Hormones and the science of athletic performance. Foreword.

摘要

Doping in sports has a long history, and Drs. Kamber and Mullis describe the history of the abuse and the establishment of world bodies that arose as anti-doping regulators. The World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) was created following years of scandals and controversy. Its job is to test and regulate doping in sportp-a very challenging task! This historical perspective is a great introduction to the topic of this issue.Birzniece, Nelson, and Ho develop the theme as to whether administration of growth hormone (GH) is safe and effective for athletic performance. They remind the readers that GH administration to GH-deficient individuals is very helpful in improving lean body mass, protein synthesis, and strength, but has little real effects on healthy individuals and many potential side-effects, including peripheral edema, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthralgias, myalgias, insulin resistance, diabetes, cardiomyopathy, and possibly malignancy.