What You Should Know About Anabolic Steroids And Improving Baseball Pitching Performance

By Steven Ellis, former pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization

If you've ever thought about taking anabolic steroids or other nutritional supplements to improve baseball pitching performance, this article will be helpful. The information is from a pamphlet published by Major League Baseball and given to all pro ball players in Spring Training a few years back, when I was pitching in the Chicago Cubs organization.

What are steroids?

There are two types of steroids:

1. anti-inflammatory steroids: designed to reduce inflammation, swelling, or pain

2. anabolic androgenic steroids: designed to increase strength or muscle mass

Anti-inflammatory steroids, or glucocorticosteroids, are most commonly know in the real world as cortisone or prednisone. Often, professional baseball players are administered cortisone shots by a doctor to reduce inflammation and/or tendonitis.

Anabolic androgenic steroids are designed to increase muscle size and strength. ("Anabolic" indicates muscle building properties; "Androgenic" indicates "masculinizing" properties.)

What is testosterone?

Testosterone essentially is the prototypical anabolic androgenic steroid, but unlike the "designer testosterones," which appear on the "black market" under various pseudonyms — such as deca-durabolin, winstrol, stanzanol, etc. — testosterone actually is produced naturally in the male testes (in the amount of about 4 to 10 milligrams per day, in healthy individuals).

Testosterone, by its very classification as an anabolic steroid, has two distinct functions in the natural development of male human beings:

1. to build muscle size, increase lean-body mass, and increase body weight

2. to masculinize the body and develop normal male characteristics like facial hair, body hair, deep voice, and reproductive functions

Naturally occurring testosterone is, of course, what makes males, males. It's essential. And if your body does not produce adequate amounts of testosterone, numerous emotional and physical problems can occur, which may lead a physician to prescribe testosterone. However, such use in healthy athletes is extremely rare — and therefore, the use of additional testosterone is completely unnecessary.

The "more is better" mentality is creating huge problems for those experimenting with and taking steroids, particularly for baseball players.

That's because as the potency of anabolic (muscle-building) effects are increased, so, too, are the negative side effects. Those side effects are something the government has known about since banning steroids in 1990 and classifying them in the same category as heroine, cocaine, and narcotics — a felony possession.

Anabolic steroids are controlled substances under federal law. In fact, the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 classifies anabolic steroid as Schedule III drugs, requiring a doctor's prescription for use.

There are serious penalties for illegal manufacture, distribution, and non-medically prescribed use of anabolic steroid.

Since 2001, steroids have been banned in major league baseball and minor league baseball -- if you use them, you can be suspended from baseball for life.
Because the government has banned steroids, 90 percent of the steroids you see on the "black market" are either completely fake, completely untested, completely unregulated, or completely dangerous. These black market steroids should be avoided at all costs.

There is no such thing as anabolic effects (muscle-building properties) without androgenic effects (the masculinization of the body like increased body hair, deeper voice, body acne, etc.). The result is that baseball pitchers who take steroids for their anabolic properties, to increase lean body mass, strength or endurance, cannot avoid the often harmful (and irreversible) properties of the androgenic effects.

The No. 1 problem with anabolic steroids

Since the increase of muscle mass associated with steroids is not accompanied by a corresponding increase in tendon or ligament or joint size or strength, the risk of serious injury is increased. This may be the No. 1 problem associated with anabolic steroid use.

Injuries are common among steroid users — and baseball pitchers are no exception to that rule. As mentioned above, the principal reason for baseball injury is that the increase of muscle mass or increased speed associated with anabolic androgenic steroid use is not accompanied by a proportionate increase in strength of the tendons, ligaments or joints.

Anabolic steroid use may have an actual negative effect on tendons and ligaments. One study, cited in a pamphlet by Major League Baseball provided to professional baseball players (including me, of course) showed that chronic use of steroids reduced tendon strength.

Increased injury may also relate to the rapidity of weight gain, such as a baseball pitcher, baseball hitter, or baseball player gaining 30 or 40 pounds in a period of time much to short for his body to adapt to such a significant increase in size — which heightens the risk of injury dramatically. This is especially the case in baseball pitching, where a baseball pitcher is repeating an explosive movement in delivering a baseball pitch. Other side effects? Addiction and acne.

