At the Summer Olympics in Seoul, ill-informed sportscasters attributed disqualified Canadian sprinter, Ben Johnson s World record to his use of the anabolic steroid, Winstrol. Bodybuilders often turn to physicians for the answers about steroid use. The problem here is the credibility gap created by the medical profession itself on the subject of steroids. Organizations such as the American Council of Sports Medicine formerly decreed steroids ineffective for athletic use. They have since recanted their position in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Some doctors take an extreme view on steroid use.
Rather than supply objective, truthful information about steroids, they overdramatize the situation with scare tactics. For instance, a noted drug researcher at U.C.L.A. stated not long ago that anyone who uses steroids for more than a month will be dead before they are 40. He offered little evidence to back up this sweeping contention. On the other side of the fence are the steroid proponents. They are often represented by those with a vested interest in profits from steroids, such as black market dealers.