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Abstract
Background: Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are synthetic testosterone like hormones. AAS usage by athletes has increased dramatically over the past decade.
Material and Methods: This study was designed to examine the prevalence, attitude and awareness of AAS abuse among athletes n the Eastern province of Saud Arabia. This was a cross-sectional survey that was conducted among male athletes attending twenty fitness centres in the Eastern Province. It was done during the period from April to August, 2018.
Results: A total of 573 questionnaires were distributed but only 503 participants were included n the final analysis. The frequency of AAS use was 17.69%. The man reason for AAS use was muscle building (68.54%). The man source of AAS was the coaches. 56.18% of the users recognize the harmful effects of AAS. The most commonly used oral AAS form was oxandrolone (61.80%). The most commonly used substance for post cycle therapy was Tamoxifen citrate n 67.42% of the users.
Conclusions: 17.69% of the participants use AAS. Coaches were the man source for AAS. In our study, around half of the gym users have inadequate knowledge about AAS and ts harmful effects. More regulation laws and educational programs are needed.
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Article Type: Original Article
ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 17, Issue 2, April 2020, Article No: em187
https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/7617
Publication date: 15 Feb 2020
Article Views: 2858
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