Illegal Steroids
Although not everything that goes by the name of “steroid” might automatically be illegal, most of the more potent ones are banned by international and local sports committees. Anti doping measures are extremely strict and the list of banned substances easily reaches 4 figures. The following article will cover some of the most common illegal steroids used in sports.
Ephedrine
Ephedrine is a steroid amine that is similar in structure and effect to other synthetic steroids such as amphetamine. It is commonly used as an appetite suppressant, stimulant or as a concentration aid. Although ephedrine is not in itself an illegal steroid, its use in sports is strictly prohibited as its stimulant properties give athletes an unfair edge. Some of the most important athletes detected positive in anti doping tests include 1972 Munich Olympics judo wrestler Bakhaavaa Buidaa (silver medal) and swimmer Rick DeMont (gold medal) and 2000 Sydney Olympics gymnast Andreea Raducan (individual event gold winner).
Amphetamine
Amphetamine is derived from alpha-methyl-phenethylamine and is an illegal steroid that is often used as a stimulant by athletes. In medicine, amphetamine is used to treat narcolepsy and ADHD but it is also widely used as a club drug. Among the most important cases of amphetamine use in sports, we can include 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics bronze-medal winning skier Alain Baxter, US baseball player Barry Bonds, or world record-breaking sprinter Justin Gatlin.
Nandrolone
Nandrolone is not an illegal steroid outside the sportive world, as it is sold commercially (known as Durabolin and Deca Durabolin). Nandrolone shares most positive and negative effects found with other potent, illegal drugs, such as muscle growth stimulation, increase in red blood cell number, heightened bone density, erectile dysfunctions, cardiovascular disruptions and so forth. Because Nandrolone is also produced by the body in small amounts, the simple detection of this illegal steroid does not necessarily earn you a ban as an athlete. In order for an athlete to be considered subject to doping, his urine test must show over 2 grams of Nandrolone per ml. A list of athletes that were found above this limit include: 1984 Los Angeles Olympics weightlifter Serafim Grammatikopoulous and runner Anna Verouli, 2000 Sydney Olympics wrestlers Fritz Aanes and Alexander Leipold (gold medal) as well as 2002 Salt Lake City ice hockey player Vasily Pankov.
Testosterone
Testosterone is a steroid hormone produced by the human body, primarily in the testes of men and ovaries of females, which regulates several bodily functions such as libido, fatigue and energy levels, protection against osteoporosis and a part of the immune system. Tinkering with testosterone levels can produce increased strength, endurance and muscular development, for which reason it is considered an illegal steroid in most sports. Testosterone is one of the oldest illegal steroids used in sports, the first recorded signs of use being in ancient Greece during the first Olympics, where athletes reportedly ate sheep testes months on before the events, in order to boost their power and muscle mass. Common testosterone esters include testosterone enanthate, testosterone cypionate and testosterone propionate. Since 1980, when testosterone was declared an illegal steroid by the International Olympics Committee, many athletes have failed their tests and were found positive with high testosterone levels: 1984 Los Angeles Olympics volleyball players Eiji Shimomura and Mikiyashu Tanaka as well as runner Gianpaolo Urlando, 2004 Athens Olympics weightlifters Albina Khomic and Leonidas Sampanis (bronze medal), or famous sprinter Justin Gatlin (who was previously accused of using amphetamine as well).
Besides the above mentioned illegal steroids there are several others that are constantly seen in anti-doping results. Examples include Metenolone, Furosemide, Methandrostenolone, Cathine or Stanozolol(Winstrol). Despite the fact that most of these illegal steroids can be easily spotted at tests in their normal form, new ways are found to administer them so that they are cloaked during the test.