Word: steroids
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...Seoul Olympics of 1988, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson won a 100-meter gold medal in 9.79 sec. His fall from grace came almost as fast, after it was revealed that he had used steroids to achieve his world-beating performance. His deception shocked the sports world and caused the loss of his medal, but it also held out the hope that athletes tainted by steroid use might finally forsake the drugs that many believe stimulate muscle growth and enhance strength. Last week, after two years' banishment, a steroid-free and noticeably less muscular Ben Johnson returned to the track...
Johnson's return may signal his rehabilitation, but the link between sports and steroids is as pervasive today as before his ignominious fall. And by all accounts, steroid users are getting younger: a 1990 federal study says 250,000 adolescents use the drugs. Even athletes who have never used steroids suffer from the blight of performance drugs, coming under suspicion each time they score a personal best or put on muscle...
...jumping for joy, in high hopes that better testing and closer monitoring would follow the Johnson incident at Seoul," says Dr. Robert Voy, former chief medical officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee. "But looking back today, I see that almost nothing has been done." Moreover, efforts to detect steroid use face formidable difficulties. Warns National Collegiate Athletic Association drug tester Frank Uryasz: "Drug testing in this country is in its infancy...
...athletes still seem determined to outwit testers. "I feel sorry for my friends in the lab business," says Charles Yesalis, a Penn State University professor and steroid expert. "It's not even a close fight." Some athletes use so-called masking agents, chemicals that muddle test results to conceal steroid use. Others have turned from synthetic substances to human-growth hormone, which is virtually impossible to detect. Some have retained private labs to help them cheat...
Despite the daunting problems, there is room for hope. Long-rampant steroid use among professional football players may be falling because of tougher testing, stiffer penalties and a changed player attitude toward drugs. Last November, President Bush signed legislation adding steroids to the list of tightly controlled substances, restricting their distribution and giving investigative authority to the Drug Enforcement Administration...