Tendon and ligament problems, however, aren't the only negative side effects associated with steroid use. It is well-documented that anabolic steroids can and do cause a variety of mental changes, including irritability, excessive aggression, mania, paranoia, depression, anxiety and panic. Steroids can — and often do, in fact — lead to psychological and physical dependence which makes is hard to curtail use.

Steroid users also place themselves at an increased risk of a permanent reduction of naturally produced testosterone — something which cannot be fixed — and, as a result, can lead to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, male pattern baldness, acne, prostate enlargement, thyroid problems and more.

By now you should be familiar with some of the adverse effects associated with steroid use — changes in personality, hormonal effects, injury, etc. There are actually more adverse effects on your body. The adverse effects of the Anabolic steroids also relate to the method of administration. anabolic steroids are generally used orally or intra-muscularly. If taken orally, most of the anabolic steroid is inactivated by the liver, resulting in an increased risk of decreased liver functions, liver tumors and cysts. If, on the other hand, the anabolic steroid is taken by injection, the risks associated with needle use emerge, including HIV, hepatitis and other infections.

Common injectible steroids

* Deca-Durabolin (Nandrolone decanoate)
* Depo-testosterone (Testosterone cypionate)
* Delatestryl (Testosterone enanthate)
* Durabolin (Nandrolone phenpropionate)
* Primabolin (Metheneolone enanthate)
* Winstrol-depot (Stanozolol)

Common oral steroids

* Anadrol-50 (Oxymetholone)
* Anavar (Oxandrolone)
* Dianabol (methandrostenealone)
* Halotestin (Fluoxymesterone)
* Maxibolin (Ethylesternol)
* Metandren (methyltestosterone)
* Nilevar (norenthandorolone)
* Nibil (methanalone acetate)
* Nilevar (norenthandorolone)
* Winstrol (Stanozolol)

What about nutritional supplements for improving performance?

Nutritional supplements include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, plant derivatives as well as a host of other natural and synthetic substances. They also come in a variety of forms from powders and pills to liquids and tablets.

In some way or another, ALL the nutritional supplements on the market claim to improve your sense of well-being, strength or performance. Because of such claims, I felt it was important to discuss nutritional supplements in this series on steroids because some of the claims allege some of the exact same desired effects that baseball pitchers, baseball hitters, and baseball players would abuse steroids for.

If a nutritional supplement purports to increase testosterone levels in an athlete, enhance endurance, strengthen muscles, or increase explosive power should be treated as a steroid. (The side effects will be the same as steroids, but you're not likely to see a nutritional supplement label include the side-effects that their product -- which they "claim" will boost performance -- may have.)

What is DHEA?

The most common nutritional supplements on the market that claim to boost performance (pitching performance, hitting performance, or overal baseball strength) by increasing testosterone levels contain either DHEA (dihydroepiandrosterone) or andro (androstenedione). In some studies, both have been proven to effectively "become" testosterone (DHEA and andro are pre-cursors to testosterone which means the body, depending on administration, has the ability to change their molecular structure and turn them into testosterone). DHEA is a naturally-occuring hormone, which, through interaction with other chemicals in the body, has been shown to turn into androstenedione. The theory behind DHEA supplementation is that the user will be able to increase andro present in the body, thus, boosting testosterone in the process. The reality is that most of the studies done on DHEA have been performed by the companies trying to sell them, and as a result, may not be as "factual" as the labels claim.

What is androstenedione?

More is known about androstenedione (andro) thanks to a study performed by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association in 2001. However, the findings concluded that andro, administered at the recommended levels on nutritional supplement labels, did not increase testosterone levels at all. Only when the levels of andro were raised to amounts far exceeding the recommended levels was there any negligible rise in overall testosterone levels in the body. And these levels, of course, aren't healthy. Not are they "legal." Andro has been shown to trigger "positive" steroid tests.

In the baseball world of nutritional supplements, it seems that the supplement manufacturers have the upperhand for now anyway. In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act. Under that piece of legislation, nutritional supplement manufacturers can essentially make any outrageous claim they like providing they don't claim to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure any illness or disease. So guess what? They don't do the latter, but they grossly exaggerate and oft times outright lie about what their particluar supplement does -- and there's no watchdog. There's no one out there to monitor and place supplements under stringent chemical analysis.

