To trace the development of anabolic steroids from its inception to the present day, we have to return to the past, when it became known that the sex glands are needed for both development and maintenance of sex characteristics for males. In today's world, this idea was further developed in the face of a scientist named Berthold, who in 1849 conducted experiments on young Petushki. After he removed the testicles of birds, roosters have lost a few features peculiar to males of the species, including sexual function. Thus, already in 1849 the world learned that from the sexual glands depend core, we believe that the sexual characteristics of men. In other words, they "make out of a man a man." Berthold also found that if you hold a castration, and then transplanted to the testes in the abdomen, the sexual function of birds for the most part remain unchanged. After preparation of birds became known that it does not formed any nerve connections, but there was a set of capillaries. This fact is conclusively proved that "the male sex glands affect the blood," and Berthold concluded that the later blood has a general effect on the organism as a whole. Thus, we can rightly say that the history of anabolic steroids started with general experience.
Later in 1929, tried to remove testosterone from the testicles bull, but in 1935 this hormone have been providing a more purified form. A year later, Ruzicka scientist synthesizes testosterone from cholesterol, it's doing a, and two other scientists Butenand and Hanish. Testosterone was the first anabolic steroid and is still the basis of all the anabolic steroids used today in the form of drugs. In 1936, the testosterone involved in the experiment demonstrating that nitrogen excretion in castrated dog can be increased if the dog give extra testosterone, which also causes weight gain. Soon there were rumors that have not been well documented that Nazi soldiers use anabolic steroids. Later, experiments were conducted on humans, the results of which became apparent that testosterone in the body acts as a powerful anabolic agent. From 1948 to 1954, pharmaceutical companies «Searle» and «Ciba» prosintezirovali more than a thousand different testosterone derivatives and similar analogues.
The emergence of steroids in sports
In 1954, John Ziegler attended the World Weightlifting Championships in Vienna, Austria, as the team doctor. That year was dominated by athletes from the Soviet Union, easily breaking several world records and winning gold medals in many weight classes. According to rumors Ziegler invited the Soviet team doctor to the bar and he told him that in the training of Soviet weightlifters also includes the use of testosterone by injection. True or not, but, ultimately, returning from the World Cup, the Americans began to think about how to defeat the Soviet Union with the help of pharmaceuticals.
As might be expected to return to the United States Ziegler began to give his weightlifters pure testosterone. He connected the «Ciba», to try to synthesize a substance that adds strength, which is comparable to or better than testosterone. In 1956 he was created and Methandrostenolone called "Dianabol".
In subsequent years, little pink Dianabol tablets used in many training programs for weight lifters. In the coming years and in the early 1960s, athletes Ziegler markedly different from other weight-lifters of the country. Also in the 1960s, was designed by another anabolic steroid that has been used in medicine to support the growth of children with Turner syndrome.
Then the doctors of the United States focused their attention on steroids and athletes have been numerous studies in an attempt to confront the athletes who are trying to get steroids for sporting purposes. The first studies were flawed and steroids have shown that steroids do not provide any physical benefits. The most important and, perhaps, an obvious shortcoming of the studies were very small doses, too small to exert some real influence. In addition, these studies were not randomized or double-blind experiments. A double-blind study means that neither the researchers nor the subjects did not know whether they were real medicine or a placebo. A randomized trial - it's when this drug is distributed in the group of subjects randomly. And finally, during the first studies have been conducted no control over food and exercise. Shortly after the completion of these studies invalid directory «Physicians Desk Reference» boldly (and falsely) claimed that anabolic steroids do not affect the physical training. Despite this, in 1967 the International Olympic Committee has banned the use of anabolic steroids and, by the mid-1970s also introduced a ban on most major sports organizations.
Steroids in Olympics
Shortly before the prohibition on the use of steroids in the Olympics, the German Democratic Republic has launched a program aimed at the synthesis of new anabolic steroids to athletes, German, engaged in various sports. This study still remains the most complete collection of information on the use of steroids by athletes. Despite the small size of the country, the Germans managed to occupy the upper level of the regular pedestal in many sports, competing for the number of medals with the United States and the Soviet Union, as in the Olympics and World Championships in a variety. In 1972, the IOC began a full program for Doping Control.
