Would you like a Dianabol with your chicken?
Of course, it was an inevitability that this topic was going to come up. Steroids to bodybuilding is about as relevant as wheels to a car. There are many federations and categories you can compete under for bodybuilding and also "natural" vs "non-tested" shows. The latter to me makes perfect sense, if you decide to enter a non-tested show, then you have free reign over what you want to take, because it's a level playing field. So I guess there are two questions here; 1) ethically, how do you stand taking performance enhancing drugs? 2) the associated health issues.
Question no. 1 seems easier to answer considering the categorization of the shows. Entering a "non-tested" show implies you understand the rules. (We'll get onto "natural" later!) People will be taking illegal banned drugs to increase muscle mass and decrease body fat far below what is probably attainable naturally. Like most spectator sports, the focus is taken away from talent. People want to see a show, they want to see freaks and the unobtainable. I am a complete newcomer to the sport (being only 3 months in), so at best all I can do is convey how I feel about steroid taking at this point in time. I am 15 weeks out to my first non-tested competition so the prep and diet has started. (The way I feel about protein right now, is enough to turn me vegetarian).
Training in a bodybuilding gym obviously keeps you in touch with others competing but probably also completely out of touch with the rest of reality. It is excellent anthropology. Bodybuilding is an aesthetic sport and scoring/winning is about direct comparison to others in your category. If all the others are taking steroids, it is going to put you at a significant disadvantage. I think it is imperative to be very clear about your own values when doing a show, because this will ultimately change how you view your placement in the show. Is it enough to get up on stage looking the best you can be? or do you want to be competitive? For a few I think the answer is yes but probably the majority, that is not enough. Answering that question honestly, at least gives you some control over how you are going to feel about the outcome.
Unfortunately I'm hardwired to be competitive, sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes not so good. I think in truth, I would be disappointed to place low in an amateur show and so you can see how the temptation initiates. Most sports seem to be self selecting, so those even interested in doing a show will have to have certain genetics and a certain psychology to tolerate the routine and the diet. From observation, I expect part of the drive and motivation also comes from deep insecurities. I personally don't think insecurities are bad at all and everybody has them. If used as a motivator, they can be very useful.
This show is a pure physiological and psychological experiment. It is unlikely I will do another one, but even so, the temptation to take "something" is certainly there, because I know I will stand up on stage in June looking the best I can, but it won't be comparable to the others in my division (Fitness). I was naive to think "bikini" and "fitness" categories are devoid of chemical enhancement. I assumed these physiques were attainable naturally but I think perhaps I was wrong!
The ethical issue of steroid taking when everyone else is taking I have no problem with, but the health issues, I do most definitely have a problem with.
What exactly are you taking?
What has really come to light from a little bit of "street" research I have done, which is mainly talking to competitors and trainers, is how hard it is to get hold of legitimate product, because most of these are sold on the black market. There really is no way of knowing what you are going to get. The side effects of most androgenic anabolic steroids for women, is virilization effects; deepening voice, hair growth where you don't want! hair loss where you do! clitoris enlargement, acne..... There are some less androgenic female friendly steroids like Anavar (Oxondrolone) and Winstrol, which are only mildly anabolic, hence with correct dosing are not meant to illicit such severe side effects. They are used as more of a hardening drug in the "cutting or fat stripping" phase before competition. The idea, is to maintain lean muscle mass whilst reducing fat mass, something that is hard to do in a period of calorie restriction and certainly as women start to get below a threshold body fat %. So, that all sounds fine in theory other than getting hold of legitimate Anavar is actually extremely difficult. It is also one of the most expensive steroids to produce and buy, hence even more opportunity for reducing quality control. (As far as I am aware, there is only one laboratory in Mexico now producing high quality Anavar, labelled Xtendrol). This then creates a problem of dose control as you just don't know what is in each tablet, furthermore there may not be uniform distribution of active ingredient in a single tablet, presenting problems if you want to half or quarter doses.
Dosing: Use or abuse
Once you make the decision to take steroids, dosing is key. I believe that if you are smart and adhere to sensible guidelines using a quality product the damage maybe reversible once you stop a cycle, depending on how many drugs are being stacked or cycled. Again, this is purely an opinion based on my belief about the bodies ability to regenerate if looked after and allowed to regenerate. Many people get good results on anabolic steroids, but they are using them sensibly and not abusing them.
Where I stand on it at the moment is I'm not prepared to take the risk when I can't be sure what and how much I'm taking. I certainly don't judge those that do, I can see how easy it is to take them. Side effects and duration of side effects experienced is very individual, some experience no side effects but I'd rather not take my chance. So it adds another complexity to this already complex sport, where I believe it is a given that you will NEVER feel you are ready before you go up on stage even if you are stacked up to the eyeballs on gear and cutting agents. I'm game for the challenge and believe me, it is one, but the best I can do is prepare myself for that feeling of inadequacy.
It does make me question where the reward comes into it. I can't answer for others, but I hugely enjoy the training and the camaraderie. I enjoy the graft and the hard work. I expect this may well be linked to the dopamine-reward system. There is a nice paper about the role of dopamine in the journalNature.
A selective role for dopamine in stimulus-reward learning.
It makes me wonder how much control you really have over behaviour or are you at the mercy of your own biochemistry. I'm not going to have the debate on "free will" here but there is something very compelling about training for this, something very addictive. I have to keep "logical" check on maintaining a healthy perspective a lot more than I had thought.
My understanding so far is drug use is rife under pretty much all federations and all categories from the less muscular categories (bikini, fitness) through to full on bodybuilding physique. It is used in both natural and non-tested shows. Those competing in "natural" may just be clean for a few weeks before the show date. The loopholes continue to astound me. The drug cocktails also continue to astound me. Perhaps I won't be so shocked in another 4 months. Whether the motivation to use is a short cut to hard training and hard dieting or the fact that these physiques are simply unachievable or both, I don't know. In the larger, more muscular divisions that much is obvious, the amount of muscle mass that needs to be displayed for men and women and what people want to see is beyond what can be done naturally; but in the less muscular categories like "bikini" and "fitness" I had hoped these were physiques that were attainable on a bit of fish oil and chicken. I think I was just being naive. Genetics will take you so far and then its "nurture" through synthetic compounds!
Be clear about the goal
Satisfaction and disappointment seem to be intrinsically linked to the goal, so being very clear about that can help to at least offset some mental anguish created from extreme tiredness and calorie restriction! My goal is to compete "roid" free in a non-tested show and to use it as a platform to see just what my limits are physically. I think in reality, mistakes will be made (many) in terms of training and diet and also what the judges want to see so I won't even feel that I am at my best. What outcome would I be pleased with.... I think to be honest, just RELIEF that its over!!! and then maybe a bigMac.
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