Banned by most sports associations.
Although andro is a precursor to the male sex hormone testosterone (it is one metabolic step away from testosterone), it is available over the counter at many health supplement stores. It banned by the National Football League (NFL), International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). However, at the time that McGwire was taking it, it was not banned by Major League Baseball and that's why he could stay "legal". Currently, the league has asked its scientific advisers to study a proposal to put the supplement on its banned substance list.
Is it a steroid or a food supplement?
Supporters of andro say it more closely resembles a dietary supplement but the U.S. Endocrine Society (Sports Medicine Digest) clearly states that it is a steroid that is produced by the adrenal glands and can be converted into testosterone and/or estrogen in the body. The Society argues that it should not be considered a dietary supplement since it is not part of a normal diet.
What are the alleged benefits?
Manufacturers claim that a 100-milligram dose can naturally and safely increase blood levels of testosterone (four times in a matter of ninety minutes) the way the banned steroids do. Testosterone plays a major factor in building more muscle and, therefore, increases strength and power. McGwire claimed he was taking andro to recover faster from his injuries. There are very few studies on andro so researchers like Charles Yesalis of Pennsylvania State University, a leading expert on anabolic steroids, don't really know if it works or not (Time Magazine).
Is it safe?
Although andro is classified as a food supplement and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate it, scientists like Dr. Gary Wadler and Dr. Linn Goldberg believe that andro is just as dangerous as other anabolic steroids. Wadler, an expert on steroids at the New York University, told ACE Fitness Matters Newsletter that because andro is so close in structure to testosterone, "it would be foolish to delude anyone that this is an innocuous substance". He also told ACE that teenagers who use andro could be at risk since "steroids trick the body into believing that it is older, thereby shutting off bone growth and stunting height". Yesalis, meanwhile, suggests that until more is known about andro, its use should be controlled and it should be placed on the list of banned substances covered by the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990.
Supplement chain refuses to sell andro.
ACE reports that General Nutrition Centers (GNC), a large supplement chain, pulled andro from the stores because of safety concerns. It cites a GNC company memo that was printed in the Chicago Tribune: "The decision was made on the lack of suitable short- and long-term research demonstrating the safety of the product." The memo further states that "the use of androstenedione without risk of adverse events cannot be demonstrated". GNC decided to initiate this course of action even before McGwire made the supplement famous.
It may cause breast enlargement in men.
A study done at the University of Iowa was published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It was a double blind and placebo-controlled study meaning half the participants received the 'real thing' and the other half received a 'dummy' pill. Furthermore, neither the researchers nor the participants knew who was getting what (thus the term 'double-blind').
The twenty men, between the ages of 19 to 29, who participated in the study, lifted weights for eight weeks.
The researchers found that andro did not increase testosterone levels but it did increase an estrogen-like compound. They also discovered it decreased the levels of HDL or "good cholesterol by 12 %. The researchers warned that, based on their findings, andro might promote breast enlargement in men, heart disease and even cancer.
Andro did not help McGwire.
Did andro help McGwire achieve the pinnacle of his baseball career? ACE had a good perspective on the matter. It pointed out that andro and creatine (the other supplement that McGwire was taking) did not have anything to do with his amazing hand-eye coordination that accomplished the "extremely difficult task of hitting a round ball with a round bat".
The Association of Fitness Professionals of the Philippines announces its
"2000 Provincial Tour". Three-Day Basic Fitness Instructor Course: April 6 to
8 (Baguio), April 27 to 29 (Cebu) and May 18 to 20 (Cagayan de Oro). One-Day
Fitness Enthusiast Workshop (including Latin and Kickboxing Aerobics): April
9 (Baguio), April 30 (Cebu), and May 21 (Cagayan de Oro). Call Hazel or Janna
at 426-5108 or email afppfit@pacific.net.ph
or shirleyq@pacific.net.ph for
details.