Download TAYLOR, WILLIAM. Anabolic Steroids and the Athlete. (Book

TAYLOR, WILLIAM. Anabolic Steroids and the Athlete. 2nd ed. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland &
Company, 2002. Pp. 262. Four appendices, notes, and index. $45.00pb.
This comprehensive look into the uses of anabolic steroids serves as both a resource
for professionals as well as a start to a philosophical discussion regarding the appropriate
uses of this powerful class of drug. The objective of the text is not to serve as an instruction
manual into the appropriate use of anabolic steroids but instead to investigate the current
uses, abuses, and appropriate applications of the often misunderstood drugs.
The author begins by introducing the reader to the two faces of anabolic steroids: the
appropriate medical use of steroids and the non-medical abuse of steroids. The author feels
that the former has often been overlooked as a safe and effective treatment method for
disease-related muscle and bone loss. While there are safe uses for anabolic steroids, the
popular understanding of anabolic steroids is characterized by the misuse and abuse that
athletes have brought to the attention of the public. It is this abuse that potentially limits
the medical establishment’s appropriate use of this type of drug.
The text begins with a thorough description and definition of anabolic steroids— at
times, perhaps more scientific than would be desired for the non-medically trained reader.
This review is essential for those directly involved with the medical care of those who use
or abuse anabolic steroids. Included in this section are tables summarizing the anabolic
and androgenic effects of testosterone and a table summarizing the therapeutic index of
selected anabolic steroids.
A chapter on current anabolic steroid preparations provides the reader with a review
of administration routes and black market preparations. In addition to the usual anabolic
steroid suspects, androstenedione and DHEA are discussed. This discussion serves as an
invaluable explanation of androstenedione and DHEA’s almost unrestricted availability,
yet classification as an anabolic steroid. Agricultural and animal uses of anabolic steroids
are discussed here, and this discussion serves to create new awareness of the widespread use
of anabolic steroids in meat products.
BOOK REVIEWS
Although the author has expressed his desire not to serve as a “how-to” manual, chapter five’s review of anabolic steroid regimes currently used by athletes does, at times, just
that. Having stated this, it is perhaps impossible to discuss what is commonly being used,
at times effectively, without providing a type of instruction manual for the misguided
anabolic steroid abuser. This section reviews common terminology related to anabolic
steroid use, methods of stacking, cycling, and progression of anabolic steroid use.
Following this investigation into current usage regimes are sections on how anabolic
steroids affect performance, and a comprehensive review on adverse effects of anabolic
steroid abuse. The author states several times in this text that the anabolic steroid abuser
uses doses that are often hundreds of times the recognized therapeutic dose used by reliable
medical practitioners. This section offers a perplexing look into the behaviors associated
with anabolic steroid abuse.
Discussion on the psychological risks associated with anabolic steroid abuse, commonly referred to as “’Roid Rage” follows in the next chapter. This section reads as a series
of case studies that adequately explain the extreme psychological reactions that can occur
and the life-changing effects that they can have. In addition to the subjective nature of this
section, a table is included with study data dating from 1984 summarizing personality
changes associated with anabolic steroid use. The terms ‘roid-rage, megorexia, muscle
dysmorphia, and steroid charisma are defined and discussed. The section concludes with
the author’s statement that anabolic steroid should be reclassified as Schedule II Narcotics
from their current Schedule III status.
In addition to anabolic steroid use, this text offers discussion on growth hormone use
and other hormonal applications by the athlete. A logical question that develops from this
discussion is: With the already difficult task of drug testing for anabolic steroid presence,
how are these other hormonal preparations going to effect detection? The author follows
with a thorough chapter on urine drug testing and its limitations.
One of Taylor’s primary messages throughout the work is that anabolic steroids, when
used in therapeutic doses, are a safe and effective method of treating many diseases. Two
chapters offer a look into the origin of medical testosterone use, current uses, and future
uses of testosterone and anabolic steroids.
The final chapters provide a much welcomed review of non-steroid body building
and ergogenic supplements, such as creatine, HMB, amino acids, and GH-releasers, as
well as an intriguing look at several case studies that illustrate the pitfalls of anabolic steroid use. The supplement review provides the reader with valuable information on these
widely used, often misunderstood, and more often misused supplements. The case studies
illustrate the pressures that society often places on its heroes, often leading them to the
complicated world of anabolic steroid abuse.
In summary, Taylor’s work provides an excellent balance between scientific information, thorough literature review, and probing discussion on the societal beliefs that lead to
both the abuse of anabolic steroids and the limited therapeutic use of anabolic steroids for
those for whom it may be appropriate. This writer feels that this text serves as an invaluable resource for those involved in the medical care of athletes as well as those interested in
enhancing athlete performance.
—KENDALL SELSKY
North Central College
Fall 2003
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