The Bear's Den: July 27, 2016

Mini-Article: Do PEDs make muscle tendons more brittle?

In the July 25 edition of The Bear's Den, reader Mike Ditka's Cigar asked: Do PEDs make muscle tendons more brittle?

With the rash of preseason injuries being reported around the league, I decided to ask our resident expert on human physiology Professor Jeanne Mitchell (i.e. my wife) of Truman State University's physiology department.

"The literature is mixed on whether the tendons themselves are badly affected by the steroids," she states. "However, there is evidence that guys who take steroids and then engage in heavy work (lifting or, for example, playing football) are more at risk for tendon injury because the strain on their tendons is greater."

"Here's one source to back that up [1]," she continued (see footnote references at end of the Den). "There were other studies that, when added together, come to the same conclusion"

"Overall," she concluded, "the ligaments that hold the bones together and the joint cartilage injuries were higher in players who'd used anabolic steroids[2]."

Thank you, Prof. Mitchell, and now, on with the Den.

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

BEARRRSSSS

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POLISH SAUSAGE

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KNOW THY ENEMY

Gates: Vikings Can Sign Three Players Before Camp - Daily Norseman - The Vikings only have 87 of the 90 spots on their training camp roster filled.

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[1]Effect of androgenic-anabolicsteroids and heavy... by Olivier R. Seynnes; Sigitas Kamandulis; Ramutis Kairaitis; more... Journal of Applied Physiology, 07/2013, Volume 115, Issue 1"

[2]Self-reported anabolic-androgenic steroids use and musculoskeletal injuries...by Horn, Scott; Gregory, Patricia; Guskiewicz, Kevin M, American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation / Association of Academic Physiatrists, 03/2009, Volume 88, Issue 3