But last week some said McGwire was close to foul territory. An alert reporter noticed a bottle of the muscle-building supplement androstenedione in McGwire’s locker. The stuff is supposed to raise testosterone levels, just like banned steroids. Was Big Mac cheating his way into the record books?
McGwire readily admitted that he’s been using androstenedione for the last year. A committed weight lifter with a Paul Bunyan build (he’s 6 feet 5), he denied that he was cheating. “I’ve done nothing wrong,” he told reporters. “It’s legal stuff, sold over the counter.” That’s true: testosterone, the male sex hormone, is a federally controlled substance. Its sale is illegal and its use is banned by all major sports. But androstenedione, a “precursor” molecule that is just one metabolic step away from testosterone, is classified as a dietary supplement, not a drug. It’s widely available in health-food stores, usually as a pill costing less than $60 for a month’s supply. And while several sports have banned the steroid (chart), Major League Baseball has not.
Should it? Last week baseball asked its medical advisers to review supplement use. But still, no one knows exactly how–or if–androstenedione works. “Andro” is normally produced in small quantities by the adrenal glands, then converted into testosterone. Testosterone gives athletes a boost by shifting the body’s chemical balance so that it builds more muscle during exercise, and doesn’t break down as much muscle afterward. Supplement makers say their andro pills cause you to produce more testosterone for a couple of hours after taking them (pre-workout). But hormone balance is notoriously complex; andro-stenedione is also converted into other compounds, including the female sex hormone, estrogen. Data are scarce, but one unpublished study suggests that androstenedione use boosts testosterone by no more than 15 percent. “We really don’t know if it works,” says Penn State epidemiologist Charles Yesalis.
Because it’s natural and there’s no proof that andro is dangerous, the FDA doesn’t regulate or even study it. But we do know that high doses of testosterone can be dangerous; long-term use can cause liver and heart disease. Excess testosterone can also have “masculinizing” effects on women. Andro suppliers say their product is safe, because the body is making its own testosterone, not taking it in from foreign sources. And levels are elevated only briefly. But no long-term studies of andro’s side effects have been done, says Dr. Gary Wadler of the NYU School of Medicine, “so you don’t know what you’re getting in the future.” Doctors worry most about kids’ safety, because sex hormones can inhibit bone growth and cause other problems in adolescents.
So far, it looks like most kids are staying away from andro–even with McGwire, this summer’s superhero, taking it. Creatine, a muscle-building amino-acid supplement used by both McGwire and his home-run rival, Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa, remains very popular among teenage athletes. But while some andro suppliers say the McGwire incident has boosted demand, stores like Sherwyn’s in Chicago say sales haven’t increased. GNC, the nation’s largest supplement chain, doesn’t even stock the product. “It didn’t meet our scientific and safety standards,” says company spokesman John Troup. Ted Riley, a Little League coach in Emmetsburg, Iowa, isn’t worried that his players will rush out to buy androstenedione. Instead, he says, “they’re going to spend their money on McGwire baseball cards.”
PHOTO (COLOR): The home-run stretch: McGwire says his dingers are all natural
DIFFERENT SPORTS, DIFFERENT POLICIES
Mark McGwire’s androstenedione use has caused an uproar, but it’s legal in baseball and in the NHL. The NFL bans it and often tests for drugs.
What is banned What is tested for Major League Anything illegal, Cocaine, marijuana Baseball prescription drugs amphetamines, without a opiates, PCP, prescription steroids (not andro), all with cause National Basket- Cocaine, heroin Cocaine, heroin ball Association (mandatory in rookie year, then with cause) National Colle- Steroids/andro, stiulants, Season: steroids/ giate Athletic diuretics, street drugs andro and Association diuretics (football, track and field). Finals: everything (all sports). Intl. Olympic Steroids/andro, stimulants, While competing: Committee narcotics, diuretics, all. Out of growth hormones competition: steroids/andro, diuretics.
