Metabolic Consequences of Anabolic Steroids, Insulin, and Growth Hormone Abuse in Recreational Bodybuilders: Implications for the World Anti-Doping Agency Passport

Sports Medicine - Open

Table 1 Characteristics of hormone user bodybuilders, non user bodybuilders and controls

	BB_INS (n = 15)	BB_GH (n = 12)	BB_AAS (n = 13)	BB_NU (n = 52)	CTRL (n = 45)	One-way ANOVA p (η²)	Effect Size^*
Age (year)	28 ± 2	26 ± 1	28 ± 1	32 ± 1^e	25 ± 1^d	0.01	0.1 (-0.4–0.6)
Training hours/week	10 ± 1	9 ± 1	7 ± 1	8 ± 1	-	0.48	-
Height (cm)	181.6 ± 1.2	180.1 ± 1.7	180.6 ± 1.5	181.0 ± 0.7	180.7 ± 1.1	0.97	-
Weight (kg)	98.2 ± 3.7^d,e	93.1 ± 4.9^d,e	89.6 ± 4.2^e	84.3 ± 1.7^a,b	80.0 ± 2.1^a,b,c	< 0.001	1.0 (0.4–1.5)
BMI (kg/m²)	29.7 ± 1.0^d,e	28.6 ± 1.2^d,e	27.4 ± 1.2^e	25.6 ± 0.4^a,b	24.4 ± 0.5^a,b,c	< 0.001	1.1 (0.5–1.6)
Fat mass (%)	11.8 ± 1.0^e	10.9 ± 0.5^e	10.9 ± 0.4^e	12.7 ± 0.5^e	16.0 ± 0.8^a,b,c,d	< 0.001	-0.4 (-0.9–0.15)
Fat free mass (%)	88.2 ± 1.0^e	89.1 ± 0.5^e	89.1 ± 0.4^e	87.3 ± 0.5^e	84.0 ± 0.8^a,b,c,d	< 0.001	0.4 (-0.15–0.9)
Fat free mass index (kg/m²)	26.2 ± 0.8^d,e	25.5 ± 1.0^d,e	24.4 ± 1.0^d,e	22.3 ± 0.3^a,b,c,e	20.4 ± 0.3^a,b,c,d	< 0.001	1.3 (0.8–1.9)
Vastus lateralis contraction time (ms)	24 ± 1^d,e	23 ± 0^d,e	23 ± 1^d,e	28 ± 1^a,b,c	29 ± 1^a,b,c	< 0.001	-0.7 (-1.3 - -0.05)
Biceps femoris contraction time (ms)	25 ± 1^b,e	21 ± 1^a,c,d,e	26 ± 2^b,e	27 ± 1^b,e	32 ± 1^a,b,c,d	< 0.001	-0.2 (-0.8–0.4)

Values are expressed as mean ± SEM. BB_INS, bodybuilders abusing insulin alone (n = 1) or in association with anabolic androgenic steroids (n = 3) or with anabolic androgenic steroids and growth hormone (n = 11); BB_GH, bodybuilders abusing growth hormone alone (n = 1) or in association with anabolic androgenic steroids (n = 11); BB_AAS, bodybuilders abusing only anabolic androgenic steroids; BB_NU, bodybuilders not using hormones; CTRL, non-bodybuilders. Statistical analysis was performed using One-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc analysis
a, significant difference from BB_INS (P < 0.05); b, significant difference from BB_GH (P < 0.05); c, significant difference from BB_AAS (P < 0.05); d, significant difference from BB_NU (P < 0.05); e, significant difference from CTRL (P < 0.05).
*Effect size is calculated to quantify differences between BB_INS group versus all the other groups. If post-hoc analysis showed a difference between BB_INS and more than one group, both pooled average and standard deviation of these groups were considered to assess effect size. < 0.2 low probability; 0.2–0.8 medium probability; > 0.8 strong probability. Effect size is expressed as point estimate and confidence intervals (95%)