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She certainly looks savage! 😮 :-

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Meriza is very hot, thanks for posting! 8)

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in reply to: Elena Oana Hreapca (Romania) #33401

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Elena – as a 'natural' competitor – do you have an opinion on the latest steroid charges in the United States involving bodybuilders?

Good luck for the contest in Holland!

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Cute! 8)

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I, too, am prodding. ;D

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Don't apologise, tonus – it's interesting to have a discussion with someone such as yourself who obviously takes an interest.  Your comments about the liver are perhaps pertinent, though I would imagine that even injected steroids might do damage, because the liver does filter the blood and would therefore be in direct contact with steroids as they are circulating.  As for the heart, you are correct in saying that the major problem is that of cholesterol; however, the heart does hve steroid receptors, as response to increasing testosterone includes enlargement of the heart's capacity to pump blood to supply growing musculature.  Apparently, (again, according to my old supervisor) there is potential for damage to be caused by "flooding" these receptors with artificial steroid hormones.

If you're interested, Google Sccholar and PubMed are good websites to use to search for primary research publications on almost anything medical or biological; as a private citizen you won't be able to view many full papers without subscription, but you should be able to see the papers abstract which gives an overview of the work carried-out and the resultant findings.

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No, that isn't my hobby.  I just looked 'off' to me, but I may well be completely wrong.

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Tonus – you make some interesting points.  I agree with you about your Ben Johnson comments.  Here in Britain, the feeling was more that his "cheating" had robbed Linford Christie of a silver medal.  Of course, at the very end of his career, he too was banned for using PEDs, which he still vigorously denies.  In addition, British sports fans are still divided on the issue of Dwain Chambers, who was caught-up in thae whole BALCO situation.

Interesting information about Sherry Smith and her firefighting job.  In other words, she has potentially risked even more than I thought?

Just a note with respect to the science of steroids – I recently complete research in the laboratory of a muscle physiologist.  One day, the topic of conversation turned to steroids, and he assured me that the reseaerch literature (proper, peer-reviwed work by well-respected researchers at top research establishments) showed that steroids when overused do cause potentially severe liver and heart damage.  So, even if there is still doubt amongst politicians, BBers and the general population, there seems little doubt amongst those who research this sort of thing.

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Well well, I don't log in for a while through being busy and the proverbial has hit the fan.  Before I really get going on writing my essay (LOL), I'd like to remind everyone that I'm not from the US, so don't expect me to comment of professional baseball plyers etc., because I'm generally disinterested in American sports.  My sporting preferences are very European. ;D ::)

Having said that, I've been expecting this for a while.  If you have that many BBers in a country that bans steroids other than for strict medical conditions, then, of course this is likely to happen.  With all due respect to Trudy Ireland, I'd go as far to suggest that someone who is familiar with the effects of steroids and HGH on FBBers is likely to have suspected that she used them.  I normally don't say that sort of thing directly, but it seems to me that the time for pussyfooting around is over.  All of us are, I think, more sympathetic towards these people than the average person, because, as supporters of and fans of FBBers we are, to a degree, endorsing their use of illegal substances.  Some of you won't like me for saying that, but, if we really took the moral high ground on this, we'd only discuss Natural athletes.  It all boils down to this fact – whether we or they think this particular law is unjust, unenforceable or just plain silly, they have still broken the law and deserve to suffer the consequences.

As for Sherry Smith, though her probable offence was lighter than some of the others in this case, I feel she actually has let herself and her community down.  Why?  Well, as a firefighter, she served her community and would have had a great amount of respect from the people in that community for putting her life on the line to protect them in their hour of need.  In addition, she would have been a role-model, especially for the young people in her town, and being a role-model brings with it a degree of responsibility to show proper behaviour and to set a good example.  In breaking the law, she has clearly failed in this.

On a broader level, I think the BBing community must stop doing its ostrich impression.  They cannot continue to put their fingers in their ears, chant "lalalalala" and hope the drug problem is going to disappear.  They need to address it.  If the countrys lawmakers won't revoke the relevant laws, then the IFBB and NPC must start taking the issue seriously.  They need to make it clear that they will drug-test competitors and that positive tests will result in long bans from sanctioned events.  I perhaps sound simplistic and naive, but what other option do they have?  Keep ignoring it and see other top competitors appearing in police mugshots (btw, how bad did Sherry look in that mugshot)?  That'll do an already tarnished image no good at all.  They need to overcome their inertia and act soon.

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