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A Strength Training and Conditioning Professional's Role in Steroid Abuse Prevention
Lincoln, Nebraska - September 22, 2006. Steroid abuse is a topic that all strength and conditioning professionals may need to deal with at one time or another. For almost as long as athletes have been competing, performance-enhancing substances have been available. One of today's most widely abused substances is anabolic steroids. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 500,000 high school students are using steroids and body-shaping, athletic-enhancing drugs. The data on adults is harder to obtain, but the CDC estimates that hundreds of thousands of adults abuse steroids at least once a year.
Strength training and conditioning professionals who want to help their athletes avoid steroid use need to become an authoritative source on which alternative ergogenic aids are safe and which are not. Research has shown that resistance training and proper nutrition will help athletes build their bodies safely and effectively without the negative side effects of anabolic steroids.
The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) certification validates that an individual has the knowledge and skills necessary to educate his/her athletes about performance-enhancing substances — including anabolic steroids. The CSCS must not only be aware of what these substances are, but also their effect on the athlete and athletic performance (both positively and negatively), how to recognize the signs and symptoms associated with using these substances and what to do if he/she suspects an athlete is using or abusing one or more of these substances.
A complete understanding of anabolic steroids and how they work is important for the progress of the strength training and conditioning profession. A CSCS certified individual will strive to create a clear dividing line between a pharmacological approach and a program based on proper training and nutrition for his/her athletes.
The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) feels a responsibility to counsel and educate against steroid abuse and encourages hard, systematic training and sound nutrition in its place. The NSCA has taken this stance with our Steroid Education and Awareness Program sponsored by EAS.
Information about the program can be found at www.nsca-lift.org. For more information on the CSCS credential, visit www.nsca-cc.org, e-mail commission@nsca-cc.org or call toll-free 888-746-2378.
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The NSCA Certification Commission, the certifying agency for the National Strength and Conditioning Association, offers two credentials for fitness professionals. The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer® (NSCA-CPT®) certifications are considered the Credentials of Distinction in the strength training and conditioning and personal training professions. The NSCA Certification Commission is the only fitness-related organization to offer credentials nationally accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) since 1993.
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