Victor Conte, the founder of the designer drugs pharmacy BALCO, has revealed that Marion Jones, the greatest female athlete of her generation, was provided with insulin, growth hormone, EPO, and ‘The Clear’ (users’ slang for THG) as well as nutritional supplements.

Conte also said Jones was on a cocktail of drugs including insulin, growth hormone, EPO, and THG when she won three gold medals and two bronze at the Sydney Olympics.

From Independent.ie:

“People have asked me: ‘Do you feel guilty about what you did? Are you ashamed?’ The answer is no. I got to a point where I realised elite sport is about doing what you have to do to win. My clients didn’t come to BALCO to learn how to do drugs. Most were already using (drugs) before they came.

“I’ve seen athletes being forced to decide whether to use or not use, and it’s much more painful for them to entertain the idea of giving up their dream than to use anabolic steroids. That’s what’s really going on. That’s the choice athletes face when they get to the very top.”

Conte’s interview contains extraordinary detail about Jones and the drugs regime that he oversaw, beginning with the build-up to the Sydney Olympics.

“CJ (Hunter, the shot-putter and her husband at the time) had called me six weeks before the Olympics to ask me to work with Marion,” he says. “I started providing her with insulin, growth hormone, EPO and ‘The Clear’ (users’ slang for THG) as well as nutritional supplements. She was on all of it at the 2000 Games. I tell you this knowing Marion passed a lie-detector test saying it’s not true. All that shows me is lie detectors don’t work.”

Conte also said, “Soon I was working with their (Jones and Montgomery’s) rivals,” he says. It is here that Dwain Chambers, of Great Britain, enters the story, another who, despite being banned, continues to profess his innocence. Conte says he gave Chambers “the full enchilada”: ‘The Clear,’ insulin, EPO, growth hormone, modafinil and a testosterone cream.

Tags: BALCO, EPO, growth hormone, insulin, Marion Jones, modafinil, nutritional supplements, testosterone cream, THG, Victor Conte

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Alvin Harrison recently created a unique but unwanted piece of history when he was suspended for a period of four years by the United States Anti-Doping Agency after admitting taking a cocktail of banned performance enhancing substances.

Alvin became the second half of the first set of twins to be banned for drugs. His brother, Calvin, was suspended for two years in August for a second doping violation involving the stimulant modafinil.

From Guardian.co.uk:

At least Alvin has done something his twin has not managed: he is the first male athlete to be banned without first failing a drug test.

Usada suspended him on the basis of a “non-analytical positive” after he admitted using a variety of banned substances since 2001 after being presented with evidence gathered by the agency during its investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.

The list included anabolic steroids, insulin, human growth hormone, modafinil, erythropoietin (EPO) and tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), the designer drug for which Britain’s Dwain Chambers tested positive.

Harrison’s case is the second non-analytical positive involving an athlete linked to Balco, the San Francisco laboratory at the centre of the biggest drugs scandal in sporting history.

The American sprinter, Kelli White, was banned and stripped of her 100 and 200 metres gold medals from the 2003 world championship after admitting drugs offences. Like White and Chambers, Harrison had worked closely with the Ukraine-born coach Remi Korchemny, one of four men facing criminal charges in connection with their Balco involvement.

Usada said yesterday that 10 other athletes had received sanctions for positive tests for the steroid THG or modafinil, two of the drugs linked to Balco.

Alvin Harrison won 4x400m relay Olympic golds at the Atlanta and Sydney Olympic and is the third member of the US relay squad from Sydney to have either failed tests or been banned for doping, the others being his brother Calvin and Jerome Young.

Tags: Alvin Harrison, anabolic steroids, BALCO, Dwain Chambers, EPO, erythropoietin, human growth hormone, insulin, modafinil, performance-enhancing substances, Tetrahydrogestrinone, THG

Posted in buy steroids, Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids, Steroids in Sports

A study by University of Auckland that was published in the Lancet has revealed that babies whose mothers were administered with injections of steroids before giving birth have no increased risk of heart diseases at age 30 when compared to mothers receiving a placebo treatment.

The study, however, discovered possible mild insulin resistance indicators in individuals whose mothers received the steroid.

