August 2000

Steroids: There Are Safer Nutritional Alternatives

Anabolic steroid abuse among teenagers and athletes is nothing new. It also happens in some equine circles to build bigger babies and put an “edge” on performance horses with similar results.

Anabolics encourage the body to build muscle tissue. Growth and sex hormones are natural anabolics, necessary for normal growth and development. Synthetic anabolics aren’t bad in and of themselves. They help debilitated animals, such as horses recovering from malnutrition, prolonged illnesses, severe injuries and even the ravages of old age. In these conditions, synthetic anabolics help the horse’s body build muscle tissue rather than burn it and help make better use of available nutrients.

Unfortunately, this valid use of synthetic anabolics has been perverted to the point that more are sold and used to create unnaturally pronounced muscular development in sales yearlings or beef up performance horses. This is simply the…