Transcript Biochemistry and You

Biochemistry and You
Steroids
(slides from “Success without steroids” by the
IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee)
Cholesterol
(slides from “Controlling your blood
cholesterol and triglycerides” by the Univ. of
Georgia Cooperative Extension Service)
Diabetes
(slides from “Diabetes” by the Pan American
Health Organization)
Educational objectives
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What are steroids?
Who uses steroids? Why?
Do steroids work?
What are the health risks associated with
using steroids?
• What are the myths about steroids?
• What are the healthy ways to achieve my
goals without using steroids?
What are steroids?
• Powerful drugs that many people use as a short cut to
boost their athletic performance or improve their
appearance
• Sometimes called “Roids”, “Juice”, “Hype”, “Pump”
• Properly called anabolic-androgenic steroids
What do “anabolic” and
“androgenic” mean?
• Anabolic = “building body tissue”
– Anabolic-androgenic steroids help to increase muscle mass and
body weight, and speed up bone maturation
• Androgenic = “promoting male characteristics”
– Anabolic-androgenic steroids promote development of facial hair,
deeper voice, balding, and other male characteristics
• All “anabolic” steroids are also “androgenic”
What do steroids do?
• Doctors sometimes prescribe low doses of anabolicandrogenic steroids to treat people with serious
medical conditions
• Example = A man’s testosterone level decreases due
to a testicular tumor
– Dose prescribed is only enough to bring the testosterone
level back up to normal
– Testosterone levels and side effects are monitored closely by
the doctor
Examples of
anabolic-androgenic steroids
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Testosterone (Depo-testosterone)
Nandrolone (Deca-durabolin)
Methandrostenolone (Dianabol)
Oxandrolone (Oxandrin/Anavar)
Oxymetholone (Anadrol)
Stanzol (Winstrol)
Trenbolone (Finaplix)
Boldenone (Equipoise)
Tetrahydrogestrinone
Norbolethone
Madol
What are corticosteroids?
• Medications prescribed by doctors to treat medical
conditions such as asthma and arthritis
– Examples = Prednisone, Medrol
• Corticosteroids are not anabolic or androgenic
• Corticosteroids have no muscle-building effects
Who uses steroids?
• Not just professional athletes!
• 20% of college students 1
• 4-12% of high school students 2-10
• 2-3% of middle school students 11,12
• Highest rates of steroid use among teens are seen in
football players 2-5,12
Who uses steroids?
• Not just men!
• Up to 2.9% of middle and
high school girls 11,12
Who uses steroids?
• Not just athletes!
• 25% of teens who report steroid use do
not participate in organized athletics 14
How do people take steroids?
• Pills
• Injections
• Gels or creams
• Taken in doses 10-40 times
higher than prescription doses
to treat medical conditions
How do people get steroids?
• It is illegal to buy, sell, or possess
steroids without a doctor’s
prescription!
• Penalties range from 5 months to 6 years
in jail
Illegally purchased steroids
• Not monitored for quality or purity
– 10-15% are counterfeit (contain no steroids
at all!)
– Many are contaminated with substances
like motor oil
– Sellers only care about making money –
they do not care about the buyer’s health
Do steroids work?
• Steroids will increase muscle size and strength when
used with intense strength training
• But your body will pay a hefty price!!
• The medical dangers of steroid use far outweigh the
advantage of gains in muscle mass and strength
What are the health risks?
• Steroids have harmful side effects on
every system of the body
– Side effects range from mild to serious
– Some side effects are reversible and go
away once steroid use is stopped, but
many are permanent
– A few side effects are life-threatening
Harmful side effects
• Skin and hair
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Severe acne on face and back *
Baldness *
Stretch marks *
Being bloated
Skin infections at injection sites
* These side effects can be permanent
Harmful side effects
• Muscles and joints
– Aching joints
– Muscle cramps
– Tendon rupture
• Liver
– Liver damage
– Liver cancer
• Heart
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High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Heart disease
Heart attack
• Brain
– Headaches
– Stroke
Harmful side effects
• Gastro-intestinal
– Nausea
– Vomiting
– Diarrhea
• Infection
– Can get HIV/AIDS and
hepatitis if needles are
shared to inject steroids
• Psychological
– “Roid rage”aggressive and
violent behavior
– Anger/irritability
– Severe mood swings
– Paranoia
– Anxiety
– Panic attacks
– Depression
– Suicide
Pyschological side effects
• Can last for up to a year
after steroids are stopped
Side effects for males
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Testicles shrink
Breasts become larger*
Sperm count goes down
Infertility
* Can be permanent!
