Most steroid users are not athletes

A study has suggested that contrary to popular belief, most users of anabolic steroids are in their 20s and 30s, well-educated, and don't even play sports.

The majority began using the hormones as adults, and most were not motivated by sports according to a survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. men who used anabolic steroids.

From Reuters.com:

On average, the study found, steroid users were 31 years old, and three quarters were college graduates. Most had "white-collar" jobs and relatively high incomes.

When asked about their motivation for using steroids, most said they wanted to boost their muscle mass, strength and physical attractiveness.

Only 6 percent said their steroid use was driven by bodybuilding or sports. In fact, most said they had never been in organized sports, even in high school.

The results suggest that most efforts to prevent steroid abuse, by focusing on young athletes, have misses the mark, according to the researchers. "The targeting of athletes through drug testing and other interventions does little to address use among non-competitive users," they write.

Steroid abuse, the researchers point out, has held steady, if not increased, in the U.S. This, they add, may be related to the fact that the largest segment of steroid abusers -- adult non-athletes -- has been "virtually invisible."

"In total, our findings belie the images of (steroid) users as mostly risk-taking teenagers, cheating athletes, and a group akin to traditional drug abusers," according to Jack Darkes of the University of South Florida, Tampa, and co-investigators.