A federal judge on Friday sentenced a steroids dealer who said he had a plan to kill police officers to five years and one month in prison on federal drug and gun charges.
U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks sentenced Damon Bruce Beshears, 38, according to a plea deal Beshears had reached with prosecutors in August.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Marshall said that he agreed to the deal presented by Beshears' lawyer in part because Beshears has a history of mental illness — he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital about two months before his arrest in June.
"I talked to the officers who were involved and their impression was he was more of a danger to himself than to them," Marshall said.
Beshears' lawyer, Joe Lopez, said his client's mental health has drastically improved since his arrest.
"The steroids, in combination with the other medication that he takes, I think, just drove him nuts," Lopez said. "He was a prisoner in his own body.
"I can totally tell now that the steroids are not a part of his life; he's completely a changed person," Lopez said.
Police have said Beshears was the biggest steroids dealer busted in Austin in recent years.
He pleaded guilty in August to possession with the intent to distribute steroids, manufacturing anabolic steroids and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
The gun charge carried a mandatory five-year sentence.
Police began investigating Beshears in May after a confidential informant told them Beshears sold large quantities of steroids from his Duval Road apartment, according to a search warrant affidavit.
On June 7, after police detained Beshears in a parking lot outside, they searched his apartment and found almost 5,000 capsules and 240 vials of steroids, which they estimated had a street value of about $55,000.
Police also seized a Norinco MAK-90 semiautomatic rifle, a semiautomatic 9 mm pistol, ammunition, a gas mask, a ballistic vest and a Kevlar helmet, according to court documents.
After his arrest, Beshears told police that he planned to use the weapons to kill as many officers as possible if his apartment were to be raided, according to the affidavit. That plan also was detailed in a journal entry, police said.
Detective Brian Crissman testified during a pretrial hearing that Beshears recorded in a journal other disturbing thoughts, including "shooting a mother and daughter coming out of a Macy's store" and "disemboweling his wife and strewing the organs throughout the house."
Beshears, who worked from 1995 to 2006 as a juvenile corrections officer for the Texas Youth Commission, apologized at his sentencing, Marshall said.
Sparks ordered that Beshears get mental health treatment during his prison term and his five-year postsentence period of supervised release, when he'll be supervised by a federal probation officer.
Welsh bouncer pleads not guilty to steroid supply charges.
Peter Lewis, who worked as a doorman in Caernarfon, appeared before a court to face charges of supplying controlled drugs at Talysarn, where he lives. The 48-year-old denied three separate charges of supplying anabolic steroids namely oxymetholone, nandrolone and testosterone – all controlled Class C drugs, between January 1, 2009 and April 1, 2011.
The Crown Prosecution’s Service’s Diane Williams told Magistrates in Caernarfon that three other charges of money laundering were being discharged.
Lewis, of Bro Silyn, Talysarn, Dyffryn Nantlle, confirmed his age and address and that he understood the charges when they were read out to him.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Defending solicitor Michael Strain said Lewis would be giving his evidence in Welsh.
The magistrates formally committed the case to Caernarfon Crown Court, to be heard on November 25.
Oxymetholone is a steroid used in the treatment of osteoporosis and anaemia, as well as stimulating muscle growth and is often used by bodybuilders and athletes. Side-effects of include nausea, bloating and acne.
Nandrolone is used to treat anaemia and osteoporosis. Testosterone’s effects include muscle growth and strength.
The Crown Prosecution’s Service’s Diane Williams told Magistrates in Caernarfon that three other charges of money laundering were being discharged.
Lewis, of Bro Silyn, Talysarn, Dyffryn Nantlle, confirmed his age and address and that he understood the charges when they were read out to him.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Defending solicitor Michael Strain said Lewis would be giving his evidence in Welsh.
The magistrates formally committed the case to Caernarfon Crown Court, to be heard on November 25.
Oxymetholone is a steroid used in the treatment of osteoporosis and anaemia, as well as stimulating muscle growth and is often used by bodybuilders and athletes. Side-effects of include nausea, bloating and acne.
Nandrolone is used to treat anaemia and osteoporosis. Testosterone’s effects include muscle growth and strength.
Louisianan UG lab owner sentenced for steroid distribution conspiracy & money laundering.
A top leader of the illegal steroid ring that operated in Southwest Louisiana found out his fate today. Jordan Berza is only 26 years old-- owns a business, has an engineering degree, a wife and baby on the way. But because of his illegal dealing in steroids he'll spend the next two years in federal prison.
Berza became choked up as he addressed Judge Patricia Minaldi-- acknowledging that he would pay dearly for his activities as a leader in a conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids and launder money. Judge Minaldi sentenced him to two years in federal prison and a $12,000 fine. Defense attorney Todd Clemons says she could have gone a lot higher. Though Clemons admits Berza will still pay a high price. "I think it's unfortunate he's going to miss the birth of his first child and his mother is really, really ill and is in hospice care now."
Berza and another defendant, Chris Gass, own Planet Nutrition Stores-- which federal prosecutors say was a distribution point for anabolic steroids. Prosecutor Collin Sims says the young men smuggled steroids in various forms into the U.S. From china and elsewhere. "Steroid powder was converted into injectable form, bottled and sold in Louisiana and Texas. He was the predominant leader organizer of a group of individuals, based out of the Lake Charles, Louisiana area who were responsible for manufacturing, possessing and distributing over 7000 vials of anabolic steroids, predominantly in Louisiana and parts of Texas."
And he says the use of anabolic steroids poses serious health risks."There are many long lasting health effects. Enlarged heart, high blood pressure, organ failure, kidneys, liver problems. It's irreversible often times."
Clemons believes Berza has learned from his mistakes. "I think he's a true American success story. He got a scholarship to McNeese, a football scholarship, he has an engineering degree, He's only 26 years old. He owns two stores that are very, very profitable, doing very, very well. So, he's going to land on his feet."
Berza must report for federal prison on December 10th. A couple of weeks ago 10 other defendants were sentenced. Their punishments ranged from probation to two years.
Judge Minaldi says the case is a tragedy-- young men throwing away major accomplishments due to greed--and they'll always have a felony on their records.
Berza became choked up as he addressed Judge Patricia Minaldi-- acknowledging that he would pay dearly for his activities as a leader in a conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids and launder money. Judge Minaldi sentenced him to two years in federal prison and a $12,000 fine. Defense attorney Todd Clemons says she could have gone a lot higher. Though Clemons admits Berza will still pay a high price. "I think it's unfortunate he's going to miss the birth of his first child and his mother is really, really ill and is in hospice care now."
Berza and another defendant, Chris Gass, own Planet Nutrition Stores-- which federal prosecutors say was a distribution point for anabolic steroids. Prosecutor Collin Sims says the young men smuggled steroids in various forms into the U.S. From china and elsewhere. "Steroid powder was converted into injectable form, bottled and sold in Louisiana and Texas. He was the predominant leader organizer of a group of individuals, based out of the Lake Charles, Louisiana area who were responsible for manufacturing, possessing and distributing over 7000 vials of anabolic steroids, predominantly in Louisiana and parts of Texas."
And he says the use of anabolic steroids poses serious health risks."There are many long lasting health effects. Enlarged heart, high blood pressure, organ failure, kidneys, liver problems. It's irreversible often times."
Clemons believes Berza has learned from his mistakes. "I think he's a true American success story. He got a scholarship to McNeese, a football scholarship, he has an engineering degree, He's only 26 years old. He owns two stores that are very, very profitable, doing very, very well. So, he's going to land on his feet."
Berza must report for federal prison on December 10th. A couple of weeks ago 10 other defendants were sentenced. Their punishments ranged from probation to two years.
Judge Minaldi says the case is a tragedy-- young men throwing away major accomplishments due to greed--and they'll always have a felony on their records.
British steroid dealer busted in 2010 ordered to repay £33000 of his profits.
A Yate man convicted of drugs offences has been ordered to repay more than £33,000 he made from his crimes.
On Thursday June 24, 2010 police executed a drugs warrant at a property in Cabot Close, Yate. A large quantity of anabolic steroid drugs were found in pills and vials along with packaging for posting items and a large quantity of cash.
Following the police raid James Broad, aged 32, was charged and on July 7, 2011 pleaded guilty at court to five counts of possession of anabolic steroids with intent to supply. He was sentenced to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
On Thursday October 27, 2011 Broad appeared at Bristol Crown Court for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The court heard that he benefited from his crime by a total of £92,965. He was ordered to repay £33,110.17 which represents the total assets still available to him. If he doesn't pay the sum within six months he must serve 15 months in prison and will still be liable for the debt on his release.
Dr Kirstie Cogram, the manager of the Financial Investigation Unit for Avon and Somerset police said: "We are committed to seizing any assets that criminals have gained as a result of crime. It is not acceptable that criminals benefit from illegal activities and we will relentlessly pursue them through the courts to ensure their money is taken. By doing this we show criminals that they will not benefit from crime and hopefully deter others from entering a life of crime."
Police are warning people that anabolic steroids are a controlled drug and carry the same punishments as other illegal drugs. Paul Bunt, from the Drugs Strategy Team, said: "I want to warn people that anabolic steroids are a controlled drug and capable of causing harm just like other illegal drugs. We will see an increase in the abuse of anabolic steroids ahead of the Olympics next year but we will be robust in tackling anyone supplying it or seeking to make money from abuse of this drug."
On Thursday June 24, 2010 police executed a drugs warrant at a property in Cabot Close, Yate. A large quantity of anabolic steroid drugs were found in pills and vials along with packaging for posting items and a large quantity of cash.
Following the police raid James Broad, aged 32, was charged and on July 7, 2011 pleaded guilty at court to five counts of possession of anabolic steroids with intent to supply. He was sentenced to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
On Thursday October 27, 2011 Broad appeared at Bristol Crown Court for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The court heard that he benefited from his crime by a total of £92,965. He was ordered to repay £33,110.17 which represents the total assets still available to him. If he doesn't pay the sum within six months he must serve 15 months in prison and will still be liable for the debt on his release.
