anabolic androgenic steroids Flashcards
what are anabolic androgenic steroids?
- group of hormones that have an androgenic effect (deepened voice) and anabolic effect (more muscular, better recovery)
how can they be administered?
- oral or injected
what is the prevalance of steroid users in the UK?
- estimated between 328,000 to 687,000 males use AAS
- 1700 to 76000 women use AAS in UK
what is the global prevalence percentage of steroid users?
- 3.3%
What are the internal motivations of use?
- body dissatisfaction
- desire to increase size
what are the five drivers of use?
- muscle dysmorphia
- eating disorders
- Adverse childhood experience
- High DMDS and low CGFES
- Hypogonadism
what is muscle dysmorphia?
- belief that the individual is puny and small when in reality they are unusually muscular
what are the negative effects of muscle dysmorphia on social/ occupational activities?
- bodily shame
- diet
- regimented training
what other negative effects occur from muscle dysmorphia?
- poorer quality of life
- suicidal attempts
- high frequency of substance abuse
what did Hildebrandt et al (2010) study? how many participants were used?
- cross sectional self- report study of 1000 AAS using males to explore the prevalence of muscle dysmorphia in AAS users
what main contributors for muscle dysmorphia did Hildebrandt et al (2010) find?
- drive for size
- appearance intolerance
- functional impairment
- lies on a spectrum
what did Griffiths et al (2018) study? how many participants were used?
- cross sectional self- report study of 74 male AAS users to identify if muscle dysmorphia was associated with AAS misuse disorder
what did Griffiths et al (2018) find?
- increased muscle dysmorphia was associated with increased severity of AAS misuse
what did Murray et al (2016) study? how many participants were used?
- cross sectional self report study using 122 male AAS users to explore the difference between performance and appearance motivations for AAS use
what did Murray et al (2016) find?
- appearance motivation reported greater muscle dysmorphia and eating disorder pathology
what did cole et al (2003) study and how many participants were involved?
- cross sectional study using 137 male gym goes (current/ ex users= 48, non users= 89) to examine the link between eating disorders and AAS
what did Cole et al (2003) find?
- current and ex AAS users had ^ symptoms of eating disorders vs non - users
- AAS users with dependence ^ symptoms of eating disorders
- unsure if eating disorders were a cause or effect of AAS use
what was Griffiths et al (2017) study? how many participants were used?
- online cross- sectional survey of 2733 males
what did Griffiths et al (2017) find relating to eating disorders?
- increased desire to use AAS was associated with higher symptoms of EDs
- AAS users experienced higher eating disorder symptoms
- AAS users experienced ^ body image dissatisfaction
what are the undesired cosmetic effects?
- acne
- increased body hair
- baldness
- abscesses
what are the undesired physical effects?
- muscle/ tendon damage
- cholesterol imbalances
- elevated RBCs
- lowering of voice
- gyno
- clitoral enlargement
what are the undesired psychological effects?
- decreased/ increased libido
- depression
- increased anxiety
- mood swings
- insomnia
- increased body checking
- increased violence and aggression
what are the neurological undesired effects?
- thinner cortices
- reduced brain volume
- increased brain aging
- reduced BDNF
- compromised and executive function
what is AAS dependence?
- continuous use despite adverse medical, psychiatric, social and occupational effects
how many AAS users develop AAS dependency?
- 30% of AAS users
why do dependent users have an increased experience of undesired effects?
- use of higher doses and more compounds
- less time off- cycle
Is AAS use common in women? what is the lifetime prevalence?
- common in female bodybuilders, desire to enhance fitness
- 1.6% lifetime prevalence
why do women use AAS?
- increased muscle mass, strength and aesthetics
- increased self- protection after abuse
- improving self- evaluation and self- confidence
- often pushed to use by male figure
what are the undesired effects of AAS on women?
- often irreversible; masculinizing effects
- clitoral enlargement
- irregular menstrual cycles and/ or fertility
how is AAS use reduced?
- needle and syringe programs
- educational programmes
- understanding motivations to use substances
- managing use