From News-medical.net:

Steroid treatment of women in premature labour is standard international practice, and speeds up the maturation of the babies’ lungs. Until now there has been almost no information about how these babies do as adults.

The treatment’s effectiveness was first demonstrated at Auckland’s National Women’s Hospital by Professors Sir Graham Liggins and Ross Howie in a clinical trial published in 1972, a time when most very premature babies died of respiratory distress. This simple treatment halved the babies’ death rate. It has subsequently saved hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide.

Researchers from the Clinical Trials Research Unit and the Liggins Institute, of The University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, launched the Lancet study due to concern that fetuses exposed to steroids may grow up with an increased risk of disease.

The study was supported by the Health Research Council of New Zealand, the Auckland Medical Research Foundation, and the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board.

Tags: insulin, steroid, steroids

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Treatment of diabetic animals with AAT (alpha-1-antitrypsin) after an islet transplantation procedure could prove useful for eliminating the causes behind islet transplantation failure, according to researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Beer-Sheva, Israel.

The usage of a non-toxic, safe, and non-steroidal drug could be more than just useful for effectively blocking inflammation by targeting multiple inflammatory molecules, as per Dr. Eli Lewis, director of the Clinical Islet Laboratory at BGU.

From Sciencedaily.com:

Human pancreatic islet transplantation is a vital option for type-1 diabetes patients. In this procedure, globally performed in over 50 centers, islets are collected from donors soon after death in a sterile laboratory. At the same time, a diabetic transplant candidate is reached and a transplantation team is recruited. In this relatively simple surgical procedure, islets are introduced into the liver under local anesthesia, and covered by minimal immunosuppression, complete insulin independence is achieved.

Unfortunately, islet mass is rapidly reduced after engraftment by robust local inflammation. Even more unfortunate for the grafted cells, there is no anti-inflammatory coverage due to the removal of steroids from immunosuppression protocol. For this reason, the typical islet recipient will receive at least two grafts in order to restore glucose levels. But perhaps the most discouraging information is that five-year islet cell function follow-up studies reveal unacceptably high islet erosion caused in part by unrestrained ongoing inflammation. There is, therefore, great demand for an anti-inflammatory islet survival regimen that is safe, feasible and effective.

Normal glucose levels can be restored to normal and patients can be relieved from insulin injections when diabetic patients are treated with transplanted human pancreatic islet cells.

Tags: insulin, islet transplantation, steroidal drug, steroids

Posted in buy steroids, Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids

Researchers from Adheris, Inc., an inVentiv Health company, have found that patients who are new to chronic disease medication are at a higher risk of facing the greatest risk of medication discontinuation during the first 30 days of treatment – with discontinuation rates ranging from 29.6 to 78.1 percent.

This finding was disclosed by a new study that was published online by Clinical Therapeutics.

From News-Medical.Net:

Medication inexperience and patient age were strongly and more consistently associated with the risk of discontinuation than co-payment, income and sex in all the medication classes investigated. Overall rates of discontinuation for naïve patients were 12 times greater in the first month of treatment than during any subsequent month. Discontinuation was most rapid among naïve patients prescribed asthma inhalers, asthma  pills, and glaucoma  drops; intermediate for patients prescribed medications for breast cancer, diabetes (insulin), and osteoporosis; and least rapid for patients prescribed medications for cardiovascular illness, high cholesterol, and oral medications for diabetes. Three of the four medication classes most likely to be discontinued were all non-oral medications (inhaled steroids, glaucoma drops, and insulin injections).

Lead author Mark Vanelli, MD, MHS, Chief Medical Officer at Adheris and Harvard Medical School faculty member, remarked that the study has clear and practical implications to improve routine clinical care and minimize healthcare costs.

Tags: Asthma, breast cancer, glaucoma drops, Inhaled steroids, insulin

Posted in buy steroids, Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids

With anabolic steroids reaching every part of the world, the land of Zulu was no exception. As per recent reports, South Africans are showing a desire to use anabolic steroids with more and more cases of steroid use being reported on a daily basis.