Dr Kirstie Cogram, the manager of the Financial Investigation Unit for Avon and Somerset police said: "We are committed to seizing any assets that criminals have gained as a result of crime. It is not acceptable that criminals benefit from illegal activities and we will relentlessly pursue them through the courts to ensure their money is taken. By doing this we show criminals that they will not benefit from crime and hopefully deter others from entering a life of crime."
Police are warning people that anabolic steroids are a controlled drug and carry the same punishments as other illegal drugs. Paul Bunt, from the Drugs Strategy Team, said: "I want to warn people that anabolic steroids are a controlled drug and capable of causing harm just like other illegal drugs. We will see an increase in the abuse of anabolic steroids ahead of the Olympics next year but we will be robust in tackling anyone supplying it or seeking to make money from abuse of this drug."
Australian supplement store gets controlled delivery of Chinese steroids.
An alleged nominee of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang has been charged with the importation and possession of steroids following a co-operative operation by Customs and Border Protection and the Gang’s Squad’s Strike Force Raptor.
Earlier this week, Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package from China through international mail containing 50 packets of anabolic steroids. Each packet contained 50 capsules of the prescribed restricted substance.
With the package destined for Sydney’s south, the NSW Police Force was notified and Strike Force Raptor officers replaced the contents with an inert substance.
Yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 26 October 2011), the package was delivered to a supplement store in Croydon Street, Cronulla, with officers from Strike Force Raptor raiding the premises a short time later.
A 26-year-old man alleged to be a Rebels nominee was arrested at the store, and a further small amount of steroids was seized.
A subsequent search warrant on a home at Lynch Avenue, Caringbah, resulted in a small amount of steroids and other items being seized
The 26-year-old man was taken to Miranda Police Station and charged with importing a prohibited import and possessing a prescribed restricted substance. He was granted bail to appear at Sutherland Local Court on 17 November 2011.
Inquiries into a second resident who was not home at the time of the warrant are continuing.
Strike Force Raptor was established by the State Crime Command’s Gangs Squad in 2009 and is a proactive, high-impact operation targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs and their alleged associated criminal enterprises.
Earlier this week, Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package from China through international mail containing 50 packets of anabolic steroids. Each packet contained 50 capsules of the prescribed restricted substance.
With the package destined for Sydney’s south, the NSW Police Force was notified and Strike Force Raptor officers replaced the contents with an inert substance.
Yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 26 October 2011), the package was delivered to a supplement store in Croydon Street, Cronulla, with officers from Strike Force Raptor raiding the premises a short time later.
A 26-year-old man alleged to be a Rebels nominee was arrested at the store, and a further small amount of steroids was seized.
A subsequent search warrant on a home at Lynch Avenue, Caringbah, resulted in a small amount of steroids and other items being seized
The 26-year-old man was taken to Miranda Police Station and charged with importing a prohibited import and possessing a prescribed restricted substance. He was granted bail to appear at Sutherland Local Court on 17 November 2011.
Inquiries into a second resident who was not home at the time of the warrant are continuing.
Strike Force Raptor was established by the State Crime Command’s Gangs Squad in 2009 and is a proactive, high-impact operation targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs and their alleged associated criminal enterprises.
Houston man charged with testosterone prescription fraud.
A Houston man who authorities said obtained testosterone with a fake prescription has been charged in the case.
Philip Abraham Makdisi, 49, faces a felony charge of obtaining a controlled substance through fraud, according to court documents.
Investigators said he went to CVS Pharmacy at 5725 N. Eldridge on July 14 and used the name of a Houston podiatrist to obtain a prescription for testosterone, a steroid.
The doctor learned of about the alleged con when she received a prescription verification request from the pharmacy for Makdisi, a patient whom she had not seen in years, prosecutors said.
"The prescription was in the patient name of Philip Makdisi and was for the schedule III controlled substance Testosterone," the criminal complaint states. The doctor told investigators that "she is a doctor of podiatry and seldom issues prescriptions for controlled substances and has never authorized prescriptions for testosterone."
The store pharmacist, who identified Makdisi in a photo lineup, remembered the suspect well.
"That guy?" the pharmacist replied when police asked if he knew him. Investigators said the pharmacist described Makdisi as a "huge" man in his 40s "with a bald head and weighing over 300 pounds." He said the suspect "is hard to miss."
Philip Abraham Makdisi, 49, faces a felony charge of obtaining a controlled substance through fraud, according to court documents.
Investigators said he went to CVS Pharmacy at 5725 N. Eldridge on July 14 and used the name of a Houston podiatrist to obtain a prescription for testosterone, a steroid.
The doctor learned of about the alleged con when she received a prescription verification request from the pharmacy for Makdisi, a patient whom she had not seen in years, prosecutors said.
"The prescription was in the patient name of Philip Makdisi and was for the schedule III controlled substance Testosterone," the criminal complaint states. The doctor told investigators that "she is a doctor of podiatry and seldom issues prescriptions for controlled substances and has never authorized prescriptions for testosterone."
The store pharmacist, who identified Makdisi in a photo lineup, remembered the suspect well.
"That guy?" the pharmacist replied when police asked if he knew him. Investigators said the pharmacist described Makdisi as a "huge" man in his 40s "with a bald head and weighing over 300 pounds." He said the suspect "is hard to miss."
Confessions of a teenage South African steroid dealer.
The young dealer's parents aren't aware that he sells steroids to his peers, but he claims that many parents are aware that their children use or deal in the drugs.
Some are even proud that their teens have shown entrepreneurial skills, ignoring the dangers associated with the muscle builders .
Other parents, however, think their children are selling supplements.
Marcus sells steroids over BlackBerry Messenger and Facebook.
He says he sells about 100 tablets a week, which cost him R400.
''I make a R100 profit a week on average. The downside is that it includes collection and delivery."
But, is a profit of R100 a week worth risking getting caught and endangering other people's lives? According to Marcus, many of the steroid dealers don't care about the consequences.
All they are concerned about is getting caught.
He says steroids are also used by female fat-burners.
Steroid abuse is a reality at schools and gyms and on the black market.
Although statistics have shown that many steroids are taken by teenagers who feel pressurised to perform in sports such as rugby, cycling and swimming, some aren't necessarily taking the drugs for performance enhancement.
Research has shown that teenagers start taking them to improve their physique from the age of about 15.
Shaun*, 17, says: ''I got pushed around a lot [by stronger boys], but when I started taking the steroids I got bigger and was able to stand up for myself.
''The only benefit that they delivered was a quick increase in my size."
He noticed the side effects, such as acne and aggression, but valued the advantage of a bigger build and the attention of girls more.
After a while, Shaun began to take the effects more seriously.
He saw what the drug was doing to his body and personality, and researched the risks: stunted growth, hair loss, liver toxicity and heart complications.
He has stopped taking them, but says: ''There are many different kinds of steroids, some not as 'bad' as others."
Many teenagers who use the drugs are aware that there are side- effects, but they feel that the benefits outweigh them.
Some are even proud that their teens have shown entrepreneurial skills, ignoring the dangers associated with the muscle builders .
Other parents, however, think their children are selling supplements.
Marcus sells steroids over BlackBerry Messenger and Facebook.
He says he sells about 100 tablets a week, which cost him R400.
''I make a R100 profit a week on average. The downside is that it includes collection and delivery."
But, is a profit of R100 a week worth risking getting caught and endangering other people's lives? According to Marcus, many of the steroid dealers don't care about the consequences.
All they are concerned about is getting caught.
He says steroids are also used by female fat-burners.
Steroid abuse is a reality at schools and gyms and on the black market.
Although statistics have shown that many steroids are taken by teenagers who feel pressurised to perform in sports such as rugby, cycling and swimming, some aren't necessarily taking the drugs for performance enhancement.
Research has shown that teenagers start taking them to improve their physique from the age of about 15.
Shaun*, 17, says: ''I got pushed around a lot [by stronger boys], but when I started taking the steroids I got bigger and was able to stand up for myself.
''The only benefit that they delivered was a quick increase in my size."
He noticed the side effects, such as acne and aggression, but valued the advantage of a bigger build and the attention of girls more.
After a while, Shaun began to take the effects more seriously.
He saw what the drug was doing to his body and personality, and researched the risks: stunted growth, hair loss, liver toxicity and heart complications.
He has stopped taking them, but says: ''There are many different kinds of steroids, some not as 'bad' as others."
Many teenagers who use the drugs are aware that there are side- effects, but they feel that the benefits outweigh them.
Australian UG steroid lab busted.
Customs and Border Protection Investigators have successfully concluded a three day Operation on the Gold Coast removing prohibited weapons, performance and image enhancing drugs and illegal precursor drugs from Australian streets.
Customs and Border Protection Investigators worked in conjunction with officers from the Queensland Police Service to execute 17 Customs Act Search and Seizure Warrants at a number of residences on the Gold Coast. Simultaneous search warrants were also executed by Customs and Border Protection Investigators in New South Wales in relation to these investigations.
These warrants are the conclusion of a two month investigation into a number of previously seized shipments of prohibited imports including 20 electronic shock devices, approximately one kilogram of Pseudoephedrine in powder and tablet form and various performance and image enhancing products including Testosterone powder and Human Growth Hormone.
It is alleged that the Pseudoephedrine was to be used for the manufacture of illegal drugs.
The search warrants this week yielded prohibited and restricted goods including electronic shock devices, pepper spray and extendable batons, approximately 7 litres of liquid and over 400 vials containing liquid suspected of being performance and image enhancing drugs, equipment used in the manufacture of performance and image enhancing drugs and $13,500 in cash.
Small quantities of illicit drugs were located which will be dealt with by the Queensland Police.
Customs and Border Protection Investigators will be examining the evidence located at the premises. It is likely that a number of charges will be laid in the coming weeks.
