Critique About one Article of the Journal of Sport and Medicine

“Anabolic Steroids” A very polemic issue this days. I will make a critique about the article of the Sport Science and Medicine Journal called “Medical Issues Associated With Anabolic Steroids.. Are They Exaggerated?”. In this article the authors Jay R. Hoffman and Nicholas A. Ratamess explain about the “demonic” vision that people have about steroids and why.

They give a brief explanation about steroids and all the “supposed” side effects like Elevated Blood Pressure, Decrease Sperm Count, Testicular atrophy etc. and the good ergogenic effects associated with anabolic steroids like increase in lean body mass, decrease in body fat, increase pain tolerance etc. I am studying a bachelor degree in accounting even though this article has nothing to do with it, I am a licensed personal trainer even that I don't practice it right now, I have been around in this since I was 16 and I have see a lot of this, thats why I want to critique about this article that is of interest these days.

The Anabolic Androgenic Steroids have been used like Performance Enhancing Drugs for the last 55 years. This article explain that the existing data suggest that in certain circumstances the medical risk associated with Anabolic Steroids use may have been somewhat exaggerated, possibly to dissuade the use in athletes. The authors explain that the Androgenic Steroids are man derived synthetic hormones capable of stimulate protein synthesis resulting in an improvement of muscle size, body mass and strength. In addition are the responsible of maturation of secondary sexual characteristics like increase in body hair, masculine voice, sperm production, libido and aggressiveness.

They explain the supposed cardiovascular infarction that is the principal side effect generally associated with anabolic steroid use that is in both medical and lay literature. This is based on several case reports over the past 20 years. Anyway, direct evidence showing cause and effect between steroids and myocardial infarction are limited. Many of the case studies report normal coronary arterial function in anabolic steroid users that experience an infarct. There is also the risks of damage in the hepatic system. An elevated risk for liver tumors, hepatocellular adenomas, and peliosis hepatitis are often associated with anabolic steroids use. This is likely due To the liver being the primary site of steroid clearance. In normal healthy man the relation between testosterone concentration and liver cancer has not been firmly established. Anabolic steroids has been suggested to increase the risk of tendon tears in athletes. Studies have show that steroids may lead to degeneration of collagen and potentially decrease in tensile strength. Other issues associated with anabolic steroids are Acne, male pattern baldness, gynecomastia, decreased sperm count, testicular atrophy, impotence, and tranciant infertility. In females are deepening of the voice, enlargement of clitoris, decreased breast size, and altered menstruation.

This is an article that I am hoping to find later on in a commercial magazine of training. I completely agree with this two authors, these article was completely necessary. There has been a lot of time that I have heard patients asking physicians about some of the components of the mesotherapy like L-Carnitine and the physicians saying “dont use that, it could make you infertile or it could shrink your balls”. Please don't make me laugh, L-Carnitine