The Effect of Anabolic Steroids on Adolescent Males As Presented Through Popular Culture

Kevin J. Machate

May 6, 2014

On the hit Comedy Central television show South Park, the school counselor's name is Mr.

Mackey. He has a very distinct accent and diction, and his most famous catch phrase is "Drugs are bad.

MMMKaaaay?" Teachers, parents, and even our pop culture references have told us that we probably

shouldn't do drugs because, well, drugs are bad. However, for the last several decades, many of our pop

culture heroes from the worlds of sports, comic books, television, and film have been using drugs while

simultaneously denying the use of anything illicit or immoral. Rambo, Hulk Hogan, Arnold

Schwarzenegger, and G.I. Joe are all examples of the types of icons from a variety of popular culture

arenas that can be considered idols or heroes to young people. Children and adolescents are the main

targets for many of these alleged heroes. What kind of message does it send to these (mostly) boys

when their hero is dishonest about how his massive biceps were achieved? Does it become harmful to

that young boy who wants to look like his hero when the boy realizes that he can never look like that

hero without the use of illegal drugs? What effect will that have on his body image issues for the rest of

his life? By the end of this paper, I will address these issues, specifically relating to the usage of

anabolic steroids, the effects it can have on the human body, the reasons one may have for taking them

and what effects the media and popular culture has on the prevalence of the drugs and what effect the

drugs have had on society, specifically American males.

Anabolic steroids have been in use since scientists discovered how to synthesize Testosterone in

the 1930's. They have had a variety of functions in medicine, including the treatment of chronic

diseases such as "male hypogonadism; however, they may play a significant role in the treatment of

other conditions as well, such as cachexia associated with human immunodeficiency virus, cancer,

burns, renal and hepatic failure, and anemia associated with leukemia or kidney failure." [1] The abuse

of anabolic steroids is not a new trend. The Russians began using them in the 1950s to improve the

performance of their athlete during the Olympic Games. While there are therapeutic uses for these

drugs, the dosages used for ergogenic purposes are anywhere from ten to one hundred times the normal

dose.

There appears to be some confusion when one mentions the term "steroids." There is a

generalization that it refers to any illegal drug that is used as a method of gaining muscle size, strength,

or other advantage, either for physical superiority or sometimes simply for vanity. It's an interesting

phenomenon, that when one mentions steroids, the typical response most times either has something to

do with athletes who have been caught cheating or with bodybuilders of unnatural size. To alleviate the

confusion, media outlets now generally refer to any drug used to improve physique or strength as a

"performance-enhancing drug." In addition to anabolic steroids that assist in the building of muscle

tissue, this umbrella terminology would also include drugs that produce additional red blood cells,

increase one's stamina, or would alter one's metabolism to improve physical prowess or performance.

In the context of this paper, when I refer to steroids, I am referring specifically to any of a group of

usually synthetic hormones that are derived from testosterone or human growth hormone as well as the

additional drugs used as counter-measures for adverse reactions to the hormones such as gynecomastia.

While anabolic steroids do not provide a high, they are a psychologically reinforcing drug. This

term refers to how behaviors increase or decrease according to whether people associate it with a

positive experience, which can lead to addiction. Additionally, physical withdrawals have also been

known to manifest after discontinuation of anabolic steroids. "Withdrawal symptoms when they stop

taking them—including mood swings, fatigue, restlessness, loss of appetite, insomnia, reduced sex

drive, and steroid cravings, all of which may contribute to continued abuse. One of the most dangerous

withdrawal symptoms is depression—when persistent, it can sometimes lead to suicide attempts." [2]

This creates a two-fold problem. The first being that users only get their reward if they continue using

the drug. Anabolic steroids are used in cycles, meaning that one would take the drug combinations in

increasing dosages for an average of 13 weeks and then reduce dosages over a period of 10-12 weeks.

Many users take a break at this point, although some do return to the beginning of the cycle. Once a

chronic steroid user stops using the drugs, the reward goes away. Even if the user continues to train and

eat the same as when he or she was on the drugs, maintaining the same level of muscle mass is

impossible beyond one's natural genetic maximum capability. Secondly, there is evidence that long-

term users may enter into a depression, increasing the potential for suicidal thoughts as noted above.

