gymnasts admit using steroids

In a study reputable enough to be published by Pediatrics magazine, school students identifying themselves as gymnasts told researchers they had tried steroids.

I assume these were kids experimenting, not actually trying to achieve high performance in gymnastics through drugs.

If steroids worked for Artistic Gymnastics, we’d know about it by now.

Check the article out out for yourself:

Anabolic Steroid Use by Male and Female Middle School Students (PDF) by Avery D. Faigenbaum, EdD*; Leonard, D. Zaichkowsky, PhD., Douglas E. Gardner, MA and Lyle J. Micheli, MD§. Pediatrics, May 1998.

Not much of a sample, actually, but it’s still — I think — the first paper I’ve ever seen linking gymnasts to Anabolic Steroids.

Thanks TCO.