However, from some of the tests performed by Major League Baseball some supplements can increase testosterone levels and do act in a similar manner to anabolic androgenic steroids. Therefore, baseball pitchers, baseball hitters, and baseball players should be cautious before taking any nutritional supplements because serious side effects may, and often do, exist. Andro was banned by Major League Baseball in 2001.

Many factors go into whether a baseball player should take nutritional supplements. Some of these include the nature of the particular substance purporting to bestow the claimed effect ("what it is"), its concentration ("how much of it is in the product"), its dosage, both suggested and actual ("how much does it say I should take, and how much do I actually take"), and its purity ("how refined is it"). Other factors include what effect the nutritional supplement may have if an individual baseball player is taking other supplements or prescribed medications, the time of day when the supplement is taken, etc.

Baseball players: when deciding whether to take a nutritional supplement, should not depend on the experience of another individual or baseball athlete with the substance. The athlete should ask a physician or trainer knowledgeable in these areas to provide information about the products before he takes anything.

What is creatine?

Creatine has been used by baseball pitchers, since the supplement first appeared on store shelves. The manufacturers of creatine have made extravagant claims about creatine's ability to increase muscle size, increase muscle mass, increase endurance, etc.

It's important to understand that when it comes to creatine, the basis of many of those claims are marketing and advertising, not scientific data.

Creatine comes from three sources:

1. the body is able to synthesize it

2. it is a natural substance found in food

3. it can be prepared synthetically

Creatine is composed of three amino acids (amino acids are the building blocks of protein), and it is found in most protein-rich foods -- especially fish and meats. Creatine is stored in the muscles as creatine phosphate, a precursor to andenosine triphosphate, which is an immediate source of muscle contraction.

Creatine is comprised of three-amino acids:

* glycine

* arginine

* methionine

Most people already consume 1-2 grams of creatine in their diets and produce a similar amount in their bodies, thus maintaining normal energy metabolism.
Can creatine increase lean muscle mass or pitching velocity?

Creatine alone does not appear to increase muscle mass or pitching velocity. However, it has been shown in studies to increase the intensity of training workouts, which can lead to faster and more pronounced muscle growth.

On the other hand, there may be dangers associated with rapid muscle growth and the issue certainly requires further study.

Studies have shown that the ingestion of creatine in large doses increases the creatine phosphate in the muscles which allows for the sustaining of powerful muscular contractions and delaying fatigue.

There also appears to be an increase of short-term energy for explosive muscle movements. This can clearly be an asset in a workout regimen and may improve performance in short-term, high-intensity exercises like sprints. Other studies have shown that athletic performance and maximum oxygen uptake are not enhanced by creatine supplements. (Hand-eye coordination, used for pitching a baseball, throwing a baseball, hitting a baseball, or fielding a baseball, are not improved by creatine supplementation, either.)

Creatine dosages recommended by manufacturers vary from 10-20 grams a day for 5 days followed by a total maintenance of 2-5 grams per day. Increasing the dosage will NOT increase the effects of creatine supplementation -- it only increases the side effects.

It is still not known exactly how safe it is to use creatine. Overuse may put an excessive amount of strain on the kidneys and liver. It also has been shown to cause dehydration, and it's highly recommended that athletes who use creatine drink at least 64 ounces of water daily, even more! Remember, creatine is excreted by the kidneys and inadequate hydration can lead to muscle cramping.

There is also very little information about the purity standards of creatine so the major question that remains is: "What are you really ingesting?"
Summary

The bottom line is this: Ask a physician, do your research (outside of label claims, which are often nothing more than advertising), and carefully consider both sides of the creatine debate before your decision.

For more information about steroids, check out the book, Steroid Nation: Juiced Home Run Totals, Anti-aging Miracles, and a Hercules in Every High School: The Secret History of America's True Drug Addiction.

Source: STEROIDS AND NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS, Major League Baseball Players Association in Conjunction with Major League Baseball. June 2001. Pages 1-11.