Side effects for females
• Girls develop masculine characteristics
– Facial hair *
– Deeper voice *
– Smaller breasts *
– Irregular periods
– Infertility
* Can be permanent!
A special danger for teenagers
• Steroids cause your
bones to stop growing
• You will not reach your
full height potential
• Using steroids can
stunt your growth
Myths and facts about steroids
Myth or fact?
Steroids will make me a better
athlete.
The truth
• Steroids CANNOT improve
your
– Agility
– Athletic skills
– Endurance
Myth or fact?
You can’t get addicted to steroids.
The truth
• Users can become
addicted
• Steroid users are also
more likely to become
addicted to alcohol and
other drugs
Myth or fact?
The newer steroids are safer and
have fewer harmful side effects.
The truth
• All steroids have harmful side effects
Myth or fact?
Steroids are safe if you
use them carefully.
The truth
• Even small doses of steroids
are harmful
• Users may try “pyramiding” and
“cycling” to reduce side effects
– No method eliminates the
dangerous effects
Myth or fact?
You can’t get strong without using
steroids.
You can’t keep up with your
competitors without using
steroids.
The truth
• You can get strong and beat your
competitors without steroids
• Steroids are
– Illegal
– A form of cheating
– Dangerous to your health
• Short cuts are not the way to achieve
your long-term goals
How to succeed without steroids
• Success takes talent, skill, and most of all,
practice and hard work
• There are many healthy ways to build
strength and improve your appearance:
– Proper conditioning and training
• Get supervision and advice from a qualified
professional
– Good, sound nutrition
Nutrition tips for athletes
• The best fuel for performance is a balanced
diet that includes a variety of whole foods
• There is no one “miracle food,” vitamin,
nutritional supplement, or energy bar that can
supply ALL of your nutritional needs
What’s a balanced diet
for an athlete?
• Ideal balance of nutrients:
– Carbohydrates (60-70% of daily calories)
– Protein (20% of daily calories)
– Fat (10% of daily calories)
• Ideal balance of food groups:
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2 servings of dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt)
2 servings of meat (fish, poultry, beans)
4 servings of fruits and vegetables
4 servings of grains or cereal
Nutrition tips for
building muscle strength
• Eat more calories!
• Young athletes trying to build strength
should eat an extra 500 calories each
day
• These extra calories should come
from carbohydrates and protein
Nutrition tips for
building muscle strength
• Eat more carbohydrates!
– The most important nutrient for building strength is
carbohydrate
• An athlete’s daily carbohydrate needs
– 3.5-4.5 grams per pound of body weight
• Eating carbohydrates during a workout builds strength
– A sports drink during a workout provides carbs
Nutrition tips for
building muscle strength
• Eat more protein!
• Athletes building strength need more protein than
athletes in endurance sports
– 0.7-0.9 grams per pound of body weight per day
– Eating more than this will not build additional muscle and will
only harm your kidneys
• For optimal muscle growth and recovery, eat a snack
that has BOTH protein and carbohydrate about 30-60
minutes after exercise.
Sources of protein
• Athletes can easily eat enough protein without using
additional protein or amino acid supplements or
switching to a high-protein diet.
• The protein found in food is of better quality and is
absorbed better by the body than the protein found in
supplements.
• Healthy protein sources include lean meat, poultry, fish,
dairy products, eggs, low-fat cheese, nuts, and dried
beans.
For more information
• National Institute on Drug Abuse
– www.nida.nih.gov
• National Center for Drug-Free Sport
– www.drugfreesport.com
• World Anti-Doping Agency
– www.wada-ama.org
For more information
• International Olympic Committee (IOC)
– www.olympic.org
• National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA)
– www.ncaa.org
• Taylor Hooten Foundation
– www.taylorhooten.org
What is Blood Cholesterol?
• A fat-like substance in the blood.
• Made in the liver and comes
from some foods we eat.
• Too much cholesterol can build
Normal Artery
up in arteries over time.
• Can cause heart attacks and
strokes.
Cholesterol
Clogged Artery
Why do we need cholesterol?
• To build and maintain cell
membranes (fluidity)
• To facilitate intracellular transport
• For cell-to-cell signaling (hormones)
• To insulate nerve conduction
(myelin sheath)
Who needs to have their
cholesterol monitored?