The amazing benefits of steroids such as improvements in the levels of stamina, body strength, and on-field performances have “encouraged” people of South Africa to use them without any second thoughts.

From SteroidTimes.Com:

So let me start by dispelling a popular myth or rumour that i often get asked about: STEROIDS ARE NOT LEGAL IN SOUTH AFRICA! That said, steroid are not a highly policed area in the drug market, any ‘busts’ or the like generally come from bodybuilders or dealers that are involved in manufacturing or importing other illicit drugs such as cocaine, exstacy, khat or crystal meth. The reality is that there are just not enough resources in South Africa to control such a small segment of the drug trade, they have bigger fish to fry.

We have a range of anabolic products from black market to legitimate available to the athlete or bodybuilder. Many pharmacies are quite happy to sell drugs such a steroids, growth hormone, thyroid hormones and insulin ‘under the counter’ as long as cash is paid, the better you know the pharmacist, the better price you get. Those products that are not available from a pharmacy can be obtained relatively easily from your entrepreneurial gym dealer who will generally have at his disposal a range of imported or local underground brands.

The growing success and popularity of steroids in South Africa clearly suggest that there cannot be any control on the distribution of steroids, a fact also highlighted by the increasing number of steroid orders coming from the beautiful country.

Tags: anabolic products, anabolic steroids, bodybuilding, cocaine, crystal meth, exstacy, growth hormone, insulin, khat, steroid, steroid use, steroids, thyroid hormones

Posted in bodybuilding, buy steroids, Celebrities and Steroids, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids

With the popularity and success stories of steroids reaching every home of the world, South Africa was not an exception. The beautiful country is slowly and steadily displaying signs of being grappled with anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs as can be evident from an increasing number of steroid users.

Since every one is reaping the benefits of steroids, South Africans were not left behind and are found making use of prescription drugs in big numbers more than ever.

From SteroidTimes.Com:

So let me start by dispelling a popular myth or rumour that i often get asked about: STEROIDS ARE NOT LEGAL IN SOUTH AFRICA! That said, steroid are not a highly policed area in the drug market, any ‘busts’ or the like generally come from bodybuilders or dealers that are involved in manufacturing or importing other illicit drugs such as cocaine, exstacy, khat or crystal meth. The reality is that there are just not enough resources in South Africa to control such a small segment of the drug trade, they have bigger fish to fry.

We have a range of anabolic products from black market to legitimate available to the athlete or bodybuilder. Many pharmacies are quite happy to sell drugs such a steroids, growth hormone, thyroid hormones and insulin ‘under the counter’ as long as cash is paid, the better you know the pharmacist, the better price you get. Those products that are not available from a pharmacy can be obtained relatively easily from your entrepreneurial gym dealer who will generally have at his disposal a range of imported or local underground brands.

It can be easily concluded that success of steroids has clearly overshadowed the associated potential risks, a fact highlighted by growing number of steroid users in this African country.

Tags: anabolic products, bodybuilding, cocaine, crystal meth, exstacy, growth hormone, insulin, khat, steroid, steroid use, steroids, thyroid hormones

Posted in bodybuilding, buy steroids, Steroid Cycles, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids, Steroids in Sports

With steroids reaching every part of the world, South Africa was not an exception. This beautiful country is slowly showing signs of being grappled with steroids as there are more and more reported cases of steroid use.

It is a well-known fact that steroids have been in the worlds of professional sports and bodybuilding for long and if one thinks that South Africa was left out, he was probably wrong.

From SteroidTimes.Com:

So let me start by dispelling a popular myth or rumour that i often get asked about:  STEROIDS ARE NOT LEGAL IN SOUTH AFRICA! That said, steroid are not a highly policed area in the drug market, any ‘busts’ or the like generally come from bodybuilders or dealers that are involved in manufacturing or importing other illicit drugs such as cocaine, exstacy, khat or crystal meth. The reality is that there are just not enough resources in South Africa to control such a small segment of the drug trade, they have bigger fish to fry.

We have a range of anabolic products from black market to legitimate available to the athlete or bodybuilder. Many pharmacies are quite happy to sell drugs such a steroids, growth hormone, thyroid hormones and insulin ‘under the counter’ as long as cash is paid, the better you know the pharmacist, the better price you get. Those products that are not available from a pharmacy can be obtained relatively easily from your entrepreneurial gym dealer who will generally have at his disposal a range of imported or local underground brands.

