Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Weighing in on performance-enhancing drugs
BY: ARLENE FINE Senior Staff Reporter
Six years ago, “Linda,” a parent of a Beachwood High School varsity football player, discovered a large jar of creatine in her son’s room.
“I was horrified because creatine, a ‘natural’ performance-enhancing drug, could be poisoning my kid,” she explains. “Although it has since been banned, at that time my son and any of his buddies could pick up the stuff at the GNC (General Nutrition Center) in the mall.”
Linda took her son to the doctor, who examined him and “read him the riot act.” He explained that high doses of creatine may damage the kidneys, liver and heart. Her teen promised to never touch the powder again.
However, the growing pressure to excel in high school sports and the availability of other performance-enhancing products and anabolic steroids, has made high-school athletic directors and nurses on the lookout for their useage.
“We preach against the use of any artificial substance, especially anabolic steriods, used by kids to help them bulk up,” says Joe Perella, athletic director at Beachwood High School. “We watch for kids who have gained muscle mass real fast and whose even disposition is suddenly replaced by bursts of ‘roid rage.’”
Warning signs about steroid dangers (see sidebar) are posted in the locker room, plus constant reminders are a big part of his dealings with his athletes, says Perella. “We talk about how uncool this ‘junk’ is and about today’s athletes who have ruined their reputations because of steroid use,” he says. “We remind them about former Browns player Lyle Alzado, who died from steroid overuse. We try to impress them this is not make-believe; this is real.”
During the three years Perella has been at Beachwood, he has not seen any athlete, elite or junior varsity, using performance-enhancing drugs. “I have told kids and parents to see me if they suspect any athlete is using this stuff,” he says.
“Talking about steroids and performance-enhancing supplements is the first item on our agenda when we meet with athletes and their parents, says Jim McQuaid, head football coach at Solon High School. We always tell them if they have any question about their kids ingesting these things, they should do research and talk to the family doctor.”
At Orange High School, athletic trainer Bob Bitzer says steroid use does not pose as big a problem as supplements do. “Kids are always looking for the athletic edge and can easily get these ‘body-building’ supplements at the mall or online,” he says. “They are not regulated by the FDA, so we have no official data on the long- or short-term side effects.”
Bitzer cites the plethora of supplements that contained the now-banned chemical stimulant ephedrine, known as Ephedra, as an example. “Just because this comes from a natural Chinese herb does not make it safe; snake venom is natural, too,” he says. “Steve Bechler, a pitcher with the Baltimore Orioles, died in a preseason game four years ago from taking three Ephedra tablets on an empty stomach.”
Drug testing is not even an option for high- school athletes, adds Bitzer. “It costs around $200 a kid for the test, and we don’t have that kind of money. New Jersey is the only state that tests high school athletes, and that is only at the state tournament level.”
As much as an athletic director or a parent can tell a young athlete to stay away from anything artificial to increase performance, it is up to the teen to make the final decision. “They are willing to win at all costs. In this case, though, looking for the ‘magic bullet’ can be a matter of life and death.”
afine@cjn.org
Anabolic steroids come with serious side effects
Men may develop:
• Prominent breasts
• Shrunken testicles
• A higher voice
• Infertility
Women may develop:
• An enlarged clitoris
• Increased body hair
• Baldness
• Increased appetite
Both men and women might experience:
• Severe acne
•Change in pitch of voice
• Liver abnormalities and tumors
• Increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)
• Decreased high-density lipoprotein
(HDL) cholesterol (the “good”
cholesterol)
•Aggressive behaviors, rage or violence
• Psychiatric disorders, such as
depression
• Drug dependence
Source: MayoClinic.com
“I was horrified because creatine, a ‘natural’ performance-enhancing drug, could be poisoning my kid,” she explains. “Although it has since been banned, at that time my son and any of his buddies could pick up the stuff at the GNC (General Nutrition Center) in the mall.”
Linda took her son to the doctor, who examined him and “read him the riot act.” He explained that high doses of creatine may damage the kidneys, liver and heart. Her teen promised to never touch the powder again.
However, the growing pressure to excel in high school sports and the availability of other performance-enhancing products and anabolic steroids, has made high-school athletic directors and nurses on the lookout for their useage.
“We preach against the use of any artificial substance, especially anabolic steriods, used by kids to help them bulk up,” says Joe Perella, athletic director at Beachwood High School. “We watch for kids who have gained muscle mass real fast and whose even disposition is suddenly replaced by bursts of ‘roid rage.’”
Warning signs about steroid dangers (see sidebar) are posted in the locker room, plus constant reminders are a big part of his dealings with his athletes, says Perella. “We talk about how uncool this ‘junk’ is and about today’s athletes who have ruined their reputations because of steroid use,” he says. “We remind them about former Browns player Lyle Alzado, who died from steroid overuse. We try to impress them this is not make-believe; this is real.”
During the three years Perella has been at Beachwood, he has not seen any athlete, elite or junior varsity, using performance-enhancing drugs. “I have told kids and parents to see me if they suspect any athlete is using this stuff,” he says.
“Talking about steroids and performance-enhancing supplements is the first item on our agenda when we meet with athletes and their parents, says Jim McQuaid, head football coach at Solon High School. We always tell them if they have any question about their kids ingesting these things, they should do research and talk to the family doctor.”
At Orange High School, athletic trainer Bob Bitzer says steroid use does not pose as big a problem as supplements do. “Kids are always looking for the athletic edge and can easily get these ‘body-building’ supplements at the mall or online,” he says. “They are not regulated by the FDA, so we have no official data on the long- or short-term side effects.”
Bitzer cites the plethora of supplements that contained the now-banned chemical stimulant ephedrine, known as Ephedra, as an example. “Just because this comes from a natural Chinese herb does not make it safe; snake venom is natural, too,” he says. “Steve Bechler, a pitcher with the Baltimore Orioles, died in a preseason game four years ago from taking three Ephedra tablets on an empty stomach.”
Drug testing is not even an option for high- school athletes, adds Bitzer. “It costs around $200 a kid for the test, and we don’t have that kind of money. New Jersey is the only state that tests high school athletes, and that is only at the state tournament level.”
As much as an athletic director or a parent can tell a young athlete to stay away from anything artificial to increase performance, it is up to the teen to make the final decision. “They are willing to win at all costs. In this case, though, looking for the ‘magic bullet’ can be a matter of life and death.”
afine@cjn.org
Anabolic steroids come with serious side effects
Men may develop:
• Prominent breasts
• Shrunken testicles
• A higher voice
• Infertility
Women may develop:
• An enlarged clitoris
• Increased body hair
• Baldness
• Increased appetite
Both men and women might experience:
• Severe acne
•Change in pitch of voice
• Liver abnormalities and tumors
• Increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)
• Decreased high-density lipoprotein
(HDL) cholesterol (the “good”
cholesterol)
•Aggressive behaviors, rage or violence
• Psychiatric disorders, such as
depression
• Drug dependence
Source: MayoClinic.com
 |
 |
|
| Non-Jewish neighbors restore west side Jewish cemetery | West side neighbors care for a Jewish cemetery |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of clevelandjewishnews.com.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments. Registration is free.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