Customs and Border Protection Investigators worked in conjunction with officers from the Queensland Police Service to execute 17 Customs Act Search and Seizure Warrants at a number of residences on the Gold Coast. Simultaneous search warrants were also executed by Customs and Border Protection Investigators in New South Wales in relation to these investigations.
These warrants are the conclusion of a two month investigation into a number of previously seized shipments of prohibited imports including 20 electronic shock devices, approximately one kilogram of Pseudoephedrine in powder and tablet form and various performance and image enhancing products including Testosterone powder and Human Growth Hormone.
It is alleged that the Pseudoephedrine was to be used for the manufacture of illegal drugs.
The search warrants this week yielded prohibited and restricted goods including electronic shock devices, pepper spray and extendable batons, approximately 7 litres of liquid and over 400 vials containing liquid suspected of being performance and image enhancing drugs, equipment used in the manufacture of performance and image enhancing drugs and $13,500 in cash.
Small quantities of illicit drugs were located which will be dealt with by the Queensland Police.
Customs and Border Protection Investigators will be examining the evidence located at the premises. It is likely that a number of charges will be laid in the coming weeks.
Update on the Stiff Nights herbal ED spiking case.
Kelly Dean Harvey was indicted by a federal grand jury for selling unapproved drugs that were marketed at a natural sexual health supplement. Harvey was charged with introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering after selling “Stiff Nights" and other products that contained Ophioglossum Thermale (OT), an analogue of sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in the FDA-approved drug Viagra.
In total, Harvey was charged with one count of conspiracy, 12 counts of wire fraud, nine counts of mail fraud, five counts of concealment of money laundering and four counts of money laundering.
According to court documents, Harvey knowingly conspired to fraudulently manufacture, distribute and market a drug as a "dietary supplement" to evade and avoid appropriate government regulation by FDA and for financial gain.
The documents state Harvey obtained OT from an unindicted co-conspirator who imported the ingredient as a raw ingredient from China to manufacture products targeted for men seeking to enhance their sexual experiences or address erectile dysfunction (ED). Harvey placed and received about 39 orders (each order ranging from 1 kg to 75 kg) from around November 2006 to around May 2010 . For this, he wired approximately $931,000 to a Chinese account. From April 2007 to May 2010, Harvey allegedly made more than $2 million for ED products.
The court documents said Harvey sent his products to two U.S. labs to test the OT products to determine the presence of a drug, including sildenafil citrate, or any synthetic active drug ingredient. Although the lab results did not confirm the presence of sildenafil citrate (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra) or tadalafil (Cialis), they confirmed the presence of a compound with characteristics similar to sildenafil or what appeared to be a sildenafil drug analogue.
If FDA found out about these tests, the agency would have classified the product as a drug. However, the court documents say Harvey controlled the limited dissemination of the lab results, including to the exclusion of FDA.
In total, Harvey was charged with one count of conspiracy, 12 counts of wire fraud, nine counts of mail fraud, five counts of concealment of money laundering and four counts of money laundering.
According to court documents, Harvey knowingly conspired to fraudulently manufacture, distribute and market a drug as a "dietary supplement" to evade and avoid appropriate government regulation by FDA and for financial gain.
The documents state Harvey obtained OT from an unindicted co-conspirator who imported the ingredient as a raw ingredient from China to manufacture products targeted for men seeking to enhance their sexual experiences or address erectile dysfunction (ED). Harvey placed and received about 39 orders (each order ranging from 1 kg to 75 kg) from around November 2006 to around May 2010 . For this, he wired approximately $931,000 to a Chinese account. From April 2007 to May 2010, Harvey allegedly made more than $2 million for ED products.
The court documents said Harvey sent his products to two U.S. labs to test the OT products to determine the presence of a drug, including sildenafil citrate, or any synthetic active drug ingredient. Although the lab results did not confirm the presence of sildenafil citrate (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra) or tadalafil (Cialis), they confirmed the presence of a compound with characteristics similar to sildenafil or what appeared to be a sildenafil drug analogue.
If FDA found out about these tests, the agency would have classified the product as a drug. However, the court documents say Harvey controlled the limited dissemination of the lab results, including to the exclusion of FDA.
U.S. masters rider tests positive for nandrolone.
Another prominent U.S. masters racer has tested positive for a banned substance and accepted a sanction from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Nicholas Brandt-Sorensen, the 2011 national road champion for men 30-34, has informed VeloNews in a fax that he tested positive at nationals in September. Brandt-Sorensen also confirmed via phone that he had accepted the sanction.
“I regret to inform the cycling community that I have accepted a provisional suspension from USADA for a medical control sample taken after USA Cycling Masters National Road Race,” read the letter. “The USADA Urine Sample A showed a trace amount of a prohibited substance, which is on the WADA list of banned substances for 2011.”
USADA has not published news of Brandt-Sorensen’s positive test. In the letter, Brandt-Sorensen, 31, did not admit to knowingly consuming a banned substance and apologized to his team and the greater cycling community.
“As an athlete, I must solely accept full responsibility for anything I ingest knowingly or unknowingly. I sincerely apologize for disappointing my team. I am sorry for letting down the sport of cycling, of which has been an integral part of my life over the past 15 years.”
“I regret to inform the cycling community that I have accepted a provisional suspension from USADA for a medical control sample taken after USA Cycling Masters National Road Race,” read the letter. “The USADA Urine Sample A showed a trace amount of a prohibited substance, which is on the WADA list of banned substances for 2011.”
USADA has not published news of Brandt-Sorensen’s positive test. In the letter, Brandt-Sorensen, 31, did not admit to knowingly consuming a banned substance and apologized to his team and the greater cycling community.
“As an athlete, I must solely accept full responsibility for anything I ingest knowingly or unknowingly. I sincerely apologize for disappointing my team. I am sorry for letting down the sport of cycling, of which has been an integral part of my life over the past 15 years.”
US pharmaceutical importer forfeits $2 million they made from selling Chinese hgh.
A Plattsburgh pharmaceutical company and its president, a Canadian citizen, both pleaded guilty to misdemeanor federal drug charges Friday for mislabeling more than $1 million worth of human growth hormone that was imported from China and distributed to pharmacies around the country.
A former Orlando pharmacy, Signature Compounding Pharmacy, whose owners and operators are under indictment in Albany County in a related case, was among the customers of Plattsburgh-based Medisca, Inc., which also has a corporate office in St. Laurent, Quebec.
"I plead guilty," said Antonio Dos Santos, 63, of Montreal, as he stood before U.S. Magistrate David R. Homer.
John L. Pacht, an attorney from Burlington, Vt., then entered a guilty plea on behalf of Medisca.
Plea agreements signed by Dos Santos and Pacht said that between July 2004 and February 2007 Medisca imported 1,737 grams of human growth hormone from China. The criminal accusation is that the company marketed the drug as an "FDA approved drug" which is false, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Capezza, who is handling the case.
"They were saying it was approved by the FDA, when in fact it was not," Capezza said. "It's that false labeling ... that makes it the crime that it is."
As part of the plea agreements Dos Santos, who founded Medisca in 1989, and his company both have agreed to forfeit $1.76 million to the U.S. government. Capezza said that amount represents the company's gross profits from the unlawful drug sales.
It's unclear whether the company ceased importing the human growth hormone in February 2007 because of a law enforcement raid that month of Orlando's Signature Compounding Pharmacy, which had been one of its customers for human growth hormone and controlled substances. The raid by an Orlando task force included Albany County prosecutors who had obtained felony indictments in Albany against Signature's operators related to the alleged sale of performance-enhancing drugs, including steroids, to customers that included pro athletes and celebrities.
"Our office became aware that Medisca was the primary supplier of Signature for certain controlled substances and HGH," said Christopher P. Baynes, chief prosecutor of the financial crimes unit for the Albany County district attorney's office.
Baynes said a state Health Department Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement investigator had traveled to Plattsburgh and interviewed Medisca officials as part of their probe of Signature pharmacy.
Capezza said federal prosecutors in Albany were focused on Medisca.
"For us the focus was really on the distribution to pharmacies .... and then what the pharmacies did with it was the subject of a broader investigation by various U.S. attorneys' offices and the district attorney in Albany County," Capezza said.
Albany prosecutors allege in their charges that Signature was selling growth hormone to people nationwide who had no legitimate medical reason for the drug.
Friday's guilty pleas mark the second time that a supplier of human growth hormone to Signature pharmacy has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges.
Two years ago in Rhode Island federal prosecutors implicated Signature pharmacy in a case in which they said human growth hormone was being smuggled from China to the United States for distribution. The role of the Florida pharmacy was highlighted in a partially sealed criminal case against Victor Martin Effron, an Orlando businessman who pleaded guilty to drug smuggling charges.
Signature Pharmacy is identified in Effron's court case by name and also as "pharmacy X." Two Florida physicians, Gary Brandwein and Claire Godfrey, who pleaded guilty to felony criminal charges in Albany related to prescriptions they wrote through Signature pharmacy, also were named in Effron's criminal case.
Dos Santos and his attorneys declined comment as they left federal court. Homer released Dos Santos on his own recognizance pending sentencing scheduled for March 18. Pacht requested additional time so the company can gather the $1.76 million that is supposed to paid by the time of sentencing.
A former Orlando pharmacy, Signature Compounding Pharmacy, whose owners and operators are under indictment in Albany County in a related case, was among the customers of Plattsburgh-based Medisca, Inc., which also has a corporate office in St. Laurent, Quebec.
"I plead guilty," said Antonio Dos Santos, 63, of Montreal, as he stood before U.S. Magistrate David R. Homer.
John L. Pacht, an attorney from Burlington, Vt., then entered a guilty plea on behalf of Medisca.
Plea agreements signed by Dos Santos and Pacht said that between July 2004 and February 2007 Medisca imported 1,737 grams of human growth hormone from China. The criminal accusation is that the company marketed the drug as an "FDA approved drug" which is false, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Capezza, who is handling the case.
