Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder, Starling Marte, has been suspended after testing positive for nandrolone. Mr. starling is far from alone. Roger Clemens, Derrick Bernard (New York Mets minor leaguer), and Alfredo Zambrano (Baltimore Orioles minor leaguer) have all tested positive for the drug at some point in their careers.1 What is nandrolone though?
Building muscle is all about proteins. As an individual exercises they create micro tears in the muscle. These tears occur between two proteins, myosin and actin. As the body recovers it synthesizes more of these two proteins in an attempt to prevent the muscle from tearing again. This results in an increase in muscle mass and strength. One of the main drivers of this process is testosterone.
Whether you’re a man or a woman you produce testosterone, albeit men produce it in greater quantities. Testosterone is a hormone that acts like a chemical messenger. As it travels through the body it can have two different affects. One of these effects is to bring about secondary male sex characteristics during puberty. These effects are referred to as testosterone’s androgenic properties and it causes an increase in body hair, facial hair, testicle growth, and a deeper voice. The second effect testosterone has is to increase muscle mass and strength, as mentioned above. These are known as testosterones anabolic qualities.2
Since the 1950’s scientists have been manufacturing synthetic versions of testosterone. Their goal was to create versions that would emphasize its anabolic qualities while minimizing its androgenic potential. Researchers have been unable to completely separate these two qualities, but they have increased its muscle building capacity. As a result, we refer to nandrolone as an anabolic-androgenic steroid. Initially it was used to treat sever burns, kidney failure, AIDS, and anemia. 3
When nandrolone is being used as a performance enhancing drug it is typically taken in much greater dosages than would be prescribed for the above mentioned diseases. Nandrolone can be injected into a large muscle or it can be taken orally. Once inside the body nandrolone can supplement the natural anabolic process produced by testosterone and create even greater gains. Steroids also inhibit the impact of cortisol, another hormone produced by the body. Cortisol breaks down muscle tissue and prevents protein synthesis.3 By inhibiting cortisol nandrolone can lead to a decreased recovery time between games and workouts.
Athletes will go through all kinds of doping regimens to help hide their use. This ranges from cycling on and off the performance enhancing drug, or taking other medications that can help dilute the urine, or even prevent the excretion of the drug’s components. Some athletes will even go as far as placing substances inside their urethra to mask its use. Nonetheless there are various methods to help detect steroid use. Such methods involve in-depth analysis of blood and urine samples.4 Examiners can look for the drug itself or other drugs that an athlete may be taking to hide their use. They can also look at levels of other hormones to see if their values have deviated from normal standards.
Besides tarnishing a professional athlete’s reputation and jeopardizing their career nandrolone can cause a myriad of health issues. These range from depression, insomnia, decreased sperm count, liver cancer, decreased testicle size, electrolyte disturbances, increases in acne, and heart disease. 4
Sources
- Brink, B. (2017, April 18). Nandrolone, the steroid Starling Marte used, has long history as PED. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2017/04/18/Starling-Marte-suspension-Nandrolone-PED-MLB-drug-policy/stories/201704180184
- Mandal, A., Dr. (2014, January 14). Testosterone Physiological Effects. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from http://www.news-medical.net/health/Testosterone-Physiological-Effects.aspx
- Kishner, S. (2015, May 27). Anabolic Steroid Use and Abuse. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/128655-overview#a1
- Snyder, P., Dr. . (2016, October 11). Use of androgens and other hormones by athletes. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/use-of-androgens-and-other-hormones-by-athletes?source=search_result&search=anabolic steroids&selectedTitle=1~150#H21
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