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Governments are taking a harder line against the use of steroids – for reasons that don’t hold water, say American researchers in a study published a couple of years ago. Steroids users are not young adolescents, but adults who have made well-considered decisions, according to the Americans. Steroids users are not top athletes out to cheat, but non-pros who train in gyms.
The researchers – among whom were lawyer Rick Collins and psychologist Jack Darkes – did four months of internet research. They approached bodybuilders through body building message boards, and asked if they were prepared to complete an extensive questionnaire. This way they collected data from 2700 men and women in 80 countries. The ‘average’ steroids user turned out to be completely different from the stereotype the lawmakers have in mind.
The average age steroids user is aged 31. Ninety percent of the respondents were white, half were unmarried and 64 percent had no children. Most were more highly educated than the average American, and 77 percent were self employed. Of those who replied, 98 percent had work, far higher than the average employment rate in the US.
The most popular substances were testosterone, dianabol and deca. Other frequently used substances were hCG, nolvadex, clomid and arimidex.
The doses were higher than those prescribed by doctors, but not as high as you’d expect. In Europe a course of testosterone usually consists of one gram a week, but the respondents said that they used lower doses.
The question that springs to mind is how typical the users are that the Americans interviewed. But the researchers admit this too: "No data is available to compare participants to NMAAS users without Internet access, those unaware of the survey, or those who chose not to participate."
Source:
J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Oct 11; 4(1):12.
The researchers – among whom were lawyer Rick Collins and psychologist Jack Darkes – did four months of internet research. They approached bodybuilders through body building message boards, and asked if they were prepared to complete an extensive questionnaire. This way they collected data from 2700 men and women in 80 countries. The ‘average’ steroids user turned out to be completely different from the stereotype the lawmakers have in mind.
The average age steroids user is aged 31. Ninety percent of the respondents were white, half were unmarried and 64 percent had no children. Most were more highly educated than the average American, and 77 percent were self employed. Of those who replied, 98 percent had work, far higher than the average employment rate in the US.
The most popular substances were testosterone, dianabol and deca. Other frequently used substances were hCG, nolvadex, clomid and arimidex.
The doses were higher than those prescribed by doctors, but not as high as you’d expect. In Europe a course of testosterone usually consists of one gram a week, but the respondents said that they used lower doses.
The question that springs to mind is how typical the users are that the Americans interviewed. But the researchers admit this too: "No data is available to compare participants to NMAAS users without Internet access, those unaware of the survey, or those who chose not to participate."
Source:
J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Oct 11; 4(1):12.
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