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Articles by Charles Yesalis

Dr. Yesalis received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Michigan and he was awarded his doctoral degree by the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health in 1975. He then joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins for one year. Dr. Yesalis was a member of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health at the University of Iowa, College of Medicine from 1976-1986. From 1986-2006 he was Professor of Health Policy and Administration and Exercise and Sport Science at The Pennsylvania State University.

For the past twenty-eight years, much of Dr. Yesalis' research has been devoted to the non-medical use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AS) and other performance-enhancing drugs and dietary supplements. In 1988 he directed the first national study of AS use among adolescents and was the first to present evidence of psychological dependence on AS. In addition, he has studied the incidence of AS use among elite power lifters, collegiate athletes, and professional football players. In 1993, using nationwide data, he demonstrated the association between AS use and violent behavior as well as an association with the use of other illicit drugs and alcohol. He also presented an estimate of lifetime AS use in the U.S. population (over one million). A recent study conducted by Dr. Yesalis showed a significant increase in AS use among teenage girls and boys since 1990. In 1998 he wrote The Steroids Game which focuses on prevention, education, and intervention regarding AS use by adolescents. He is the editor of a medical reference text, Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise (2nd ed.) and co-editor of Performance Enhancing Substances in Sport and Exercise.

On six occasions he has been asked to testify before U.S. Congress on legislation related to the control of AS and growth hormone abuse. Dr. Yesalis has been a consultant to, among others, the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse: National Commission on Sports and Substance Abuse, the NFL Players Association, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Psychological and Behavioural Effects of Endogenous Testosterone Levels and Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids Among Males: A Review, Part 9

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9. Discussion of Major Methodological Issues in Anabolic Steroid Research As noted previously, any attempt to evaluate and summarise the psychological and behavioural effects associated with the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids is complicated by the numerous methodological shortcomings of many of the investigations, including inappropriate sampling strategies, lack of adequate control groups, use of several […]

Psychological and Behavioural Effects of Endogenous Testosterone Levels and Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids Among Males: A Review, Part 8

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8. Prevention and Treatment of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Abuse The use of educational intervention programmes for the prevention and treatment of anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse has been examined in several studies. Hallagan et al. (1990) propose that education is the most feasible alternative for curbing steroid use by adolescents. On the otherhand, Bents et al. (1990) found […]

Psychological and Behavioural Effects of Endogenous Testosterone Levels and Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids Among Males: A Review, Part 7

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7. Psychological Dependence and Withdrawal Effects of Anabolic Steroids For the most part, individuals use anabolic-androgenic steroids to significantly improve appearance and/or performance beyond what would be expected from training alone. Also, individuals using anabolic-androgenic steroids appear to believe that higher doses and continued use result in greater gains, a belief that receives support from […]

Psychological and Behavioural Effects of Endogenous Testosterone Levels and Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids Among Males: A Review, Part 6

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6. Anabolic Steroids, Athletes and Behaviour Very few scientific studies are available of either the personality and psychological characteristics or the changes that might be incurred as a result of heavy resistance training in competitive weightlifters and bodybuilders (Harlow 1951; Henry 1941; Thune 1949). Further, there is little understanding of the extent to which resistance […]

Psychological and Behavioural Effects of Endogenous Testosterone Levels and Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids Among Males: A Review, Part 5

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5. Steroids and Mental Health Research and anecdotal information suggested some time ago that steroids have among their many side effects various mental disturbances including schizophrenic symptoms and manic depressive illnesses even though estrone was used successfully in both males and females in the treatment of depression and other mental disturbances occurring with menopause and […]

Psychological and Behavioural Effects of Endogenous Testosterone Levels and Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids Among Males: A Review, Part 4

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4. Anabolic Steroid Therapy and Moods Hermann and Beach (1976), in a review of the psychotropic effects of androgens, concluded that ‘…androgen deficiency appears to cause a slowing down of both physical and mental functions, a reduction in libido and potency, and a tendency towards moodiness and depression. Conversely, androgen excess seems to stimulate physical […]

Psychological and Behavioural Effects of Endogenous Testosterone Levels and Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids Among Males: A Review, Part 3

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3. Plasma Testosterone Levels and Aggression 3.1 Testosterone and Aggression in Animals Numerous studies have shown relationships between testosterone levels, dominance, and aggressive behaviour in various species of animals (Allee et al. 1939; Barfield et al. 1972; Bouissou 1983; Bouissou & Gaudioso 1982; Hamilton 1938; Kurischko & Oettel 1977; Payne & Swanson 1973; Rose et […]

Psychological and Behavioural Effects of Endogenous Testosterone Levels and Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids Among Males: A Review, Part 2

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2. Potential Mechanisms for Some Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Effects on the Nervous System Anabolic-androgenic steroids have been shown to exert significant effects on both the development and functioning of the nervous system. Androgens were shown to act directly on the brain long ago (Phoenix et al. 1959). These authors suggested that during early development androgens acted […]

Psychological and Behavioural Effects of Endogenous Testosterone Levels and Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids Among Males: A Review, Part 1

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1. History of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use in Competitive Sports and Medicine The primary use of anabolic-androgenic steroids is in replacement therapy for male hypogonadism; other medical uses of anabolic-androgenic steroids include growth promotion in various forms of stunted growth, osteoporosis, mammary carcinoma, anaemias and hereditary angioneurotic oedema. Observation and clinical trials indicate that adjuvant therapy […]

Psychological and Behavioural Effects of Endogenous Testosterone Levels and Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids Among Males: A Review

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Summary The psychological and behavioural effects of endogenous testosterone levels and anabolic-androgenic steroids in males have been investigated for over 50 years in both clinical and nonmedical uses, including the influence of anabolic-androgenic steroids on the nervous system and neuromuscular expression as a mechanism for behavioural and ergogenic effects. The relationship between moods, behaviour and […]