"They were saying it was approved by the FDA, when in fact it was not," Capezza said. "It's that false labeling ... that makes it the crime that it is."
As part of the plea agreements Dos Santos, who founded Medisca in 1989, and his company both have agreed to forfeit $1.76 million to the U.S. government. Capezza said that amount represents the company's gross profits from the unlawful drug sales.
It's unclear whether the company ceased importing the human growth hormone in February 2007 because of a law enforcement raid that month of Orlando's Signature Compounding Pharmacy, which had been one of its customers for human growth hormone and controlled substances. The raid by an Orlando task force included Albany County prosecutors who had obtained felony indictments in Albany against Signature's operators related to the alleged sale of performance-enhancing drugs, including steroids, to customers that included pro athletes and celebrities.
"Our office became aware that Medisca was the primary supplier of Signature for certain controlled substances and HGH," said Christopher P. Baynes, chief prosecutor of the financial crimes unit for the Albany County district attorney's office.
Baynes said a state Health Department Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement investigator had traveled to Plattsburgh and interviewed Medisca officials as part of their probe of Signature pharmacy.
Capezza said federal prosecutors in Albany were focused on Medisca.
"For us the focus was really on the distribution to pharmacies .... and then what the pharmacies did with it was the subject of a broader investigation by various U.S. attorneys' offices and the district attorney in Albany County," Capezza said.
Albany prosecutors allege in their charges that Signature was selling growth hormone to people nationwide who had no legitimate medical reason for the drug.
Friday's guilty pleas mark the second time that a supplier of human growth hormone to Signature pharmacy has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges.
Two years ago in Rhode Island federal prosecutors implicated Signature pharmacy in a case in which they said human growth hormone was being smuggled from China to the United States for distribution. The role of the Florida pharmacy was highlighted in a partially sealed criminal case against Victor Martin Effron, an Orlando businessman who pleaded guilty to drug smuggling charges.
Signature Pharmacy is identified in Effron's court case by name and also as "pharmacy X." Two Florida physicians, Gary Brandwein and Claire Godfrey, who pleaded guilty to felony criminal charges in Albany related to prescriptions they wrote through Signature pharmacy, also were named in Effron's criminal case.
Dos Santos and his attorneys declined comment as they left federal court. Homer released Dos Santos on his own recognizance pending sentencing scheduled for March 18. Pacht requested additional time so the company can gather the $1.76 million that is supposed to paid by the time of sentencing.
Juice driving ends in arrest.
A 26-year-old Ann Arbor man was arrested Sunday afternoon after police discovered illegal steroids in the vehicle he was driving.
The man was pulled over by Michigan State Police around 4:30 p.m. Sunday on westbound I-94 near the Mt. Hope Road exit for going 81 mph in a construction zone, said Trooper Derrick White of the Michigan State Police Jackson post.
When the officer conducted a search of the man's gym bag, three vials of trenbolone acetate and a small amount of marijuana were discovered. Tenbolone acetate, an anabolic steroid, is illegal under federal law.
He was arrested for a possession of steroids and lodged at the Jackson County Jail.
The man was pulled over by Michigan State Police around 4:30 p.m. Sunday on westbound I-94 near the Mt. Hope Road exit for going 81 mph in a construction zone, said Trooper Derrick White of the Michigan State Police Jackson post.
When the officer conducted a search of the man's gym bag, three vials of trenbolone acetate and a small amount of marijuana were discovered. Tenbolone acetate, an anabolic steroid, is illegal under federal law.
He was arrested for a possession of steroids and lodged at the Jackson County Jail.
Ten defendants sentenced in federal court for steroid trafficking.
United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced Friday that 10 defendants have been sentenced for their involvement in a large scale conspiracy to possess and distribute anabolic steroids in the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of Texas and Louisiana.
U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi imposed today’s sentences in federal court in Lake Charles. Bryce Thomas Meaux, 24, Christopher Keith Gass, 25, Tyler Jordan Kuykendall, 20, Shane Patrick Hinton, 23, all of Lake Charles; Blake Meche, 25, of Rayne; Canien Lee Matte, 24, Terry Duane Kuykendall, 24, both of Baton Rouge; Troy Newton Broussard, 27, of Lafayette; and Shane Keith Weekly, 24 of Lake Arthur were sentenced Friday for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and the distribution of anabolic steroids.
Gass was also sentenced for money laundering. Daniel Kent Bosely, 24, of Lake Charles, was sentenced on Oct. 5, 2011, before Judge Minaldi. Two defendants remain to be sentenced. Ronald Lee Bert Fontenot, 23, of Eunice will be rescheduled for sentencing at a later date, and Jordan Blake Berza, 26, of Lake
Charles, is scheduled for sentencing on Oct.r 27, 2011. The facts surrounding the defendants sentenced in this case are attached.
According to court testimony, these defendants were involved in a drug trafficking organization responsible for receiving several hundred 10 milliliter (10 ml) vials of anabolic steroids, numerous packages of anabolic steroid cream, and approximately 35 kilograms of raw steroid powder which was shipped from China and Germany.
Once the internationally shipped packages of anabolic steroid powder were received by members of the organization, the powder was then converted into an injectable form, bottled, labeled for distribution, and sold. This drug trafficking organization sold anabolic steroids to individuals located in the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of Louisiana and Texas. In total, approximately 7,000 10-milliliter (10 ml) vials of anabolic steroids were manufactured, possessed, and distributed by this drug trafficking organization.
More than 600 10-milliliter (10 ml) vials of anabolic steroids were seized from members of the organization through undercover purchases, traffic stops and search warrants. Agents also seized hundreds of empty vials, caps, syringes, three clandestine laboratories, and approximately one kilogram of raw steroid powder.
Approximately $93,000 was seized from members of the organization, the majority of which came from bank seizures on accounts belonging to Jordan Berza and
Christopher Gass, to include $13,000.00 in cash seized from the residence of Berza. Berza was the co-owner of Planet Nutrition in Lake Charles with co-defendant Christopher Gass.
The business was utilized as a distribution point for the anabolic steroids. Berza also delivered and mailed steroids to many of his distributors. All monies seized by law enforcement from Berza’s residence and financial accounts registered to Berza and Gass represent drug proceeds from the sale of anabolic steroids.
U. S. Attorney Stephanie Finley stated, “The type of steroids being trafficked in this case were dangerous. None of these defendants knew what was in the substances they were getting.
Greed drove them to illegally import and sell steroids from China and Germany to anyone who would pay their price. Illegal steroid use is a problem, and my office will continue to prosecute those who participate in this type of illegal activity.” Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland
Security Investigations (ICE/HSI) in New Orleans, Raymond R. Parmer, Jr., said, “Seizures like these strike at the heart of criminal organizations by targeting the financial gain that enables their criminal enterprises to flourish. This case is significant and highlights the cooperative effort of law enforcement working together to dismantle these dangerous organizations.”
Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Jim Lee said, “Today's sentencing is a direct result of the excellent partnership IRS-CI has with the U.S. Attorney s office and other federal agencies. Together, we will continue to investigate and prosecute those individuals who are involved in money laundering activities in our community.”
U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi imposed today’s sentences in federal court in Lake Charles. Bryce Thomas Meaux, 24, Christopher Keith Gass, 25, Tyler Jordan Kuykendall, 20, Shane Patrick Hinton, 23, all of Lake Charles; Blake Meche, 25, of Rayne; Canien Lee Matte, 24, Terry Duane Kuykendall, 24, both of Baton Rouge; Troy Newton Broussard, 27, of Lafayette; and Shane Keith Weekly, 24 of Lake Arthur were sentenced Friday for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and the distribution of anabolic steroids.
Gass was also sentenced for money laundering. Daniel Kent Bosely, 24, of Lake Charles, was sentenced on Oct. 5, 2011, before Judge Minaldi. Two defendants remain to be sentenced. Ronald Lee Bert Fontenot, 23, of Eunice will be rescheduled for sentencing at a later date, and Jordan Blake Berza, 26, of Lake
Charles, is scheduled for sentencing on Oct.r 27, 2011. The facts surrounding the defendants sentenced in this case are attached.
According to court testimony, these defendants were involved in a drug trafficking organization responsible for receiving several hundred 10 milliliter (10 ml) vials of anabolic steroids, numerous packages of anabolic steroid cream, and approximately 35 kilograms of raw steroid powder which was shipped from China and Germany.
Once the internationally shipped packages of anabolic steroid powder were received by members of the organization, the powder was then converted into an injectable form, bottled, labeled for distribution, and sold. This drug trafficking organization sold anabolic steroids to individuals located in the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of Louisiana and Texas. In total, approximately 7,000 10-milliliter (10 ml) vials of anabolic steroids were manufactured, possessed, and distributed by this drug trafficking organization.
More than 600 10-milliliter (10 ml) vials of anabolic steroids were seized from members of the organization through undercover purchases, traffic stops and search warrants. Agents also seized hundreds of empty vials, caps, syringes, three clandestine laboratories, and approximately one kilogram of raw steroid powder.
Approximately $93,000 was seized from members of the organization, the majority of which came from bank seizures on accounts belonging to Jordan Berza and
Christopher Gass, to include $13,000.00 in cash seized from the residence of Berza. Berza was the co-owner of Planet Nutrition in Lake Charles with co-defendant Christopher Gass.
The business was utilized as a distribution point for the anabolic steroids. Berza also delivered and mailed steroids to many of his distributors. All monies seized by law enforcement from Berza’s residence and financial accounts registered to Berza and Gass represent drug proceeds from the sale of anabolic steroids.
U. S. Attorney Stephanie Finley stated, “The type of steroids being trafficked in this case were dangerous. None of these defendants knew what was in the substances they were getting.