The growing success and popularity of steroids have clearly suggested that all measures to curb the use of steroids have been waste as the number of steroid users has increased, and not decreased during the last few years.

Tags: anabolic products, bodybuilding, cocaine, crystal meth, exstacy, growth hormone, insulin, khat, steroid, steroid use, steroids, thyroid hormones

Posted in buy steroids, Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids

To the 2008 Beijing Olympics athletes, to be stripped of medals is a bad, bad way to start 2009. Our advice to them? Take in all in stride. Look at the four riders in this year’s Tour de France who tested for CERA long after the cameras flashed and the medals awarded. Their collective sigh was: C’est la vie!

The International Olympic Committee announced on Tuesday about 500 samples will undergo retroactive testing in January. Of that number are about 400 blood tests to be retested for third-generation drug CERA, while 100 are urine samples which will be tested for insulin. A WADA lab in Cologne, Germany will handle the retesting of the urine samples. According to AP report, the lab has come up with a reliable test for insulin which, like anabolic steroids, is considered a performance-enhancing drug.

IOC’s statement said the tests “will primarily target endurance events in cycling, rowing, swimming and athletics.” The test results are expected to be in by the end of March.

It was in October when IOC has announced its plan to carry out retroactive testing subsequent to AFLD’s (French anti-doping agency) statement that it will retest samples from the 2008 Tour de France riders. AFLD has developed a more effective method to test blood samples for new generation performance boosters like CERA. The new testing method caught four riders.

Tags: AFLD, anabolic agent, anabolic steroids, Beijing Olympics, CERA, doping, French Anti-Doping Agency, insulin, IOC, performance-enhancing drug, Tour de France

Posted in steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids, Steroids in Olympics

One Times Online article labeled International Olympic president Jacques Rogge as a “deluded individual” when Rogge expressed his displeasure of Usain Bolt’s celebration of his victory at Beijing. Usain earned Rogge’s rebuke when the Jamaican sprinter failed to shake hands with his co-competitors after his impressive win at the 100 meters.

However, Rogge’s recent interview with the BBC’s Inside Sport, as related by AFP, portrayed a very pragmatic man. The IOC president said those who aspire for a 100 percent drug-free Olympics were out of touch with reality. He added cheating will always be part of human nature.

“I think one has to be realistic,” Rogge said.

“Drug-free sport in general is Utopia. It will be naive to believe that no-one will take drugs.

“There are about 400 million people practicing sport on this globe, there are not 400 million saints on earth.

“Cheating is embedded in human nature and doping is to sport what criminality is to society.

“You will always need cops and judges and prisons and jails and rules and regulations.”

IOC is planning to catch more users of anabolic steroids and other performance enhancers as it’s currently implementing re-testing of the samples taken at the Beijing Olympics. The IOC head “expects further positive doping cases to emerge from these” up to 2016 Games.

Rogge said all the samples they obtained from Beijing – more than 5,000 screenings, including nearly 1,000 blood samples – will be available for retroactive testing. The blood samples will be screened for new generation performance-enhancing drugs CERA and insulin. And if new testing techniques will emerge between now and 2016, the same samples will go through re-testing.

“We are keeping the samples for eight years and we are going to re-test them,” said Rogge.

“And ultimately the judgment on the Beijing Games will be given in eight years’ time, because each time a new scientific test is coming up we are going to re-test.”

Rogge assumed the IOC position on July 2001, replacing Juan Antonio Samaranch. Rogge has his share of criticisms and the most recent of these were his disapproval of Bolt’s behavior (mentioned above) and his statement regarding Greek athletes. He allegedly stated that “Greece won the gold medal in doping” because of a spate of failed dope tests of Greek athletes.

Tags: anabolic steroids, BBC, Beijing Olympics, CERA, doping in sport, Greek athletes, insulin, International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, performance boosters, steroids, Usain Bolt

Posted in steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids, Steroids in Olympics, Steroids in Sports