Steroid abusers take part in charity-funded research project
ATHLETES who take anabolic steroids to improve short-term performance are at risk of developing early arthritis, according to a physiotherapist who works with steroid abusers.
Such an abnormal increase in size above their genetic make-up puts too much weight on their joints, leading to potential arthritic problems.
Jan Wroblewicz, a chartered physiotherapist at Mile End Hospital, is running a year-long study to prove that drug users are less strong than their muscle size would suggest, by examining the relation of force produced to muscle size.
And he hopes that if he can prove that the use of anabolic steroids have a detrimental effect on the body, it may go some way to reducing their use in sport.
Mr Wroblewicz, who has a small grant of £5,601 from medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign to fund the study, will be working closely with anabolic steroid users who attend a clinic run by a registered charity called Vision Powersport. The charity provides help and advice to those concerned about their steroid dependence.
"None of the people I'm working with have been encouraged to take drugs by myself or the clinic," explained Mr Wroblewicz. "The people who use the clinic find it very difficult to ask for help from conventional sources, and many have recognised eating disorders, body image and induced psychotic disorders. Without our help, many would seek non-qualified and possibly incompetent help."
Mr Wroblewicz added that social pressure to increase performance and look good in nightclubs led him and his colleagues to believe that anabolic steroid abuse was becoming more popular not only in elite athletes, but also the general population.
"In a world where exercise has been identified as good for health, we should also note and understand the possible adverse effects of becoming obsessively unhealthy in our exercise regimes," he said.
Anabolic steroids are also used for medical purposes, chiefly as a hormone replacement in men who lack testosterone. Used correctly, they can be of great benefit in improving muscle strength, and helping to prevent bone and joint problems.
Mr Wroblewicz will be working in collaboration with the University College London Institute of Human Performance in Stanmore, which has extensively investigated the effects of age and hormones on muscle strength/size relationship.
