breakfast of champions: steroids and the men who use them
DESCRIPTION
Muscularity is the single word that best distinguishes the male and female experience of eating disorders and body dissatisfaction. We are increasingly confronted by the facts that a) men and women pursue different body shapes, b) overvaluation of different body shapes leads to different forms of disordered eating and exercise, c) the current framework of disordered eating is thinness- and fat-centric, and d) muscularity-oriented disordered eating and body dissatisfaction are becoming increasingly prevalent. Anabolic steroids, described as the “breakfast of champions” by former bodybuilder, movie star, and Governor of the US state of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, are perhaps the most clear-cut example of an eating disorder behaviour that is motivated by the overvaluation of a muscular body rather than a skinny body. For decades, steroids have attracted fascination from the general public, politicians, and the scientific and sporting communities, often becoming embroiled in heated discussions about cheating, “roid rage,” and violence. However, despite all this attention, most of the discourse surrounding steroids is wildly misinformed, politicised, or sensationalised. We, the community of eating disorder researchers, clinicians, and nutritionists, are particularly well-suited to discuss and contribute to issues surrounding body image, eating and exercise. If local and population-level efforts to encourage body dissatisfied men to access the resources our community have to offer are to succeed, it is imperative that we arm ourselves with the truth about steroids. This workshop discusses what steroids are, their history, their legal status, the short- and long-term positives and negatives of their use, what a typical “steroid cycle” is, and the recent phenomena of steroid dependence and muscle dysmorphia. I also provide a mock-demonstration of “pinning”, the process by which steroids are injected into the body, so that participants may foster an appreciation of what taking steroids actually entails.TRANSCRIPT
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS:STEROIDS AND THE MEN WHO USE THEM
Scott Griffiths
[email protected]@uni.sydney.edu.au
mobile: 0424 207 654landline: 9036 7266
www.psych.usyd.edu.au/staff/scottg
https://sydney.academia.edu/ScottGriffiths (download our papers for free)
3
Anorexia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa
Binge Eating Disorder
EDNOS0%
50%
100%
25% 25%40% 40%
Males account for a substantial proportion of eating disorders
#1 Strict dieting, fasting, self-induced vomiting and binging among males more than doubled between 1995 and 2005
#2 Extreme dieting and self-induced vomiting increased faster among males than females between 1998 and 2008
Disordered eating among males is on the rise
The other half of the spectrum
“The core psychopathology of eating disorders is an overvaluation of body shape, weight and eating, and their control”
6
Muscle Dysmorphia
0%
50%
100%
90%
Muscle dysmorphia: “Bigorexia” or “reverse anorexia”
7
Muscle dysmorphia: “Bigorexia” or “reverse anorexia”
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20120%
5%
10%
15%
Proportion of needle-exchange users whose last injection was steroids
“I’ll do 1 or 2 cycles and then I’m done”
Original Re-release
More muscular men in the media
“I’ll do 1 or 2 cycles and then I’m done” Male characters in video games
“I’ll do 1 or 2 cycles and then I’m done” Advertising at the University of Sydney
Cleverly-named supplements
The theory of threatened masculinity
Bigger, Stronger, Faster34:07
1935
David Keroly isolates testosterone for the first time
1939
Adolf Butenandt and Leopold Ruzicka receive the nobel prize for being the first to synthesise testosterone
1954
Russian weightlifters make use of testosterone (anabolic steroids) for weightlifting championships in Vienna
1962
Larry Scott wins the first Mr Olympia bodybuilding competition
1968
In response to the dissemination of steroids among elite athletes, the IOC bans steroids and begins drug testing
1970s
Steroids become widespread in elite sports
"I still remember his speech, almost verbatim....He said, 'Because you're going to be lifting weights in addition to working out twice a day, you're going to need more protein.' And he said, 'When I was a trainer for the U.S. team in the Olympics, I learned a secret from those Rooskies.' And he held up a bottle of pink pills, and he says, 'This stuff is called Dianabol and it's going to help assimilate protein and you'll be taking it every day.' And, sure enough, it showed up on our training tables in cereal bowls."
Hall of Fame offensive tackle Ron Mix states
1988
US Anti-drug abuse act of 1988 changes steroid distribution from a misdemeanor to a felony
2000s
Steroid scandals periodically invigorate the public and the media
Anadrol, Anatrofin, Andractim, Androderm, Androgel, Cheque drops, Deca-Durabolin, Dianabol, Diandrol, Drive, Durabolin, Dynabol, Equipoise, Equitest, Esiclene, Haoltestin, Hydrotestosterone, Laurabolin, Libiriol, Masteron, Mestanolone, Mehtandriol, Methyl-l-testosterone, Merthylhydroxnandrolone, Metribolone, Miotlan, Myagen, Orabolin, Proviron, Spectriol, Synovex, Testolent, Testosterone buciclate, Testosterone cyclohexylproprionate, Testosterone cypionate, Testerone enanthate, Testosterone propionate, Tesoviron, THG, Trenbolone, Tribolin, Trinabol, Triolandren, Turinabol, Winstrol
Steroidal anabolics
Catapres, Glucaphage, Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone (GH-RH), Human Growrth Hormone (HGH), Insulin (“slin”), Insulin Like Growth Factor, Protropin, Kynoselen, Lutalyse, Rezulin
Non-steroidal anabolics
Albuterol, Clenbuterol, Ephedrine, HELIOS Meridia, Yohimbine, Zaditen
Fat loss agents - stimulants
Cytomel, Synthroid, Triacana
Fat loss agents - thyroid
Clenbuterol – used as a decongestant and bronchodilator for people with breathing disorders Used by bodybuilders for its thermogenic properties
Short term side effects
Short term positive – Shalendar Bhasin (1996)
No exercise Exercise
Placebo Test Placebo Test
43 young men, standardized diets placed in four intervention groups for 10 weeks.
IV1: No exercise / resistance training 3x week.
IV2: Placebo vs 600mg Testosterone Enanthate
Long term side effects
“I’ll do 1 or 2 cycles and then I’m done”
Supposed length of use(6 months)
Actual length of use(66 months)
Weeks
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
12 4TestosteronePost-cycle therapy
Weeks
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Dinabol or Test - propionate
Test - enanthate or cypionate
Post-cycle therapy
124
4
How to inject steroids
The importance of compassionP
erso
nalit
y ra
ting
Appearance rating0
5
5
How do men want to look?
OR
Bigger, Stronger, Faster1:06:41
6
6
6
4
5
3
6
1
6
0
0
Thinness-oriented disordered eating
= 0 + 0 + 0 + 6 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + ? + 2 + 1
= 0.9 average
0
0
0
0
0
?
2
1
Muscularity-oriented disordered eating
= 6 + 6 + 0 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 5 + 0 + 3 + 1 + 6
= 3.8 average
Current assessments miss the mark
#1 What is the average age of first-time steroid users?
a) 14
b) 18
c) 21
d) 25
Steroid users; test your knowledge
#2 What proportion of steroid users play any type of organized sport, including high-school & university sports, & non-traditional sports
a) 10%
b) 35%
c) 65%
d) 95%
#3 How educated is the average steroid user?
a) Dropped out of secondary school
b) Completed secondary school
c) Completed a post-secondary degree (e.g., bachelors)
#4 What proportion of steroid users share needles or multi-use vials?
a) 1%
b) 10%
c) 30%
d) 60%