There have been cases where individuals, especially those who suffered from depression prior

to taking steroids, had suicidal thoughts or actions, some with fatal consequences. "Sam Maniar, a

sports psychologist at Ohio State University Medical Center, said it's rare for someone who wasn't at all

aggressive before taking steroids to become filled with rage just by using the performance-enhancing

drugs. 'It's really hard to say what comes first — it's like a chicken and the egg type of thing,' Maniar

said. 'There's some evidence that mood changes can occur, but sometimes people have the rage or

depression there before.'" [3] I was unable to find, in any of the studies and articles during my research,

any instances that described any of the victims of suicide as having been outgoing, gregarious, or

happy during their childhood or upbringing. I did, however, find multiple instances where the

individual was shy, had a history of depression, or was diagnosed with other mental illness either as a

youth or adolescent. Without more extensive research, I cannot state without question, that there is a

definite correlation between certain personality traits or mental health issues combined with anabolic

steroids that creates a 'perfect storm' of depression leading to possible suicide attempts, but there does

seem to be a connection.

Steroids have been used and abused in sports since the mid-20th century, and as the popularity

of professional bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno increased, they seeped into

the popular culture world as well. Young boys were especially targeted as consumers and were told, or

at least it was implied, that they could easily achieve huge muscles as well. Charles Atlas ads claiming

that you could transform from a 90 pound weakling into a massive muscle man were often the last page

of comic books targeted at young boys and adolescents. Additionally, from 1973 to 1998, had GI Joe's

measurements been on a real human being, they would have gone from 12" arms to 27" arms and a 44"

chest to a 57" chest. [4]

Television played a large role in the ease to which we were exposed to steroid culture without

knowing it. Cartoons like "He-Man", whose physique resembles a professional bodybuilder, along with

live action shows such as "The Incredible Hulk" and movies such as "Conan the Barbarian" were

prevalent in our lives. Not coincidentally, both "The Incredible Hulk" and "Conan the Barbarian"

starred former professional bodybuilders, both of which gained their massive size due to the use of

anabolic steroids. Without knowing better, we assumed that it was possible to achieve similar

physiques to our action heroes. Unfortunately, many of us who dreamed of having massive biceps that

were in excess of 18" in diameter or pectoral muscles that resembled mountains that would have forced

us to wear specifically tailored clothing, had our dreams crushed by the reality of genetics and deceit.

This culture of usage and denial is still happening nowadays, and is not likely to change due to

legal ramifications of the sale and distribution of these drugs. There is currently extensive marketing,

especially towards men, regarding the idea that it is now allegedly common for men to have "Low T.”

This diagnosis, whether it is accurate or not, gives them an excuse to not only take the drugs, but have

them prescribed by a physician. There is a stigma attached to taking steroids, partially because they are

illegal, but also because the idea that one would have to use something other than work hard to gain an

extreme physique would be less masculine.

Clearly not every person that uses HGH or testosterone abuses it, nor does every person suffer

ill effects from the drugs. There are in fact, practitioners that not only research the effects of anabolic

agents, but also prescribe them regularly for men's health issues and even use them themselves. One

such practitioner is Jeffry Life, MD, PhD, FAAFP. I was able to speak to Dr. Life, a personal friend of

mine, on the matter of these drugs. Several years ago, we were involved in the same health and fitness

organization, and I had the opportunity to not only speak with him, but travel with him on two separate

occasions. At that time, I did not question his practices. His business, Cenegenics, was just getting off

the ground and I was more interested in relaxing on the Lido deck than I was in talking about Low T or

HGH therapy. The last time I saw Dr. Life was in 2007. He is about my height and weight. However, he

maintains approximately 7% body fat. By comparison, I am muscular and athletic but my body fat

percentage hovers around 20%. His website explains: "At the end of 2012 Men's Fitness Magazine

selected me and 24 others as the top 25 fittest men of the year. The other 24 honorees were men in their

20's and 30's and most were professional athletes. The program works, I am living my dream, and there

is no end in sight. It just keeps getting better." [5] There is one fact you should know about Jeff Life.

He was born on Christmas day in 1937. He is now 76 years old and one of the fittest people I know.

I bring him into the discussion because it takes me back to the question, "Is this dishonest?"

Which leads me to another question. "Does it really matter?" In this instance, I really cannot be sure.

After nearly 50 years in practice, I trust that Dr. Life will not prescribe something that would be

harmful. After all, he's not only the president, but he's also a customer. He's not using the drugs to

compete, he is using them for the sole purpose of expanding health and extending his life. When I

asked Dr. Life about the idea that withdrawals may cause suicidal thoughts, he acknowledged the fact

that it is possible, but that as I suspected, most of those individuals who do commit or attempt to

commit suicide have a history of mental illness prior to beginning their first cycle of the drugs. He

states that he is very careful about screening his patients, and if someone is on an anti-depressant or has

a history of the disease, he does not treat them with anything that could cause suicidal thoughts.

