituitary, the FSH & LH gonadropine (also appointed to the stimulation of production of germ cells), & these, in turn, are regulated by testosterone plasma concentrations dl An increase of this hormone leads to an inhibition of gonadotrophin; its reduction stimulates the secretion. Thus, plasma levels of testosterone are maintained constant from precursors of sperm & the ensured continuous production of germ cells, precursors of sperm.
It is therefore clear that the exogenous administration of androgens interfere with this regulation system, inhibiting the activity is hormone-producing gonadal germinative that, clinically obvious fact with the reduction of testicular volume (Marco Cappa et al.). It ‘was, in fact, shown that, in the coursework of anabolic steroids, the longitudinal diameter decreased an average of one cm.
For this reason, pharmacological research has focused in an try to fine-tune the testosterone molecule in order to get substances with the metabolic action alone. However, it’s not yet been synthesized anabolic steroid devoid of any androgenic activity.