Steroids

Q&A: steroids

By LISA GREENE and DAVE SCHEIBER
Published February 21, 2005

[Times illustration: Amanda Raymond, Don Morris and Rossie Newson]

What are steroids?

Anabolic steroids are synthe tic versions of the hormone testosterone.

Are they the same steroids my doctor might give me for asthma?

No. Those are corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat asthma, allergies, lupus and other conditions.

Who takes anabolic steroids?

Athletes have used them since the 1950s to build muscle . Such use (and all other nonmedical uses) is illegal under a federal law passed in 1988 and amended in 1990. Patients can be prescribed anabolic steroids legally to treat a few conditions, such as testosterone deficiency.

Are nutritional supplements any safer?

Mike Perko, chair of health sciences at the University of Alabama, says steroidal supplements such as DHEA and androstenedione also known as andro "have the potential to be much more dangerous." These supplements, which are legal, can be converted to testosterone in the body and might have some of the same side effects. And with little regulation, some supplements are full of unknown, possibly unsafe ingredients, Perko said.

Who is Jose Canseco, and what is his link to steroids?

Canseco, who made his name as an All-Star and home run hitter with the Oakland A's, wrote a book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big , released Feb.14, that has sounded alarm bells anew about steroid use in professional baseball. He alleges steroid usage by former teammate Mark McGwire, whose 70 homers in 1998 broke Roger Maris' season record of 61 set in 1961. McGwire has admitted to using the legal andro in 1998 but repeatedly denied using steroids or any other illegal substances. Canseco also says steroids were used by former Texas Rangers teammates Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez and three former Devil Rays teammates.

What is the BALCO scandal that has been in the news lately?

BALCO is the acronym for Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative, based in San Francisco. It was founded by Victor Conte to provide nutritional supplements to athletes in an array of sports. At some point in the 1990s, Conte allegedly began to distribute steroids. About five years ago, he began distributing a steroid called the "Clear," so named for being undetectable in drug tests, and a similar product, the "Cream." Conte faces federal charges for distributing steroids and other illegal performance enhancers to athletes.

Who are some of the big-name athletes caught up in the BALCO investigation?

Olympic track and field gold medalist Marion Jones denies taking steroids and says her contact with Conte was limited. Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees, a past most valuable player with Oakland, reportedly told a federal grand jury he took steroids and human growth hormone in 2003. Giambi testified, according to illegally leaked transcripts to the San Francisco Chronicle , that he obtained steroids from Greg Anderson, the personal trainer of the San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds. Anderson has pleaded not guilty in the BALCO investigation and denied providing steroids to Bonds. Meanwhile, the 40-year-old Bonds, 52 home runs shy of Hank Aaron's all-time home run record of 755, admitted using the "Clear" and the "Cream" in 2003, when he hit a record 73 homers, but said he believed he was using a nutritional flaxseed oil and arthritis rubbing balm. Many others in different sports have been connected to BALCO. A hearing is scheduled for June25 for evidentiary motions and possibly set a trial date.

[Last modified February 21, 2005, 06:11:36]