Greed drove them to illegally import and sell steroids from China and Germany to anyone who would pay their price. Illegal steroid use is a problem, and my office will continue to prosecute those who participate in this type of illegal activity.” Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland
Security Investigations (ICE/HSI) in New Orleans, Raymond R. Parmer, Jr., said, “Seizures like these strike at the heart of criminal organizations by targeting the financial gain that enables their criminal enterprises to flourish. This case is significant and highlights the cooperative effort of law enforcement working together to dismantle these dangerous organizations.”
Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Jim Lee said, “Today's sentencing is a direct result of the excellent partnership IRS-CI has with the U.S. Attorney s office and other federal agencies. Together, we will continue to investigate and prosecute those individuals who are involved in money laundering activities in our community.”
Lebanese bodybuilding and steroid scene article.
The air inside Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium is thick with the smell of sweat and body oil. A handful of men flex and pose onstage as the emcee shouts instructions over the roaring crowd.
Veins pop alarmingly as they grunt and strain with single-minded concentration. George, an ex-bodybuilder whose name has been changed to protect confidentiality, stands near the judge’s area at the annual Lebanese Bodybuilding Championship, which took place last weekend. He studies the competitors intently.
“See that guy?” he asks in a whisper, while pointing to a contestant who looks puny and underdeveloped next to the bulging bronzed giants on either side of him. “He doesn’t use steroids. It’s obvious. He just can’t compete.”
Performance-enhancing substances such as steroids and growth hormones are the elephant in the room at bodybuilding championships, gyms and playing fields across the globe. Many people take these substances, which are illegal in Lebanon and most countries, in order to achieve a variety of physiological effects including increased energy and rapid muscle growth. The most commonly used are anabolic steroids, which are usually injected into the bloodstream and mimic the effects of testosterone in the body, increasing protein synthesis in the muscles.
They also cause a variety of harmful or unpleasant side effects, according to Dr. Johnny Ibrahim, the official doctor of Lebanon’s national football team.
“Steroids develop the contractile muscles, including the heart,” he says. “The heart becomes bigger and then you can have hypertrophy of the heart. When you add the extra energy someone gets as a result of taking steroids, they can easily die from heart failure.”
“Other problems include hirsutism, or excess hair, heavy sweating and hormonal issues. You can also become impotent or infertile and some men develop increased breast size or psychological effects such as intense anger,” he says.
Ibrahim warns that the majority of these side effects are permanent: “The damage from steroids is irreversible.”
According to Jihad Haddad, medical secretary of the Lebanese Olympic Committee, steroids are fast becoming an epidemic in Lebanon.
“Anabolic steroids and growth hormone are a problem among bodybuilders, but also among athletes like rugby players and people just looking to improve their physique,” says Haddad.
Haddad, who administers tests that detect the presence of steroids in Lebanese Olympic contenders, says he has been seeing an increasing number of athletes test positive for these substances. “We did 169 tests, and we had about 10 percent positive results,” Haddad says.
According to George, easy access to these substances in Lebanon is partially to blame. “You can go to some pharmacies and get steroids,” he says. “It’s not difficult.”
Tarek Gherbal, athletic therapist at the American University of Beirut, says that although Lebanese pharmacies are making an attempt to more strictly regulate the sale of anabolic steroids, these substances are easily obtained over the black market.
“The problem is a growing black market trade,” says Gherbal.” The black market here is very developed, so the personal trainer at your gym … can get you substances that will give you immediate growth, without telling you any of the potential side effects or the harm it can do you.”
According to Gherbal, he has treated patients who have experienced some of these side effects and subsequently regretted their steroid use.
“A couple of patients I see in my clinic literally cry and say ‘I wish someone had told me that I would be facing this someday, I wouldn’t have shot a needle,’” he says.
George, who admits to having used steroids in the past, says that although he has never personally experienced any harmful side effects, he knows many bodybuilders who have.
“If you ask any heavy steroid user if they would go back and do it again, they’d say no,” he says.
George said that he started using steroids because he felt like he had reached the limit of what he could accomplish with training and exercise.
“I had reached my maximum natural potential,” he says. “I had been training for 10 years and I got to a certain level and I wanted to break that barrier.”
The competitive bodybuilding world is an environment in which steroid use is almost compulsory, according to George.
“If you’re a swimmer, taking steroids won’t improve your performance that much,” he says. “But as a bodybuilder, you take steroids to build muscle. The natural process of doing this is very slow and it has a limit. When you take steroids, it speeds up the process by five, six times … There’s no way you can compete without taking them.”
George says that while he understands why professional bodybuilders take steroids, he doesn’t think it’s worth the risk to someone just looking to become more muscular.
“If competition is your goal, you might want to take some risks,” he says. “But if you’re not even going to compete … why would you do it? It’s a huge price to pay.”
According to Ibrahim, the government has a responsibility to control the sale and use of performance-enhancing substances.
“There are a lot of people making money from this, and the problem is that the government isn’t taking care of it. These things are as dangerous as drugs,” he says.
Haddad says that steps are being taken to address the issue. A draft law that he helped to write was recently submitted to Parliament and is awaiting consideration. “Now we have introduced a law that will hopefully create a national anti-doping agency,” he says. “There will be regulations and anti-doping officers that collaborate with the police.”
Backstage at the bodybuilding competition, Noel Saliba, a muscular but proportional young man, looks cheerful despite his loss. Asked if he has ever used steroids, Saliba shakes his head emphatically. “No way,” he says, shooting a glance at one of his hulking fellow competitors. “The side effects are really bad, and I have a family.”
He smiles ruefully for a moment.
“But if I had taken them, I would have definitely won.”
Mainstream female journalist writes about the current steroid scene.
Three years ago, Carl never would have expected his relationship with steroids to go this far. His motivation: sports.
“I compete in the sport of powerlifting, where drug use is not only common, but openly accepted as part of the sport,” Carl said. “I figured if everyone else was doing it, why shouldn’t I?”
After being exposed to steroids at the age of 19, Carl began his fury of research to learn more about the powers of steroids.
“I decided to wait until I was 21 to try them,” Carl said.
He said that waiting didn’t make the experience any easier.
“I took the syringe out of the box and pulled two millimeters of testosterone enanthate from the vial. I waited trying to work up the courage, and finally I managed to push the needle in slowly. I pushed the plunger until it was gone, and I pulled the needle out. A few droplets of blood came out. I laid on the cold tile for a while before I would stop shaking.”
Carl never realized how much his life would change after that moment. Not only would his body begin to change, but his sense of well-being, his lifestyle and his future would be changed forever.
“Since I’ve been using them, my vascularity increased greatly, I lost fat and gained more muscle,” Carl said. “The steroids are what increases strength and muscle size, and the effects on body composition are great.”
Carl struggled with depression prior to his use, but the steroids’ effect on his confidence and self-esteem allowed him to surpass this condition.
Carl’s strength performance in the powerlifting meets also excelled since he began using them.
“It has taken me three years of use to win my competition,” he said. “But I think it will be another two years before I can win open nationals. I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
Harrison Pope, a steroid specialist, psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at Harvard University, said steroids are called anabolic-androgenic because they have two sets of effects.
“The anabolic are the muscle gaining effects that cause you to gain muscle mass,” Pope said. “And the androgenic effects are the so-called masculinizing effects which include both physical effects such as hair growth or acne and the psychological effects.”
Malhar Gore, physician at Thielen Student Health Center, said steroids’ effect on body composition stimulate muscle tissue to grow and bulk up in response to training by mimicking the effect of naturally produced testosterone on the body.
“Steroids also promote the masculine traits that males develop during puberty, such as deepening of the voice and growth of body hair,” Gore said.
Carl’s decision to use steroids has set a standard for what his future entails.
“As soon as I started, it became a major lifestyle decision, one you can’t back away from easily,” Carl said. “A lot of my life from here on out is going to have to do with steroids, probably forever.”
Sports aren’t the only reason some individuals begin using steroids. Pope says many use because they do exactly what you want them to.
“The main reason people are prompted to use steroids is because they work,” Pope said. “They are extremely effective for gaining muscle mass and the short term hazards are pretty minor.”
Debra Atkinson, director of the Ames Racquet and Fitness Personal Training, said people looking for instant, dramatic changes in their bodies are more likely to use steroids.
“Individuals use steroids because they have an intense desire to change and a need for self-confidence and instant gratification,” Atkinson said.
Pope also thinks that the lack of short term side effects plays a role in the motivation for steroid use.
“Most kids who take them don’t notice any adverse effects in the short term,” Pope said. “So as a result, they are rarely deterred by fears that they are going to get the dangerous side effects, even though in reality, the long term side effects may be fairly serious.”
Jake Prater, vice president of the Iowa State University Weight Club, said the main reason people want to try steroids is for performance.
“Whether it’s strength, speed or looking better, people are interested in steroids because they enhance natural ability.”
Carl thinks that a lot of steroid users have the wrong intentions for using steroids.
“Most of the people that use steroids are gym rats that are insecure about their looks and think drugs are the solution to their problems,” Carl said. “Athletes, both professional and amateur, are a minority.”
Carl says that these inexperienced steroid users are often the ones who cause problems.
“When most people start, they really don’t have any idea what they’re doing, and they don’t have any guidance,” Carl said. “Those are the idiots that run into trouble and make a bad name for everything.”
Although Carl is experienced with his use, he has run into problems along the way.
“Some drugs increase my hematocrit, [or amount of red blood cells,] and cause my anxiety to flare up. I’ve become an insomniac so when I take some drugs, I have to take sleeping pills,” Carl said. “Otherwise, I can stay up for three to four days.”
“Being on high doses of anything lowers my high-density lipoproteins a little bit, but I had an experience with one drug that took my HDL from the mid-50s to 4. That’s really, really bad,” Carl said.
Pope argues that one of the major dangers of steroids is the fact that science does not know enough about them.
“In science, we have a phrase that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. In other words, we don’t have a whole lot of evidence about the long term cardiac effects,” Pope said. “The shortage of data does not mean that these drugs are safe. It simply means we don’t have enough data yet.”
