My Anabolic Steroids Diary

We all have to start somewhere, and of course we know quite a bit about the known Steroid cycles ; but there was a time when we knew very little. Anytime you are just beginning any kind of new project, which includes simply learning about it, there is either a feeling of excitement or possibly dread. So, since we have sort of gone ahead of you, and you are following in our footsteps, we are pleased to be able to help you.

When we began in this game, in the early 70's, there wasn't much out there. We managed to piece together bits and pieces of information here and there, (usually through personal experience), but for the most part it was gut instinct.

Very little was written about Steroid use; Most bodybuilders were skeptical or even afraid to admit they used them or knew anything about them since they were classified as illegal drugs by Federal Law throughout most of North America at that time. There is very little hard evidence pointing any fingers directly at the poultry industry with regards to steroid usage; however, what you will find below may be interesting reading. So without further ado, let's get started.

The actual "History" of how steroids began to be used in poultry production is very interesting. The following excerpt from our detailed Interview with an individual that wishes to remain anonymous, will leave you wondering exactly how it all began.

"My grandfather was a chemist and he worked for one of the major pharmaceutical companies in the early 1940's. He developed a chicken feed supplement using small amounts of estradiol and progesterone along with soybeans and alfalfa meal as the carrier/base, which resulted in chickens that grew at twice the normal rate while requiring 1/3 less feed than other chickens on the market. So his product had obvious benefits for farmers."

"Back then, there were no laws against such usage since they just started out by putting it in the feed. It wasn't until much later that they realized that perhaps humans would consume chickens fed these substances and it was then that laws were passed to ban their use in poultry production."

The companies responsible for manufacturing steroid supplements, (and also responsible for the vast majority of scientific research), are well known pharmaceutical giants consisting of Upjohn Company, Hoechst-Roussel Pharmaceuticals Inc., Eli Lilly & Co., Parke-Davis Company , Searle Laboratories, Syntex Agribusiness, American Cyanamid Company , G.D. Searle & Co., Monsanto Chemical Works, Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd.

"Methods of stimulating growth in poultry by administering various anabolic agents, such as hormones and their synthetic analogs, to poultry have developed rapidly. . . These compounds are now routinely added to the feed of chickens for stimulation of growth."

As mentioned previously, "chickens" is used here in place of the word "animals", since this would apply to all livestock. We say this advisedly because with few exceptions, (Horse Racing), it is probably safe to say that every North American has eaten beef or chicken at one time or another which was raised with steroid supplementation.

This is not meant as a guilt trip by any means; however, many people may find the thought unsettling. Regardless of your personal opinions about eating meat containing steroids; it must be remembered that this is a relatively new phenomenon, and modern people eat more meat than ever before. The population of the San Francisco Bay area alone has increased 30 percent in just 10 years.

With regards to how much steroids a chicken may receive, a U.S. Government article published in July 1991 put it this way: "Depending on the species and the age at treatment, steroid hormones are fed to livestock at levels from less than 1 pound per ton of feed for sheep, swine and cattle to 10 pounds or more per ton for poultry." 

There you have it friends; not an insignificant amount by any means. In spite of all these facts however, there is really no direct evidence linking steroid use in poultry with the numerous health problems experienced by humans.

What are synthetic steroids?

Artificial steroid hormones are manufactured, either naturally occurring or chemically modified, variations of the base chemical structure of cholesterol. The family of steroid hormones is very large and includes testosterone, estrogens, cortisol, progesterone and many others.

A few common natural steroids are Estradiol-17 beta /Estrogen, Testosterone/Androstenodione, Androsterone/DHEA (Dehydroepiandosterone), Corticosteroids like Cortisol (Hydrocortisone), Progesterones like Progestrone-3 , Pregnenolone/orticosteroid Precursor, Steroids like Cholesterol/Atlas, Aldosterone/Koch.

Steroid Analogs /Synthetic steroids are organic compounds that have chemical structures resembling steroid hormones. Some of the major classes of synthetic steroids include: anabolic steroids (synthetic derivatives of testosterone), progestins (synthetic derivatives of progesterone), and corticosteroids (synthetic analogues to adrenal cortical hormones).

Since these analogs are close enough in structure to bind to regulatory proteins in cells, they can still elicit many hormonal responses even though they do not normally exist within the body.

Although modern man eats far more meat now than ever before, he does eat much larger animals. Chickens, the birds used most commonly for meat consumption, are about one third as efficient at converting plant protein to human food as cattle.

With such a large percentage of the world's population being fed on a diet containing steroids and other chemicals, it is hardly surprising that more and more people have been experiencing new or exacerbated health problems. Although there is no clear proof that eating steroid-treated animals causes these diseases in humans, some investigators believe otherwise. 

People previously free from allergies now show reactions to foods which they could eat with impunity before. Endocrine disorders, both those resulting from deficiency and those caused by excessive hormonal stimulation have increased noticeably since 1940. In the last 20 years the incidence of thyroid cancer has doubled and obesity is on the rise as well. In many senses, humanity has been conducting a vast experiment with its own body.

The Risks of Anabolic Steroid Use

A remarkably high correlation exists between anabolic steroid use and certain types of liver disease. The pattern is similar for both hepatitis B and C, although the latter has a higher mortality rate due to cirrhosis or hepatic cancer. Liver damage may be exacerbated by malnutrition or poor nutrition, both common in people taking steroids for athletic purposes. On the other hand, some bodybuilders have developed this condition even though they follow a sound diet.

In one study it was determined that anabolic steroids contributed to elevated liver enzyme levels, and in another study it was shown that levels of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin were elevated.

It is difficult to determine exactly how many of these people will progress to more serious liver injury or cirrhosis, but some evidence suggests that the risk increases with the duration and dose of anabolic steroid therapy. Liver cancers have been found in some cases of rapidly progressive liver disease where there has been no previous history of jaundice.