Anabolic Androgenic Steroids and Sports Performance: A Review

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are synthetic derivatives of the male hormone testosterone. Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) have been at the fore front of the controversy surrounding performance enhancing drugs for so many years. These steroids are used for sportive, cosmetic, therapeutic and occupational reasons and there are many side effects reported (George, 2005; Nieminen et al., 1996; O'Sullivan et al., 2000). A large information and credibility gap concerning anabolic steroids exists between the athletes and the medical and scientific communities and this gap can be closed only if both groups are better informed about AAS. We provide a detailed review of the literature on AAS that provides the information needed to make an informed decision on its relative risks and benefits of to the athlete. This paper asserts the effect of AAS on both sports performance and physical as well as psychological health. Here a brief history of doping in sports and AAS abuse prevention, its identification and intervention to deal with doping are reviewed.