Here some interesting read I picked up from NOBULL.

Health Issues
Rick Collins is a New York based lawyer who has become a specialist in defending athletes and bodybuilders who have been indicted for steroid offences and he has as part of his preparation work carried out a very detailed investigation of the records of alleged health hazards associated with steroids and, unsurprisingly, has concluded that “the authorities have been less than truthful". At the same time he quotes another source who says, "athletes and bodybuilders have a very sophisticated pharmacological knowledge which surpasses that of the vast majority of physicians." It is suggested that some time ago some reports were published which were based on deliberately flawed research; ie the establishment deliberately set up research studies which were known to be un-sound as a means of providing supporting evidence for an anti-steroid stance. He (and others in the USA) has come to the conclusion that the authorities will not fund proper medical research into steroid use using typical athlete and bodybuilder dosages, nor will they investigate the health records of bodybuilders of the 50's, '60's and 70's because they are afraid that if they do they may get the wrong results and this would undermine the federal policy of criminalisation of users. Yes, that sounds about right for political hypocrisy. Never allow yourself to be thrown off track by a knowledge of the facts!!

Reading Mr Collins' web site, it seems that investigations of world-wide records on health problems revealed precious little evidence of anything serious which could be directly attributed to the use of anabolic steroids. Oxymetholone (Anapolon 50) is considered to be very liver toxic but even with such an aggressive steroid it was still almost impossible to find convincing evidence world-wide of liver problems. In addition, most work suggested that injectable steroids had little long-term effect on the liver. Chris Street who writes in Flex has said this more than once.

Does steroid use cause heart problems? Again there was little evidence of any. Most anabolic steroid users have low alcohol consumptions, are intensely exercising, have low body-fat percentages. are non smokers and as such are considered as low cardiac risks. Similarly, there was little evidence of prostate gland problems in steroid users - not even with increasing age. It is often stated that prostate gland problems are increased by those steroids which can convert to di-hydrotestosterone in the body because this substance is linked to prostate gland problems in older men. But there was no evidence to support this in bodybuilders and athletes. 'Roid rage is a popular side effect for media sensationalism. In fact tests carried out with large numbers of users in the USA could find little evidence of a difference between users and non-users! Just as many experienced feelings of euphoria when on steroids as had feelings of aggression or depression.

Doubts do remain about whether using steroids increases the risks of soft tissue injuries. Many Pro Bodybuilders have had to have muscles surgically re-attached. We all know, for example, that Dorian Yates has had a string of soft tissue injuries. Many other bodybuilders have torn pecsand biceps, etc. Last year even I (hardly a world class Pro!!) suffered a ruptured quadraceps which oven after 18 months is not 100% recovered. Soft tissue injuries can be a real problem. It is very possible these days with use of steroids and other substances, that some genetically gifted young men who are heavily committed to bodybuilding can, with proper guidance, become very large and muscular very quickly. Along the way they will develop immense strength and power and this strength can be too much for tendons, ligaments and attachments which are lagging way behind in developing basic strength to handle these massive loads. This can lead to progressive weaknesses and a pre-disposition to injury. There may also be problems from suppression of catabolic hormones which are involved insort tissue repairs.

The Anti-Drugs Industry
The DEA in the USA is an enormous organisation with branches operating in every corner of the world to monitor, control, intercept, interrupt, prevent, etc. supplies of banned substances from reaching the USA. It is at the head of a powerful American anti-drugs industry which has avested interest in maintaining a fight against every conceivable drug. Steroids and related substances are a pretty minor part of the activities of the DEA and, as we have told you in the past, some agents have suggested that chasing after bodybuilders is a waste of time. What are bodybuilders but healthy young men whose only crime has been to acquire some pills or some injectable substances which may help them as bodybuilders to build the maximum of muscular bulk. But, on the other hand, we now hear that there are some agents who get a positive kick out of sending a few big muscular bodybuilders to chokey for a few years for their horrendous crimes. Bodybuilders have thought for many years that many men who poured scorn on their shape, size and power were secretly jealous of their physiques. These sorts of activities by some DEA agents suggest that the bodybuilders were right all along! These monstrous crimes by bodybuilders have little effect on anybody so it is not likely that there will be many members of thepublic in the USA or anywhere else demanding action from senators or ringing up to complain.
Over here in the UK, when did you last hear of calls to the police or politicians about the problems with bodybuilders and drugs, ‘roid rage’, etc? "I wish to complain about all the problems we are having on our estate with muggings in the streets, boarded up houses with muscle junkies inside, the whole area becoming run down, needles and other paraphernalia of drug use being dumped in the corridors and passageways. Drug dealers selling their stuff on street corners, drugs being offered to children and so on. And ifs all caused by ‘them' bloody bodybuilders! Yea, it’s "them" big, clean cut, muscular men who spend all of their spare time down that damned Gym!! And, what, I want to know, what are you going to do about it?" It doesn't have the ring of reality.

The situation world-wide with steroid supplies is getting more difficult as more governments involve themselves in the pursuit of drug users in sports. Since last years' Tour de France and the sudden realisation that 99.9% of the serious bike riders use drugs, almost every goverment in Europe has been jumping on the bandwagon - examining every pot of piss from Stockholm to Palermo; after all somewhere, mixed up with the banned chemicals, everypot may contain a few votes!! There were many surprising facts that came out of the Tour de France story and I may write something about it in the near future since there are some factors of comparable concern to bodybuilders. In recent months there seems to havebeen a rush of athletes failing drugs tests -probably because of using prohormones - they may improve your performance a bit but they will increase your risk of failing drugs tests a lot - especially if you use the nandralone precursors.