The Frequency of Anabolic Steroid Abuse in Bodybuilder Athletes in Kerman City.

Athletes, especially bodybuilders, abuse anabolic steroid drugs to improve their strength and enhance their muscle growth and appearance. Since the frequency of the anabolic steroid abuse was not known in Kerman city, so this study was conducted to determine the type and frequency of anabolic steroid abuse by bodybuilder athletes. To determine the frequency of anabolic steroid abuse in bodybuilder athletes in Kerman city, a confidential questionnaire which included the demographic data (age, education), name of abused anabolic drug, duration of drug abuse, was completed by 202 bodybuilder athletes, and the collected data were analysed by routine statistical methods. � The Frequency of anabolic steroid abuse by bodybuilders in Kerman city was 18.8%. The mean period of bodybuilding activity was significantly higher in those who used the anabolic drugs (38.8 months), comparing to those who did not use any drugs (14.3 months). Oxymetholone was the most common drug used by athletes, i.e. that 42% of the abusers merely abused Oxy metholone. The frequency of anabolic steroid abuse was not related to education and age of the bodybuilder athletes. The results of this study showed that anabolic steroids are abused by bodybuilding athletes in Kerman city, so the health care providers should provide more information to athletes about anabolic steroid adverse effects to solve the problem of abusing these drugs by them.