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Agência FAPESP - A study done in São Paulo state by the Institute Adolfo Lutz (IAL) concluded that one in four products marketed in fitness centers and nutritional supplements to practitioners of physical activity is of a steroid substances not declared on the labels.
The study analyzed 111 products marketed in the capital and in São Paulo, seized by the local health surveillance. The analysis, carried out by known technique for screening by thin-layer chromatography, were performed at the Laboratory of Antibiotics and hormones of the Institute Adolfo Lutz, linked to the Coordination Body for Disease Control of the Department of Health of the State of São Paulo.
Of the total 28 samples (25.5%) showed that steroidal substances for the development of muscle mass, 7% were salt of testosterone in their formulas. "The identification of the salts indicate that these products contain steroids and are being sold illegally," said Maria Regina Walter Koschtschak, researcher of the Section of Antibiotics of IAL that participated in the analysis, the Agency FAPESP.
"In contrast, 18.5% of tested supplements also had steroid substances in nature, but we could not identify with precision because of the lack of standards for comparison with other pure substances."
Anabolic steroids are drugs manufactured to replace the testosterone, the male hormone produced by the testes that helps in the growth of muscle (anabolic effect) and development of male sexual characteristics (androgen effect).
"The importance of the study is the demonstration of the risks that many athletes in Brazil are known to use substances, especially when dealing with dangerous drugs that offer very different side effects," said Maria Regina.
According to her, two ordinances of 1998 of Brazilian legislation to regulate supplements establishing identity and minimum quality requirements, excluding products containing substances pharmacological stimulants, hormones and other substances considered as doping by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The survey also showed that 85.6% of the supplements tested had no information of origin, and the other samples, 5.4% and 9% were domestic, imported. The work also showed that the most frequent form of product presentation was the dish, representing 41% of the total samples, by presenting a greater ease in handling and incorporation of other pharmacologically active substances.
Popular consumption
According to the work, some of the factors contributing to the explosion of consumption of these substances are the appeal of advertising, the practice of bodybuilding and exaggerated cult of the body, which emphasizes the development known as muscle vigorexia.
Moreover, the availability and free internet access to nutritional supplements in international trade and, in Brazil, the consumption in the fitness centers without guidance of health professionals resulted in the popularization of the use of these products for professional and amateur athletes.
"As a result of the explosion in consumption of food for practitioners of physical activity and vitamin supplements and minerals, estimates show that the world market these products move about $ 46 billion per year," said Maria Regina.
The precursors of testosterone hormones have androgenic effects and strong anabolic activity. "Theoretically, these substances increase the production of male hormones by the increasing concentration of exogenous precursor of testosterone. According to the regulations of the IOC, these hormones are classified as anabolic steroids banned," he explained.
Another study for the detection of anabolic steroids, coordinated by the IOC Medical Commission, revealed that 94 of 634 samples of nutritional supplements from 215 manufacturers from 31 countries, had not declared substances that could lead to a positive test for doping users of these supplements .
According to the researcher of the Institute Adolfo Lutz, another factor that influenced the growth of consumption of nutritional supplements was the passage of control of these products in 1994, the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Dietary Supplement Health and Education (DSHEA).
"The DSHEA defines dietary supplements as those who supply the needs of one or more nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Besides these substances, are allowed plant extracts, amino acids, melatonin and precursors of testosterone, called pro-hormones, including androsteniona the dehidroepiandrosterona and androstenediol, "said Maria Regina.
The researcher points out that, when taken without medical supervision, these substances can cause problems such as impotence, menstrual disorders, insomnia, headache, acne, increased levels of cholesterol, heart problems, misuse of the growth, increased aggressiveness, thickening the voice, increased blood pressure and even myocardial infarction.
Source: Idec
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This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.