In 1982, the International Olympic Committee began an analysis to determine elevated levels of testosterone in athletes, known as the "Analysis of the relationship of testosterone to epitestosterone." In this assay measures the level of testosterone relative to epitestosterone. And if testosterone is 6 times the level of epitestosterone, then we can say with certainty that an athlete in one form or another took testosterone. Typically, natural levels of testosterone in the human body does not exceed epitestosterone in more than 6 times. The IOC, as usual, was a step behind the athletes. By the time the GDR had already experienced their athletes on the basis of preparation of testosterone, which quickly goes out of the body, and thus, after just three days after the last injection of athletes willing to undergo review by the IOC. German athletes were allowed to continue to use steroids, stopping only at the time of application for doping control. Moreover, the German company «Jenapharm», supplying steroids to athletes to the Government, has developed a product containing epitestosterone, which helped athletes to monitor hormone levels in the body, while continuing to use steroids.
Methods of Germany in the application of drugs that stimulate physical and nervous activity, were so modern that German athletes go unnoticed for years. It was not until 1989, when the Western media leaked information that the government is sponsoring a program to hide and the systematic use of anabolic steroids. As a result, in the early 1990s, the Germans finally exposed as a result of the scandal enacted anabolic steroids have finally acquired a bad name. Ironically, in the early 1990s, began using anabolic steroids in medical practice for the maintenance of life in patients with AIDS and cancer, when it was found that the mortality of these patients depends on the weight loss.
Around the same time a similar story happened in the United States of America. Until 1988, the steroids dispensed only by prescription according to the classification of the Office of FDA Food and Drug Administration. This control determines which drugs will be sold without a prescription and which are only available on prescription. At this time, "Federal Law on Food, medicines and cosmetics" prohibit the free sale of steroids without a prescription. However, at this time, control over these substances have not yet implemented.
"Controlled substance" is a substance that is regulated more strictly than uncontrolled prescription drugs. For example, contact lenses can not be purchased without a prescription, but by themselves they are not controlled. Tighter control of steroids has led to widespread testing of doctors, prescriptions, and, consequently, to more severe punishment for the wrong prescription. 1988 also marked the release of the "Law on Drug Abuse," which put steroids in a completely different prescription category, according to which for an illegal sale or possession of steroids used to spread very strict punishment. Since then, storage and / or distribution of steroids was considered a felony. Later, Congress added steroids to the "Controlled Substances Act" as amended, known as the "Law on the Control of anabolic steroids in 1990." Now, steroids are included in "Appendix III», along with amphetamines, methamphetamines, opium and morphine, for their purchase or sale of used the same sentence. This legislation and classification were not supported by the American Medical Association, the Office of FDA Food and Drug Administration, the Office for Drug Control and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. All these organizations have protested the government and the state. At the beginning of the new millennium, steroids have appeared again in the headlines of a "prohormone" which was first developed and began selling Patrick Arnold. It was at this time steroids became popular in baseball, most likely because the Higher league baseball program had no effect on the control of steroids. At the time of the legendary Mark Maguire attempts to beat the record "home run" by Roger Maris, one of the reporters said that the locker is a bottle of androstenedione, baseball. Although androstenedione is not a steroid, as usual prohormone, the word "steroid" again sounded in the evening news.
Steroids have remained in the media, occasionally appearing in the case of positive test results in athletes or statements about their use, but, in fact, this theme is missing from the field of view of journalists over the next ten years.
Some time later, after the record was broken by Roger Maris, baseball player Jason Jambi another, and many other athletes suspected or were exposed to take anabolic steroids. Again, Congress convened a meeting and, like the first time in 1990, they concluded that steroids are not dangerous, but that danger is more in protecting professional sports organizations. In the modified law of pro-hormones have been classified as anabolic steroids under paragraph (41) (A) and the current U.S. definition, which states that "anabolic steroid" - means any drug or hormonal substance, the chemical composition and pharmacological relevance to testosterone ( than estrogens, progestins, kartikosteroidov and dehydroepiandrosterone).
Currently, the use of steroids is not in decline. Of the 12 000 respondents in 2000, 2.5% said they took steroids at least once in their lives, in 2004 the figure was already 3.4%. According to a recent study of Internet weightlifters and bodybuilders continue to use anabolic steroids, and, supposedly, in the near future, steroids will not go away from the world of sports.
In addition, anabolic steroids will continue to be legally used for medical purposes to treat androgen-or menopause, recovering from burns and improve the quality of life of patients with AIDS, the fight against breast cancer and preventing osteoporosis.
Thus, we conclude that the history of anabolic steroids has not ended, the point is not set, every day continue to write this story, scientists, lawmakers, doctors and, of course, athletes.