Endocrine System Issues
Baseball - Caminiti (SI report), Giambi, Bonds, Sheffield, others
Football - Romanowski, Stubblefield, others – football players
Sprinters - Kelli White, Marion Jones
Hormones being abused
Anabolic steroids (or NIDA link)- designer hormone - THG (tetrahydrogestrinone)
Forms
Oil or cream - The Clear or the Clearman
Orally - dietary supplement
Intramuscual injection
Legal use - treat gynecologic problems (endometriosis), treat children with growth failure, preservation of muscle mass and inhibit chronic wasting diseases (AIDS, cancers), also used to add weight to cattle
Illegal use- increase muscle mass, aggressive behavior
Health Consequences - steroid abuse leads to liver damage, heart disease, increased blood pressure, violent/aggressive behavior, shrinking testicles, infertility, baldness
GH - growth hormone
Illegal use- increase muscle mass, strengthen cartilage and bone, not detectable
Testosterone Patch and Sexual Desire in Women
Testoserone patch is billed as the female equivalent of viagra – increases libido, sexual desire
Original use (or try link to Harvard/MGH web site)
Used by post-menopausal women to restore pre-menopausal testosterone levels and sex drive (testosterone produced by women and converted into estrogen)
Used with estrogen supplements in post-menopausal women
Also women with POF syndrome – premature ovarian failure (occurs in women in their 40's)
FDA votes against using the patch citing lack of long-term studies on safety
Nervous and Endocrine Systems - Sleep and weight
Loss of sleeps affects production of leptin that controls (decreases) appetite, ghrelin that triggers hunger
Consequences
Lack of sleep lowers leptin and increases ghrelin
Brain does not get enough glucose because of lack of sleep, tells the body that it needs simple sugars
Increased appetite, tendency for sweet and high cholesterol foods
Overview from CNN