... number is increasing. however the ones which containing a 17-alkyl and 'alpha-alkylated' group have potentially more adverse affects, in particular to the liver (Anabolic Steroid Abuse, April 2000). There is a lot of controversy surrounding the Anabolic steroids as there are numerous health risks associated with them. Steroid hormones work by stimulation of receptor molecules in muscle cells, which activate specific genes to produce proteins (see Figure 1). They also affect the activation rate of enzyme systems involved in protein metabolism, thus enhancing protein synthesis and inhibiting protein degradation (called an anti-catabolic effect). (Fahey, T.D. 1998). Figure 1: How a Steroid Hormone Works (/www.sportsci.org/encyc) It is thought that the drug enters the bloodstream and finds particular body cells for which it attaches itself. These cells include muscle cells, hairs, some skin glands and certain areas of the brain. Anabolic steroid appears to increase protein production and so increases the size and strength of ...

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