Anabolic Steroids and the Athlete

The first edition of this work, published in 1982, concentrated on the athletes use of and the physicians knowledge of, anabolic steroids. This fully updated second edition discusses the continuing controversy over their use in competitive sports. An introduction of the use and abuse of anabolic steroids is followed by chapters on such topics as anabolic steroid compounds, the anabolic-to-androgen ratio, basic principles of muscle building, current anabolic steroid preparations, anabolic steroid regimes used by athletes, the enhancement of athletic performance, adverse physical effects and mental health risks, the classification of anabolic steroids as controlled substances, growth hormones and other anabolic hormones, the limits of urine drug testing, medical applications of anabolic steroids, muscle building and ergogenic supplements, and addictions.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Mental Health, Self-Help. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.