Carl stated that he researches what he can about the consequences of the drugs, but there is not enough information to be 100 percent sure.
“I know steroids have some negative effects on the cardiovascular system,” Carl said. “I don’t know how those effects happen, but nobody really does because since it’s illegal, they can’t really do studies on it to find out. “
“These drugs may be more dangerous than we know,” Pope said. “But it may be another decade before we fully understand the magnitude of those dangers.”
Another problem with the various types of steroids is that each and every drug has the potential to affect the user differently.
“With 90 percent of the drugs I’ve taken, I experienced no negative side effects what-so-ever,” said Carl. “But these drugs have caused other people’s blood pressure to go through the roof. Their HDL drops, they have problems with estrogen control, or it can just make them feel terrible. The effects of the drugs are completely individual and are different for everyone.”
One way steroid users deal with the negative side effects is through the use of ancillaries, which are supporting drugs such as anti-estrogens or acne drugs that help reduce the side effects of steroids.
“Most ancillaries are hard to find, but you can legally buy them as research chemicals,” Carl said.
Carl, among other steroid users, gains access to steroids, growth hormones and ancillaries through the internet.
“That’s where almost everyone gets them. You can get things on the internet for much cheaper than you can find on the street,” he said.
The Internet has made steroid commerce extremely easy and Pope says that the internet is now the primary source of steroids.
“Unlike other drugs of abuse which are often illegal in any country of the world, steroids are perfectly legal in many countries and can be purchased in a local pharmacy without a prescription,” Pope said.
Carl says there are plenty of scam sites online and that you have to really be looking hard to find the real thing.
“You have to watch out because most of the sites that have advertisements are scams. You access the real ones through an email address, but they’re pretty hard to find.”
Suppliers have various ways of avoiding the legal consequence, but still are able to provide the drugs globally.
“It is very hard to prevent, even with a substantial amount of interjection,” Pope said. “There is just such a vast flow that it’s hard to intercept any substantial percentage of it.”
Since the process of obtaining steroids is rather risky, users accept a substantial amount of risk ordering their drugs online.
“You can never really know ... what you’re getting when you order over the Internet,” Carl said. “And that’s part of the problem. You have to find a source you can trust.”
“I compete in the sport of powerlifting, where drug use is not only common, but openly accepted as part of the sport,” Carl said. “I figured if everyone else was doing it, why shouldn’t I?”
After being exposed to steroids at the age of 19, Carl began his fury of research to learn more about the powers of steroids.
“I decided to wait until I was 21 to try them,” Carl said.
He said that waiting didn’t make the experience any easier.
“I took the syringe out of the box and pulled two millimeters of testosterone enanthate from the vial. I waited trying to work up the courage, and finally I managed to push the needle in slowly. I pushed the plunger until it was gone, and I pulled the needle out. A few droplets of blood came out. I laid on the cold tile for a while before I would stop shaking.”
Carl never realized how much his life would change after that moment. Not only would his body begin to change, but his sense of well-being, his lifestyle and his future would be changed forever.
“Since I’ve been using them, my vascularity increased greatly, I lost fat and gained more muscle,” Carl said. “The steroids are what increases strength and muscle size, and the effects on body composition are great.”
Carl struggled with depression prior to his use, but the steroids’ effect on his confidence and self-esteem allowed him to surpass this condition.
Carl’s strength performance in the powerlifting meets also excelled since he began using them.
“It has taken me three years of use to win my competition,” he said. “But I think it will be another two years before I can win open nationals. I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
Harrison Pope, a steroid specialist, psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at Harvard University, said steroids are called anabolic-androgenic because they have two sets of effects.
“The anabolic are the muscle gaining effects that cause you to gain muscle mass,” Pope said. “And the androgenic effects are the so-called masculinizing effects which include both physical effects such as hair growth or acne and the psychological effects.”
Malhar Gore, physician at Thielen Student Health Center, said steroids’ effect on body composition stimulate muscle tissue to grow and bulk up in response to training by mimicking the effect of naturally produced testosterone on the body.
“Steroids also promote the masculine traits that males develop during puberty, such as deepening of the voice and growth of body hair,” Gore said.
Carl’s decision to use steroids has set a standard for what his future entails.
“As soon as I started, it became a major lifestyle decision, one you can’t back away from easily,” Carl said. “A lot of my life from here on out is going to have to do with steroids, probably forever.”
Sports aren’t the only reason some individuals begin using steroids. Pope says many use because they do exactly what you want them to.
“The main reason people are prompted to use steroids is because they work,” Pope said. “They are extremely effective for gaining muscle mass and the short term hazards are pretty minor.”
Debra Atkinson, director of the Ames Racquet and Fitness Personal Training, said people looking for instant, dramatic changes in their bodies are more likely to use steroids.
“Individuals use steroids because they have an intense desire to change and a need for self-confidence and instant gratification,” Atkinson said.
Pope also thinks that the lack of short term side effects plays a role in the motivation for steroid use.
“Most kids who take them don’t notice any adverse effects in the short term,” Pope said. “So as a result, they are rarely deterred by fears that they are going to get the dangerous side effects, even though in reality, the long term side effects may be fairly serious.”
Jake Prater, vice president of the Iowa State University Weight Club, said the main reason people want to try steroids is for performance.
“Whether it’s strength, speed or looking better, people are interested in steroids because they enhance natural ability.”
Carl thinks that a lot of steroid users have the wrong intentions for using steroids.
“Most of the people that use steroids are gym rats that are insecure about their looks and think drugs are the solution to their problems,” Carl said. “Athletes, both professional and amateur, are a minority.”
Carl says that these inexperienced steroid users are often the ones who cause problems.
“When most people start, they really don’t have any idea what they’re doing, and they don’t have any guidance,” Carl said. “Those are the idiots that run into trouble and make a bad name for everything.”
Although Carl is experienced with his use, he has run into problems along the way.
“Some drugs increase my hematocrit, [or amount of red blood cells,] and cause my anxiety to flare up. I’ve become an insomniac so when I take some drugs, I have to take sleeping pills,” Carl said. “Otherwise, I can stay up for three to four days.”
“Being on high doses of anything lowers my high-density lipoproteins a little bit, but I had an experience with one drug that took my HDL from the mid-50s to 4. That’s really, really bad,” Carl said.
Pope argues that one of the major dangers of steroids is the fact that science does not know enough about them.
“In science, we have a phrase that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. In other words, we don’t have a whole lot of evidence about the long term cardiac effects,” Pope said. “The shortage of data does not mean that these drugs are safe. It simply means we don’t have enough data yet.”
Carl stated that he researches what he can about the consequences of the drugs, but there is not enough information to be 100 percent sure.
“I know steroids have some negative effects on the cardiovascular system,” Carl said. “I don’t know how those effects happen, but nobody really does because since it’s illegal, they can’t really do studies on it to find out. “
“These drugs may be more dangerous than we know,” Pope said. “But it may be another decade before we fully understand the magnitude of those dangers.”
Another problem with the various types of steroids is that each and every drug has the potential to affect the user differently.
“With 90 percent of the drugs I’ve taken, I experienced no negative side effects what-so-ever,” said Carl. “But these drugs have caused other people’s blood pressure to go through the roof. Their HDL drops, they have problems with estrogen control, or it can just make them feel terrible. The effects of the drugs are completely individual and are different for everyone.”
One way steroid users deal with the negative side effects is through the use of ancillaries, which are supporting drugs such as anti-estrogens or acne drugs that help reduce the side effects of steroids.
“Most ancillaries are hard to find, but you can legally buy them as research chemicals,” Carl said.
Carl, among other steroid users, gains access to steroids, growth hormones and ancillaries through the internet.
“That’s where almost everyone gets them. You can get things on the internet for much cheaper than you can find on the street,” he said.
The Internet has made steroid commerce extremely easy and Pope says that the internet is now the primary source of steroids.
“Unlike other drugs of abuse which are often illegal in any country of the world, steroids are perfectly legal in many countries and can be purchased in a local pharmacy without a prescription,” Pope said.
Carl says there are plenty of scam sites online and that you have to really be looking hard to find the real thing.
“You have to watch out because most of the sites that have advertisements are scams. You access the real ones through an email address, but they’re pretty hard to find.”
Suppliers have various ways of avoiding the legal consequence, but still are able to provide the drugs globally.
“It is very hard to prevent, even with a substantial amount of interjection,” Pope said. “There is just such a vast flow that it’s hard to intercept any substantial percentage of it.”
Since the process of obtaining steroids is rather risky, users accept a substantial amount of risk ordering their drugs online.
“You can never really know ... what you’re getting when you order over the Internet,” Carl said. “And that’s part of the problem. You have to find a source you can trust.”
FIFA accepts Mexican soccer players' tainted meat excuse.
Five Mexican players who tested positive for clenbuterol before the Gold Cup in June will face no further action after FIFA determined the tests were caused by contaminated meat.
The World Anti-Doping Agency said Wednesday it had dropped its appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where it planned to challenge a Mexico Football Federation decision clearing the players of doping.
WADA says it accepted FIFA's "compelling evidence" from the recent Under-17 World Cup in Mexico that the country has a "serious health problem" with meat contaminated with clenbuterol.
The World Anti-Doping Agency said Wednesday it had dropped its appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where it planned to challenge a Mexico Football Federation decision clearing the players of doping.
WADA says it accepted FIFA's "compelling evidence" from the recent Under-17 World Cup in Mexico that the country has a "serious health problem" with meat contaminated with clenbuterol.
Nine more Indian sportsmen caught doping.
Nine more kabaddi players were today caught for using banned steroids, taking the total number of dope flunked players who were tested early this month during the selection trials of the World Cup to 19.
Yesterday, the National Anti-Doping Agency announced that 10 out of 21 kabbadi players whose test results were available have returned positive for banned substances. Today, the results of the remaining 29 urine samples were available and nine were found to have contained banned steroids.