Individuals of my generation, those born in the 1970's, seem to have been duped from a young

age with the idea that we too, should look up to the individuals that we thought were role models. Yet

these role models turned out to be nothing more than drug users who lied to the people who looked up

to them. Actors, professional wrestlers, and bodybuilders were at the top of the list of culprits.

Professional wrestler Hulk Hogan was quoted as saying "Train, say your prayers, eat your vitamins. Be

true to yourself, be true to your country. Be a real American!" [6] All while talking steroids and

denying it. In the 1994 trial of wrestling billionaire Vince McMahon, Hogan, whose real name is Terry

Bolea, testified that not only had he been doing steroids since 1976, but that they were readily available

in the locker rooms and pushed by the promoters, although not by McMahon personally. Does this

mean that the hero of millions was a fake and a liar? Apparently so. The next thing you will tell me is

that professional wrestling is also fake.

Maybe it is not entirely the actors or wrestlers fault. Twenty or thirty years ago, it became a

means to an end to get the job, make a name for oneself, and create a persona. That was it. Nowadays,

it has not only become commonplace for actors to use steroids to get ahead, but it has become a

necessity for leading men in films to be increasingly muscular and extremely lean. In a recent article in

Men's Journal, a fitness magazine, the author describes the differences in physical expectation between

mid-20th century action heroes and those of today's standards. In his role as James Bond, Sean

Connery would have been considered to have a mediocre physique. By 2006, James Bond as portrayed

by Daniel Craig, had a lean, muscular physique with visible abdominal muscles and little body fat. [7]

What damage has this done to the boys of yesterday who are now the men of today? The

cultural norms regarding the masculine physique has evolved over the last few decades, creating a

younger generation of Supermen. This correlation was shown in a 1999 study to determine "whether

cultural ideals of the male body, as illustrated by magazine models, have changed" from 1973 to 1997.

[8] The study, which was performed by researchers from American University and Harvard University,

examined the level of muscularity and body fat percentages of Playgirl models over a period of 25

years. Their findings clearly state that without question, the models featured in the magazine have

become not only more muscular, but leaner as well. "We must consider whether the increasing

muscularity of Playgirl centerfolds truly reflects an increasingly muscular societal ideal of male body

image. For example, it might be argued that female Playgirl readers are not representative of women as

a whole. Similarly, it seems likely that a certain number of homosexual men purchase Playgirl, and that

these readers may have influenced the evolution of the centerfolds’ dimensions. Although these

possibilities cannot be excluded, there are no compelling reasons to assume that Playgirl deviates

consistently from general male and female preferences for how the ideal male body should look.

Furthermore, the parallel data from other studies, such as the increasing muscularity of action toys,

would argue that our findings are indicative of a more general societal trend." If the average centerfold

from 1973 wanted to become a Playgirl centerfold today, he would have to shed 12 pounds of fat and

gain 27 pounds of muscle. [8]

There are numerous cases of actors and athletes, the aforementioned heroes, who are now

having health crises related to steroid abuse. Actor Sylvester Stallone has, like many before him,

caused permanent damage to his pituitary gland and now requires HGH for medical reasons. The late

football player Lyle Alzado, who died at 43 from a brain tumor, attributed his tumor directly to the

chronic use of steroids because the mechanism by which the drugs increases muscle cell growth also

increase the growth of other cells, including cancer cells. [9] On the other hand, other celebrities are

claiming to use HGH for health purposes. Actor Nick Nolte, director Oliver Stone, the aforementioned

Sylvester Stallone and even actress Suzanne Somers have all admitted to using the drug for therapeutic

reasons. [10]

The debate as to whether or not steroids are harmful continues to this day. Many people that

argue the issue have their own agenda to attend to, so their arguments should probably be ignored. This

could be said for the personal recommendation of Dr. Life, since his clinic is specifically geared toward

male hormone replacement and/or supplement. If one is to make a true objective opinion, then one

should probably ignore the extremists from opposing views.

John Romano, senior editor of the bodybuilding magazine entitled Muscular Development

called newscasters "Retarded idiots" and claimed that the information being reported in the media

about the harmful effects of anabolic steroids did not come from a single expert and that no science

backed up any claim that steroids had any harmful effects. [6] However, as you can see from the cover

photo of the June 2014 issue of Muscular Development below, Romano and his magazine have a vested

interest in making it seem as though there is nothing wrong with taking steroids, but they also continue

to feed the idea that this type of physique is possible by natural means. Romano wants to sell

magazines and will not risk losing cover models like this man by saying anything negative about his

behavior.

