Confessions of a Steroid User
There is no jest to this. I fully admit to using steroids in part to assist in athletic performance.
My tale of steroid use isn't seedy, underhanded, or all that dangerous. But I feel it is important to reveal my use during the early 80s. First, a little background on why I was using steroids in the first place.
I was always small as a child, and grew slowly. Slow enough that it caused my mother concern. My growth was tracked by the excellent endocronology department at the University of Iowa, where I rated in the 5% range. By the time I hit seventh grade, I weighed scant 63 pounds (during wrestling season) — the lowest weight class being 70 pounds. One year later, I weighed only 68, less than 10% increase in weight. I had fallen off the growth chart, causing concern among my doctors. The growth plates in my limbs showed signs that, if nothing were done, my growth could be stunted, and I might wind up somewhere in the range of 5'3" to 5'6", and could experience bone pain. With the introduction of testoterone into my system, the hope was my body would "learn" how to produce the substance, and I would be able to get back on track, hopefully seeing normal adult height and weight.
Adding to my frustration, I was forced to wrestle the 75 pound weight class whenever there was a forfeit at 70 pounds because I was the best of the three under 70 kids on the squad. When forfeits occured at 75, I was back at 70. Wrestling 75, particularly late in the season when weight allowance of 4 pounds were given was tremendously frustrating — I'd often be giving up 10 pounds to my opponent. My sole job was to not get pinned, not to win. The only fortunate thing about being small and underweight was that I never had to lose weight to make my class (in fact, I once showed up at the weigh-in with a shake in my hand).
Towards the end of 8th grade, and over the summer, I received one injection a month of steroids. These were painful shots, as I recall, because the suspension was sesame oil — a very thick medium. The shots would take quite some time to be completed. While this was a normal medical procedure, taken under a qualified doctor's supervision. There was no method for me to abuse the steroids or extend/increase the treatment beyond the period indicated. Everything was legal, aboveboard, and in my best long-term interest.
However, I did spend much of that summer working out in conjunction with the drugs. Never a fan of upper-body workouts (and having little access to weights), I did a lot of road miles. And I grew. In fact, by the time wrestling season rolled around, I increased from 68 pounds the year before to 86 pounds (and this was a good thing, given that the lowest weight class for 9th grade was 92 pounds). That's a 26% increase. My body fat was down to 3.2% (granted, it was never all that high before). I had large-than-expected leg muscles for my size, and continued to work my legs in the weight room.
By comparison, my sophomore year of high school found me weighing in at 96 pounds, only an 11% increase. I did not abuse or misuse steroids — but I did use them to my advantage. Long-term, I was able to make it over 5'8" tall, and graduated high school around 142 pounds. Physically, fairly normal. Exploiting the steroid use gave me a great base that I used to my advantage in wrestling, and later soccer. Because folkstyle wrestling uses both the arm moves and leg moves, having an advantage in legs, particularly in lower weight classes, provides a tremendous advantage overall. While I was not the most athletic performer, I was able to use my brains and physical advantages to win matches I should have lost on athletic ability. In soccer, the leg strength did help my cause. I was never to be the basketball or football player my father was, but I did find my niche elsewhere.
What were the negative long-term effects? It's hard to say. I've always had bad knees, the steroids (and hard workouts from wrestling and soccer) did nothing to help. I'm sure the bunion on my left foot has its origins in my wrestling shoes. My back problems stem from an injury suffered in a match pre-steroids. And I blame my neck problems on my Bernese Mountain Dogs, particularly Bison, and on too much time in front of the computer.
This does not mean my use of steroids was the only solution possible. Two other friends of mine were also tracked in the Iowa program. While I lost touch with one of them long ago, I ran into the other one. It was a big mystery as to why he was similarly small, especially since his father was 6'6" or so (mine was just under 6'). Steroid use was declined in his case. I ran into him at a high school reunion several years ago. Easily recognizable face. Easily over 6'4" tall.
File last modified May 01, 2005
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