Part 3: The Truth About Anabolic Steroids And Its Effects On Baseball Pitching Performance

Editor's note: This is the third of an eight-week series of articles examining the effects of anabolic steroids and other substances on baseball pitching performance and overall health. Source: MLB.

Injuries are common among steroid users -- and baseball pitchers who use steroids are no exception to that rule. As mentioned in Part 1 and 2 of this blog series, the principal reason for injury is that the increase of muscle mass or increased speed associated with anabolic androgenic steroid use is not accompanied by a proportionate increase in strength of the tendons, ligaments or joints.

Anabolic Androgenic Steroid (AAS) use may have an actual negative effect on tendons and ligaments. One study, cited in a pamphlet by Major League Baseball provided to professional baseball players (including me, of course) showed that chronic use of steroids reduced tendon strength.

Increased injury may also relate to the rapidity of weight gain, such as an athlete gaining 30 or 40 pounds in a period of time much to short for his body to adapt to such a significant increase in size -- which heightens the risk of injury dramatically. This is especially the case in pitching, where a pitcher is repeating an explosive movement in delivering a pitch.

Tendon and ligament problems, however, aren't the only negative side effects associated with steroid use. It is well-documented that AASs can and do cause a variety of mental changes, including irritability, excessive aggression, mania, paranoia, depression, anxiety and panic. Steroids can -- and often do, in fact -- lead to psychological and physical dependence which makes is hard to curtail use.

Steroid users also place themselves at an increased risk of a permanent reduction of naturally produced testosterone -- something which cannot be fixed -- and, as a result, can lead to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, male pattern baldness, acne, prostate enlargement, thyroid problems and more.

(Series continues on Thursday...)