According to a newsbreak at USA Today, baseball great Mark McGwire has admitted to steroid use when breaking the home run record in baseball in 1998.
The steroid use, according to McGwire, was intermittent and ongoing over the course of a decade. McGwire issued a statement today admitting to the steroid allegations, confirming ongoing rumors. The statement admitted the initial steroid use began in the 1989/1990 season for a brief period of time.
McGwire resumed the steroid use in 1993 after an injury. According to USA Today, an anonymous source has indicated that McGwire also used human growth hormone, although McGwire has not confirmed this allegation.
Steroid allegations in baseball have been getting more coverage lately. Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees confirmed last February that he has previously used steroids. Others that have denied using the drugs intentionally include Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.
Steroids are commonly prescribed in medical conditions that require a rebuilding of the muscle or tissues that are damaged due to a serious illness or injury. Because of their muscle-building side effects, they are occasionally abused as a performance-enhancing drug.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids have the capability of increasing muscle mass and strength by producing testosterone in the body. Unfortunately, the long-term effects of steroid use are still unclear. Immediate side effects of unregulated steroid use in men include prominent breasts, baldness, shrunken testicles, and infertility.
Women may suffer from a deepening of the voice, increased body hair or baldness. Both genders can be affected by severe acne, liver abnormalities including tumors, cholesterol problems, aggressiveness, psychiatric disorders, drug dependence and growth and developmental problems.
McGwire is currently the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals.
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