• If you have any evidence of heart disease
• If you have a family history of high
cholesterol
• If you are a diabetic
• If you have high blood pressure
• If you have a family history of heart disease
LDL vs. HDL
• LDL Cholesterol
• “Bad” or “Lousy”
• Low Density Lipoprotein
• It can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the
heart and brain causing a heart attack or stroke
• HDL Cholesterol
“Good” or “Happy”
High Density Lipoprotein
high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack
Low levels of HDL also increase the risk of heart disease.
Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away
from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the
body.
• Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from
arterial plaque, slowing its buildup.
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Tryglycerides
• Triglyceride is a form of fat made in the body.
• Elevated triglycerides can be due to
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Obesity
physical inactivity
cigarette smoking
excess alcohol consumption
a diet very high in carbohydrates
• People with high triglycerides often have a high
total cholesterol level, including a high LDL (bad)
level and a low HDL (good) level.
• Many people with heart disease and/or diabetes
also have high triglyceride levels.
What is the Recommended
Level?
The National Cholesterol Education Program
recommends…
•Total Cholesterol =
Less than 200 mg/dl
•LDL Cholesterol =
Less than 100 mg/dl
•HDL Cholesterol =
Women: over 50
Men: over 40
•Triglycerides =
Under 150
What Are Some Ways To Control
Blood Cholesterol and
Triglycerides?
• Healthy Eating
• Physical Activity
• Weight Loss
• Medication
Eating Healthy
• Choose more fruits,
vegetables, and whole
grain breads, cereals and
pastas.
• Choose baked, skinless
chicken and fish, and lowfat dairy products.
• Eat less fat
– Saturated fat
Improving Fats
• Eat fewer solid fats
– Shortening
– Stick
butter/margarine
– Excess fat on meats
• Substitute liquid or soft fats “HeartHealthy Fats”
• Monounsaturated oils
– Olive, Canola, Peanut oil
Trans Fatty Acids
• Limit Trans fats
– Fried foods,
cookies, cakes,
crackers, snack
foods
Dietary Cholesterol
• Can raise blood cholesterol levels
• Limit foods high in cholesterol
– Liver, organ meats, egg yolks, full-fat
dairy products
• The American Heart Association
recommendations?
–Less than 300 mg/day
–Less than 200 mg/day (with
diabetes or heart disease)
Triglycerides
• Limit sugar and
refined
carbohydrates
• Eat Fiber (Soluble)
– Dried beans, peas,
oats, fruits and
vegetables
Physical Activity
• Important even as we get
older!
HDL Cholesterol
LDL Cholesterol
Lower triglycerides
• 30 minutes or more on
most days.
– Moderate activity
Weight Management
• Weight loss can…
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LDL
Triglycerides
HDL
• Just 5 to 10 pounds will
help show improvements!!!
• Be sure to talk with your
doctor.
Medication
• Medication needed by
some people.
• Continue with healthy
eating and physical
activity.
• Your doctor will help
decide the best type of
drug.
Points to Remember
• Know your cholesterol and triglyceride
numbers!
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables,
whole grains, low-fat dairy products,
and less fat and cholesterol.
• Exercise regularly
• Lose weight if overweight.
• Talk with your doctor about medicine if
lifestyle changes aren’t enough
Diabetes definition
Metabolic disorder of multiple
etiology (causes) characterized by
hyperglycemia with carbohydrates,
fat, and protein metabolic alterations
that result in defects in the secretion
of insulin, its action or both.
What is diabetes?
• The majority of intake of food is
converted into glucose.
• The pancreas produces the insulin
hormone, which lowers the amount
of glucose in the bloodstream.
• The pancreas produces the glucagon
hormone, which raises the amount of
glucose in the bloodstream.
• In persons with diabetes, insulin
does not work properly.
Types of diabetes
• Type 1
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Little or no production of insulin
Initiates in childhood or adolescence
Insulin injections are needed
Genetics play a role
• Type 2
– Far more common than type 1
– The pancreas does not make enough insulin to keep
blood glucose levels normal, often because the body
does not respond well to insulin.
– Many people with type 2 diabetes do not know they have
it, although it is a serious condition.
– Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common due to
increasing obesity and failure to exercise
– Generally initiates after 30 years of age
Risk factors
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Family history of diabetes
Older than 30 years of age
Lack of physical activity
Poor diet
Excessive weight