There are also extremists on the opposite side of the debate. Taylor Hooton was 17 years old

when he committed suicide in 2003 after discontinuing anabolic steroids. His parents soon started a

foundation to "Educate the public about the dangers of anabolic steroid use." [11] Considering the

source of the material and the obvious bias against the drugs and their usage because of the tragedy that

they have endured, the opinions and information provided by those at the Taylor Hooton Foundation

should also be omitted from any objective argument.

Overall, it has been shown that the media, television and films can have a negative effect on the

overall body image of a young person. This likely would continue into adulthood, causing a

continuation of body image and self-worth issues as an adult. A 2005 study states: "Research has

shown that what young people see in the media can influence their own body image and might be

connected to eating disorders. Adolescents' body image could be improved by showing more healthy-

looking people and promoting positive body images and eating habits in the media." [12]

Another study was done to determine the likelihood that one would use supplements, including

anabolic steroids. "12% of males reported using supplements to improve appearance, muscle mass, or

strength, while 4.7% of males reported weekly supplement use. Males who read men's, fashion, or

health/fitness magazines were significantly more likely to use supplemental products as well." [13]

Their conclusion: "Although the reported use of supplemental products among adolescents was

relatively rare, results suggest that use of such products is related to body dissatisfaction and media

influences, particularly among adolescent males." [13]

Thankfully, there are resources available for children and adolescents, both male and female,

which present a positive outlook on body image. Academy Award-winning actress Geena Davis created

a foundation to bring a more positive female body image to the public through the creation of more

natural and realistic characters and female representation to television and films. There are resources

for males, but as it turns out, and while they are just as readily available, males are less likely to seek

help regarding body image issues. Organizations like Davis's SeeJane.org give young people of today

an opportunity to see the reality of how one's body image could be and how it is dimorphic based on

media comparisons. The Rock, Sylvester Stallone, Vin Diesel, and Chris Hemsworth are not going

anywhere soon, except to the bank to cash their massive paychecks. They are, however, more

forthcoming about how they achieve their physiques, although generally ignoring the conversation

about anabolics altogether. Since the admission of steroid use by actors and wrestlers of previous

decades, it has now become less of a secret, although still not openly talked about. Everyone knows

they are doing them, but the drugs themselves are rarely mentioned unless a relatable tragedy occurs or

legal issues arise. One could surmise that this will lead to a slippery slope of continued drug abuse, but

the general public is eager to see their action heroes’ bulging muscles. It is unlikely that those attitudes

will change any time in the foreseeable future.

Bibliography

[1] Basaria, Shehzad, Justin T. Wahlstrom, and Adrian S. Dobs. "Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid

Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Diseases." Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and

Metabolism 86, no. 11 (November 1, 2001): 5108-17.

[2] National Institute of Health. "DrugFacts: Anabolic Steroids." National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Last modified July 2012. Accessed July 2012.

http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/anabolic-steroids.

[3] Donaldson-Evans, Catherine. "Wrestler Chris Benoit Double Murder-Suicide: Was It 'Roid

Rage'?" Foxnews.com. Last modified June 27, 2007. Accessed May 5, 2014.

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roid-rage/.

[4] Miller, Julia. "Sports stars and superheroes: the new ideal men." Julia Miller Journalism

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media/.

Reference is to the photo/diagram of the GI Joe action figure with real-life measurements.

[5] Life, Jeffry. "In His Own Words." DrLife.com. Accessed May 5, 2014. http://drlife.com/meet-

dr-life/in-his-own-words/.

[6] Bell, Chris, dir. Bigger, Stronger, Faster. Magnolia Pictures, 2008.

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action-hero-20140418.

[8] Leit, Richard A., Harrison G. Pope, Jr., and James J. Gray. "Cultural Expectations of

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Eating Disorders 29, no. 1: 90-93.

[9] Weinberg, Robert S., and Daniel Gould. Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 4th ed.

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[10] Inside Editiion. "February 1, 2012." Episode 635. ABC. February 1, 2012 (originally aired

February 1, 2012). Narrated by Deborah Norville.

[11] Longman, Jere. "An Athlete’s Dangerous Experiment." New York Times (New York, NY),

November 26, 2003.

[12] Austin, Bryn S., Carlos A. Camargo, Jr., Graham A. Colditz, Alison E. Field, Keith J. Loud,

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[13] Borzekowski, Dina L.G., and Angela M. Bayer. "Body Image and Media Use Among

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