Most bodybuilders who use anabolic steroids manufactured by underground labs (UGLs) in the United States are primarily concerned with whether or not the product is accurately dosed with the anabolic steroid listed on the label. Some more health conscious steroid users are also concerned about potential health risks arising from the contamination of UGL steroid products with bateria and/or heavy metals. Fortunately, bacterial contamination is not a common problem since most UGLs effectively sterilize the product by adding ingredients such as benzyl alcohol, etc. However, few people have actually considered the potential toxicity of using anabolic steroids contaminated with heavy metals. Given that most of the steroid powder is illicitly imported from China, the possibility of contamination with lead, tin, mercury, arsenic, etc. is a real possibility.
Anabolic steroid users represent the largest client at needle exchange programs in the United Kingdom according to the weekly current affairs magazine, the New Statesman (”Shape of the future: observations on bodybuilding,” April 17).
The New Statesman magazine also identifies some disturbing trends in steroid use in the U.K.
But rates of steroid use aren’t the only thing that’s changing: so is the type of person who uses the drugs.
According to Martin Chandler, a specialist in steroid use at Liverpool John Moores University, the rise is caused by people “younger and less knowledgeable” than their previous counterparts. “What scares me is their limited research and understanding,” he says.
According to Martin Chandler, the increasing number of young people using steroids is due to aesthetic (body image) concerns and not performance enhancement concerns.
If the demographic of steroid users is changing, so too are their motivations. Among older users, the drugs were often taken as a means to open up non-academic job opportunities. This was particularly true in former manufacturing towns. When manual workers found themselves unable to make a living in the old industries, they often trained as security staff, bouncers or police officers to continue making a living through their bodies.
But, unlike mining and manufacturing work, for instance, these new careers did not develop appropriate physiques “on the job”. Being a doorman might require a big build, but the job itself is more likely to cultivate guts than shoulders. Hence the rise of gym culture, and steroids.
Now, according to Chandler, it is fashion rather than function that motivates the younger generation to pump up: “Ultimately, what new users are concerned with is body image. It’s got nothing to do with performance gain - it’s about aesthetic.” The trend is not surprising. Men’s magazines are booming; there are also flourishing industries in male health, diet and supplements. Meanwhile, multimillion-dollar advertising budgets are pulling in actors and sportsmen to sponsor the “male ideal”.
Fortunately, the harm reduction programs offer an additional opportunity at steroid education hopefully improving the health of steroid users.
Dynamic Sports Nutrition, Inc., owner of Steroid.com website, filed a civil lawsuit in February 2008 against Elite Fitness Inc. and Caliber Design, Inc., owner of EliteFitness.com, requesting injunctive relief for copyright infringement. At issue is the electronic book (ebook) formerly marketed by Elite Fitness entitled “Anabolic Gameplan by Dino Strong.”
An out of court settlement appeared likely until this week when the owner of Elite Fitness sent out an email newsletter which, in part, offered insight into Elite Fitness’ legal strategy to defend themselves against the copyright infringement lawsuit.
So, we’re off to the races defending a lawsuit over something I did not even write and spending thousands in the process. The irony here is that most likely, the judge will find that the copyright for Brian and Anthony’s book is invalid. To add insult to injury, according to my friend Bill Llewellyn, who authors the Anabolics series that he updates every year, Anthony and Brian plagiarized his work extensively when they wrote their book Anabolic Steroids Ultimate Research Guide that they claim Dino infringed. And Bill has agreed to testify on our behalf. The good part of Bill’s testifying is that Anthony and Brian cannot enforce a copyright that is shown to be invalid itself.
In other words, the defense hopes to invalidate the January 26, 2006 certificate of registration for Anabolic Steroids Ultimate Research Guide on file with the United States Copyright Office because the work allegedly infringed on the copyright for Anabolics 2007 by William Llewellyn by copying steroid information tables and charts. Apparently, if the certificate of registration is invalidated, then Elite Fitness believes Dynamic Nutrition no longer has a legal basis to claim copyright infringement.
This is a dispassionate overview of what I believe are the pertinent facts in the legal battle between Steroid.com and Elitefitness.com.
But the public relations battle, no matter how irrelevant to the legal case, will likely overshadow the legal battle, at least on the internet. Anthony Roberts, senior editor of Steroid.com, has been blogging about the deteriorating relationship with Elite Fitness for several months. George Spellwin finally responded publicly with a scathing attack on Anthony Roberts and Steroid.com in an email newsletter to members this week. In response, Anthony Roberts has addressed all allegations with multiple blog entries on his website yesterday and today providing background and insight into the animosity surrounding the lawsuit. Regrettably, I expect the acrimonious exchange to continue to the detriment of all involved.
