Editor's Note: This article was published elsewhere without the permission of the author, the publisher, or the NSCA. It was attributed to a different author. All references to this paper should cite it as being by D.F. Wagman, L.A. Curry, and D.L. Cook, and should cite JSCR Vol. 9(3) as the original source.
This study surveyed U.S. Powerlifting Team members about anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) use. Four hypotheses were investigated: (a) AAS have been used in the past by many powerlifters. (b) At the national/world level of competition, competitors conform to the regulations of doping controls. (c) Current technology is effective in identifying the use of AAS. (d) World level competitiveness is possible without AAS use. The survey return rate was 60%. Two-thirds of the respondents had used AAS, and 90% of the users indicated that cycling off AAS between 1 and 3 months prior to competition was the most effective method for passing doping controls. Practical considerations cite the overall ineffectiveness of current IOC doping controls, give suggestions for future research, and show how the current data can be generalized to Olympic sports with characteristics similar to powerlifting.
(C) 1995 National Strength and Conditioning Association