Altogether, 50 kabaddi players were tested during the selection trials in Ludhiana early this month.
“Selection Trial (Men) of 2nd World Cup Kabaddi, Punjab 2011 was held at Ludhiana on 5th October 2011 and the Dope Control Programme was organised by NADA as per the request of Punjab Government. A total of 51 urine samples were collected and deposited in the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) on the 6th October 2011,” NADA Director General Rahul Bhatnagar said in a release.
“Out of Laboratory analytical reports in respect of another 29 samples received from NDTL today, 09 samples have been found positive, making the total of positive cases to 19 out of 50 samples. The prohibited substances found in these 09 cases are stanozolol, methendinone, Trenbolone, Drostanolone nandrolone, phentermine(stimulant),” he said.
Yesterday, the National Anti-Doping Agency announced that 10 out of 21 kabbadi players whose test results were available have returned positive for banned substances. Today, the results of the remaining 29 urine samples were available and nine were found to have contained banned steroids.
Altogether, 50 kabaddi players were tested during the selection trials in Ludhiana early this month.
“Selection Trial (Men) of 2nd World Cup Kabaddi, Punjab 2011 was held at Ludhiana on 5th October 2011 and the Dope Control Programme was organised by NADA as per the request of Punjab Government. A total of 51 urine samples were collected and deposited in the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) on the 6th October 2011,” NADA Director General Rahul Bhatnagar said in a release.
“Out of Laboratory analytical reports in respect of another 29 samples received from NDTL today, 09 samples have been found positive, making the total of positive cases to 19 out of 50 samples. The prohibited substances found in these 09 cases are stanozolol, methendinone, Trenbolone, Drostanolone nandrolone, phentermine(stimulant),” he said.
Suspected steroid dealer arrested after customer dies.
( Picture of the deceased Lewis Allan borrowed from his Twitter account )Detectives launched an inquiry into steroid-dealing after a 23-year-old’s death.
Police believe Lewis Allan, who died early on Monday morning after falling ill at home in Eastbourne, used anabolic steroids over the last year.
They have arrested a man on suspicion of supplying drugs.
Mr Allan was taken ill at his home in Bridgemere Road, Eastbourne, at about 2am on Monday.
He was taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after 3.30am.
Sussex Police are investigating his use of anabolic steroids – a prescription drug sometimes used by bodybuilders.
Possession or importation of the drug for personal use is legal, but supplying it is illegal.
Officers believe Mr Allan’s weight had grown by as much as four stones over the last year as he trained.
His death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious. The East Sussex Coroner is expected to hold an inquest and a post-mortem examination has not yet taken place.
Animal control officer busted trying to buy steroids from an undercover cop.
An on-duty uniformed employee of Cullman County was taken into custody by law enforcement authorities after attempting to purchase drugs from an undercover officer.
Josh Smith was taken into custody by agents with the Cullman Narcotics Enforcement Team last week. He was charged with unlawful receiving and possession of a controlled substance.
Smith, who is a Cullman County Animal Control officer, was booked driving a county-owned vehicle and was wearing his uniform at the time of the arrest.
Smith is accused of buying steroids from an undercover officer. He was pulled over and taken into custody by law enforcement following the alleged purchase.
Cullman Police Department Assistant Chief Craig Green said Animal Control Director Tim McCoy was contacted before the controlled sell, which was monitored by law enforcement, and that he picked up Smith’s county-owned vehicle and equipment following the arrest.
Because of the sensitivity surrounding Smith’s position as a Cullman County employee, authorities with the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office asked an official with Cullman Police Department to be present during the controlled sell.
“I received a call from CNET about the situation, asking if our department could have someone present at the time of the arrest because of the nature of this being a county employee,” Green said. “Sheriff (Mike) Rainey was aware of what was taking place. They didn’t want any questions or concerns with them being a county office arresting another county employee.
“I went only as support and CNET handled the details of the arrest.”
According to Green, CNET agent Chris Thomason organized the controlled sell.
“Before the sell was made, Thomason made the decision that this would be a bust-buy,” Green said. “The CNET guys handled everything properly and the arrest was made.”
Josh Smith was taken into custody by agents with the Cullman Narcotics Enforcement Team last week. He was charged with unlawful receiving and possession of a controlled substance.
Smith, who is a Cullman County Animal Control officer, was booked driving a county-owned vehicle and was wearing his uniform at the time of the arrest.
Smith is accused of buying steroids from an undercover officer. He was pulled over and taken into custody by law enforcement following the alleged purchase.
Cullman Police Department Assistant Chief Craig Green said Animal Control Director Tim McCoy was contacted before the controlled sell, which was monitored by law enforcement, and that he picked up Smith’s county-owned vehicle and equipment following the arrest.
Because of the sensitivity surrounding Smith’s position as a Cullman County employee, authorities with the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office asked an official with Cullman Police Department to be present during the controlled sell.
“I received a call from CNET about the situation, asking if our department could have someone present at the time of the arrest because of the nature of this being a county employee,” Green said. “Sheriff (Mike) Rainey was aware of what was taking place. They didn’t want any questions or concerns with them being a county office arresting another county employee.
“I went only as support and CNET handled the details of the arrest.”
According to Green, CNET agent Chris Thomason organized the controlled sell.
“Before the sell was made, Thomason made the decision that this would be a bust-buy,” Green said. “The CNET guys handled everything properly and the arrest was made.”
Three more Indian athletes caught doping.
Doping menace continued unabated in Indian athletics with three more track and field competitors returning positive for steroids in the tests conducted during the National Open Championships held in Kolkata last month. National Anti-Doping Agency conducted tests on 93 urine samples during
the September 10-13 Championships, out of which three returned positive for multiple substances, including banned steroids and stimulant methylhexaneamine.
"A total of 93 urine samples of athletes of track and field events were collected during 51st National Open Athletics Championships at Kolkata during September 10-13. Out of the reports of 91 samples received so far from National Dope Testing Laboratory, three samples were found positive and the first notices had been issued," NADA Director General Rahul Bhatnagar said in a release.
"In each of the case, multiple substances were found and they include methandienone, stanozolol, methyltesterone, phentermine, methylhexaneamine," the release added.
Today's dope flunk came three months after eight athletes, including double Asian Games gold-medallist Ashwini Akkunji, returned positive for banned steroids in one of the worst doping scandals that had hit the country.
Akkunji's Asian Games 4X400m gold-winning relay quartet team-mates members Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose, three other top quartermilers Jauna Murmu, Priyanka Panwar and Tiana Mary Thomas, shot putter Sonia and long jumper Hari Krishan Muralidharan also tested positive for banned steroids.
Sonia has been handed two year ban by the NADA Disciplinary Panel, while the cases of the six quartermilers and Muralidharan are going on.
Interestingly, stimulant methylhexaneamine returned to haunt Indian sport after 13 sportspersons from various disciplines were caught for using the substance just before last year's Commonwealth Games here.
the September 10-13 Championships, out of which three returned positive for multiple substances, including banned steroids and stimulant methylhexaneamine.
"A total of 93 urine samples of athletes of track and field events were collected during 51st National Open Athletics Championships at Kolkata during September 10-13. Out of the reports of 91 samples received so far from National Dope Testing Laboratory, three samples were found positive and the first notices had been issued," NADA Director General Rahul Bhatnagar said in a release.
"In each of the case, multiple substances were found and they include methandienone, stanozolol, methyltesterone, phentermine, methylhexaneamine," the release added.
Today's dope flunk came three months after eight athletes, including double Asian Games gold-medallist Ashwini Akkunji, returned positive for banned steroids in one of the worst doping scandals that had hit the country.
Akkunji's Asian Games 4X400m gold-winning relay quartet team-mates members Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose, three other top quartermilers Jauna Murmu, Priyanka Panwar and Tiana Mary Thomas, shot putter Sonia and long jumper Hari Krishan Muralidharan also tested positive for banned steroids.
Sonia has been handed two year ban by the NADA Disciplinary Panel, while the cases of the six quartermilers and Muralidharan are going on.
Interestingly, stimulant methylhexaneamine returned to haunt Indian sport after 13 sportspersons from various disciplines were caught for using the substance just before last year's Commonwealth Games here.
Australian busted for steroids.
Police have charged a man following an investigation into illegal steroids in Sydney’s north.
About 7pm on Thursday (6 October), detectives from Northern Beaches Local Area Command arrested the 20-year-old man in the car park of a fitness centre on Endeavour Street in Chatswood.
Officers allegedly found several vials of what is believed to be an anabolic/androgenic steroid in the man’s car.
Last night (Friday 7 October), police were granted a warrant to search the man’s home Caleyi Way at Belrose.
Police will allege they found more vials of the illegal steroids. Ten vials were found in total.
They will all be sent for testing to confirm they are a restricted substance under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966.
The man has been charged with the possession of anabolic steroids and has been granted bail to appear at Hornsby Local Court on Wednesday 2 November.
About 7pm on Thursday (6 October), detectives from Northern Beaches Local Area Command arrested the 20-year-old man in the car park of a fitness centre on Endeavour Street in Chatswood.
Officers allegedly found several vials of what is believed to be an anabolic/androgenic steroid in the man’s car.
Last night (Friday 7 October), police were granted a warrant to search the man’s home Caleyi Way at Belrose.
Police will allege they found more vials of the illegal steroids. Ten vials were found in total.
They will all be sent for testing to confirm they are a restricted substance under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966.
The man has been charged with the possession of anabolic steroids and has been granted bail to appear at Hornsby Local Court on Wednesday 2 November.
Superior Metabolic Technologies Uprizing 2.0 recalled due to Superdrol content.
Superior Metabolic Technologies Inc of Marietta, Georgia is voluntarily recalling all lots of the testosterone booster Uprizing 2.0 because tests have shown the product appears to contain superdrol, a synthetic steroid, making it an unapproved new drug.
On August 5 the FDA made Superior Metabolic Technologies Inc aware that Uprizing 2.0 contains superdrol which is banned by the FDA. This led to the recall of the product.
Acute liver injury is known to be a possible harmful effect of using products containing synthetic anabolic steroids. In addition, use of synthetic anabolic steroids may cause other serious long-term adverse health consequences in men, women, and children. These include shrinkage of the testes and male infertility, masculinization of women, breast enlargement in males, short stature in children, a higher prediction to misuse other drugs and alcohol, adverse effects on blood lipid levels, and increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
Uprizing 2.0 was distributed through retail health food stores in Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Texas.
Uprizing 2.0 comes in a black plastic bottle with a black, red, and silver label and contains 90 capsules. The SMT logo is center top on the bottle.
On August 5 the FDA made Superior Metabolic Technologies Inc aware that Uprizing 2.0 contains superdrol which is banned by the FDA. This led to the recall of the product.
Acute liver injury is known to be a possible harmful effect of using products containing synthetic anabolic steroids. In addition, use of synthetic anabolic steroids may cause other serious long-term adverse health consequences in men, women, and children. These include shrinkage of the testes and male infertility, masculinization of women, breast enlargement in males, short stature in children, a higher prediction to misuse other drugs and alcohol, adverse effects on blood lipid levels, and increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
Uprizing 2.0 was distributed through retail health food stores in Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Texas.
Uprizing 2.0 comes in a black plastic bottle with a black, red, and silver label and contains 90 capsules. The SMT logo is center top on the bottle.
Cool women's bodybuilding steroid cycle time lapse video.
You can find it on this link.
Antin photographed herself while dieting as a take on how Greek sculptors found their ideal form by discarding unnecessary material from their marble blocks. Rather than crash diet, over 23 weeks I built my body to its maximum capacity. I did this by adhering to a strict bodybuilding regime constructed by master bodybuilding coach Charles Glass. David Kalick, a nutritionist specializing in diets for sports competition, designed a diet where I consumed the caloric intake of a 190-pound male athlete. I also took mild steroids for eight weeks of the training.
I documented my body as it changed, taking four photos a day, from four vantage points. I collapsed 23 weeks of training into 23 seconds, creating a time-lapse video (part of the two-channel installation Fast Twitch Slow Twitch). Juxtaposed against the speed-up of the time lapse are painfully slow motion scenes that depict moments from my training -- a raw egg dropping into a mouth or a face as it "maxes out.
Antin photographed herself while dieting as a take on how Greek sculptors found their ideal form by discarding unnecessary material from their marble blocks. Rather than crash diet, over 23 weeks I built my body to its maximum capacity. I did this by adhering to a strict bodybuilding regime constructed by master bodybuilding coach Charles Glass. David Kalick, a nutritionist specializing in diets for sports competition, designed a diet where I consumed the caloric intake of a 190-pound male athlete. I also took mild steroids for eight weeks of the training.
I documented my body as it changed, taking four photos a day, from four vantage points. I collapsed 23 weeks of training into 23 seconds, creating a time-lapse video (part of the two-channel installation Fast Twitch Slow Twitch). Juxtaposed against the speed-up of the time lapse are painfully slow motion scenes that depict moments from my training -- a raw egg dropping into a mouth or a face as it "maxes out.
Sri Lanka scraps sports medical unit over doping.
Sri Lanka has sacked its entire sports medical unit over allegations that staff were linked to banned steroids used by cricketers and national athletes, officials said Tuesday.
Sports Minister Mahindananda Althugamage ordered the complete overhaul of the unit following positive tests for cricketer Upul Tharanga, national rugby players and boxers.
"The minister wants to revamp the sports medical unit and have a separate anti-doping section to provide a full range of services to national sports men and women," ministry spokesman Harsha Abeykoon said.
He said the head of the sports medical unit, doctor Geethanjan Mendis, was among those removed and that newly appointed staff should take over within a week.
Official sources said Mendis was sacked after repeated allegations against his unit, though no direct evidence of its involvement in the positive tests has been made public.
Opening batsman Tharanga, 26, was given a three-month ban earlier this year after testing positive for a banned substance.
He claimed he had been unwittingly given the drug by a high-profile Colombo-based faith healer who was reported to have links to the medical unit.
In June, three Sri Lankan national rugby players admitted taking banned steroids during the Asian Five Nations tournament in Colombo in May.
Sri Lankan boxer Manju Wanniarachchi was stripped of his 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medal after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance.
Sports Minister Mahindananda Althugamage ordered the complete overhaul of the unit following positive tests for cricketer Upul Tharanga, national rugby players and boxers.
"The minister wants to revamp the sports medical unit and have a separate anti-doping section to provide a full range of services to national sports men and women," ministry spokesman Harsha Abeykoon said.
He said the head of the sports medical unit, doctor Geethanjan Mendis, was among those removed and that newly appointed staff should take over within a week.
Official sources said Mendis was sacked after repeated allegations against his unit, though no direct evidence of its involvement in the positive tests has been made public.
Opening batsman Tharanga, 26, was given a three-month ban earlier this year after testing positive for a banned substance.
He claimed he had been unwittingly given the drug by a high-profile Colombo-based faith healer who was reported to have links to the medical unit.
In June, three Sri Lankan national rugby players admitted taking banned steroids during the Asian Five Nations tournament in Colombo in May.
Sri Lankan boxer Manju Wanniarachchi was stripped of his 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medal after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance.
Watching videos of workouts, violence or porn appears to raise Testosterone levels in men :-)
We explored the acute effects of video clips on salivary testosterone and cortisol concentrations and subsequent voluntary squat performance in highly trained male athletes (n = 12). Saliva samples were collected on 6 occasions immediately before and 15 minutes after watching a brief video clip (approximately 4 minutes in duration) on a computer screen. The watching of a sad, erotic, aggressive, training motivational, humorous or a neutral control clip was randomised.
Subjects then performed a squat workout aimed at producing a 3 repetition maximum (3RM) lift. Significant (P < 0.001) relative (%) increases in testosterone concentrations were noted with watching the erotic, humorous, aggressive and training videos (versus control and sad), with testosterone decreasing significantly (versus control) after the sad clip. The aggressive video also produced an elevated cortisol response (% change) and more so than the control and humorous videos (P < 0.001). A significant (P < 0.003) improvement in 3RM performance was noted after the erotic, aggressive and training clips (versus control).
A strong within-individual correlation (mean r = 0.85) was also noted between the relative changes in testosterone and the 3RM squats across all video sessions (P < 0.001). In conclusion, different video clips were associated with different changes in salivary free hormone concentrations and the relative changes in testosterone closely mapped 3RM squat performance in a group of highly trained males. Thus, speculatively, using short video presentations in the pre-workout environment offers an opportunity for understanding the outcomes of hormonal change, athlete behaviour and subsequent voluntary performance.
Subjects then performed a squat workout aimed at producing a 3 repetition maximum (3RM) lift. Significant (P < 0.001) relative (%) increases in testosterone concentrations were noted with watching the erotic, humorous, aggressive and training videos (versus control and sad), with testosterone decreasing significantly (versus control) after the sad clip. The aggressive video also produced an elevated cortisol response (% change) and more so than the control and humorous videos (P < 0.001). A significant (P < 0.003) improvement in 3RM performance was noted after the erotic, aggressive and training clips (versus control).
A strong within-individual correlation (mean r = 0.85) was also noted between the relative changes in testosterone and the 3RM squats across all video sessions (P < 0.001). In conclusion, different video clips were associated with different changes in salivary free hormone concentrations and the relative changes in testosterone closely mapped 3RM squat performance in a group of highly trained males. Thus, speculatively, using short video presentations in the pre-workout environment offers an opportunity for understanding the outcomes of hormonal change, athlete behaviour and subsequent voluntary performance.
Latest research study shows Testosterone does NOT cause prostate problems :-)
Testosterone Replacement Treatment may now be officially recommended to men suffering "male menopause" in light of new findings, doctors say.
The breakthrough findings were released at the start of Britain's first ever Andropause Awareness Week, in time for a gathering of scientists and clinicians in Munich to discuss advances in knowledge and treatment.
The "male menopause" has been deemed as an excuse for men's short temper in middle age, but the condition is a real one, and more than 2 million men in andropause may benefit from TRT, the report says.
Scientists say there is no link between testosterone treatment and prostate cancer, as previously feared.
TRT, which is reportedly the most effective known medication for andropause, had been associated to prostate cancer. But the Institute of Urology at University College Hospital in London has recently disproved the link. Their research findings indicate that raising testosterone levels could in fact be beneficial to the prostate.
The breakthrough findings were released at the start of Britain's first ever Andropause Awareness Week, in time for a gathering of scientists and clinicians in Munich to discuss advances in knowledge and treatment.
The "male menopause" has been deemed as an excuse for men's short temper in middle age, but the condition is a real one, and more than 2 million men in andropause may benefit from TRT, the report says.
Scientists say there is no link between testosterone treatment and prostate cancer, as previously feared.
TRT, which is reportedly the most effective known medication for andropause, had been associated to prostate cancer. But the Institute of Urology at University College Hospital in London has recently disproved the link. Their research findings indicate that raising testosterone levels could in fact be beneficial to the prostate.
Masters track athlete aged 63, banned for steroids.
A 63-year-old Masters track and field athlete has been suspended from competition for two years for testing positive for a doctor-prescribed steroid without a therapeutic use exemption.
S. Craig Shumaker of Glenmoore, Pa., tested positive at the USA Masters Track & Field Championships in July in Berea, Ohio. He won the men's 60 shot put and was second in the discus for his age group.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said Friday those results will be forfeited.
S. Craig Shumaker of Glenmoore, Pa., tested positive at the USA Masters Track & Field Championships in July in Berea, Ohio. He won the men's 60 shot put and was second in the discus for his age group.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said Friday those results will be forfeited.
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