2009 has been a strange season so far for the European sides, and there have been a number of shock results and odd happenings which are seriously unsettling the usual order of things.

Dutch club AZ Alkmaar have found themselves in serious financial trouble this year, throwing their whole season into jeopardy which was highlighted by a surprising 1-1 draw with Arsenal last Tuesday (20th October).

Top club Liverpool also had a ropy moment losing at home to the lesser known side Lyon, but the biggest shock of the season so far came out of nowhere when one of the best clubs in the world, Barcelona, were defeated by outsiders Rubin Kazan of Russia.

Barcelona are starting to look a bit shaky this season, having lost drawn 0-0 in a disappointing draw against Valencia (17th Oct), although Sundays (25th October) 6-1 win against Real Zaragoza will help to put fans minds at ease.

Anabolic steroids were first developed in the 1930s and were originally designed as hormone replacement drugs to help treat patients who were not able to produce enough testosterone. However these drugs could also boost male hormone production in healthy people as well, and this had a knock on effect of dramatically increasing muscle density and strength when combined with fitness training, and so athletes began using anabolic steroids in order to improve performance. In the 1950s and 60s anabolic steroids were widely used by a whole range of Olympic athletes, and at this time the incredible effects of these drugs on performance were not fully recognised and it was not until 1970’s that steroids were banned from the Olympics, and a full scale drug testing program was introduced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In 1982 the Testosterone/Epitestosterone ratio test was introduced, which was designed specifically to test for the excessive levels of testosterone caused by the use of anabolic steroids. Normal testosterone levels are no more than six times more the normal epitestosterone levels in the body, but anabolic steroids use can push these levels way past this point, and so the Testosterone/Epitestosterone ratio test could reveal with a great degree of accuracy whether or not an athlete had been taking steroids.

These days it is very risky for Olympic athletes to use powerful anabolic steroids such as trenbolone, as the penalties can be very severe from life bans from the sport through to fines of up to $1 million. However the effects of anabolic steroids on the body are so profound, and produce such improvements on performance that athletes all around the world still continue to take accept the risks and use steroids as part of their training regimes. One of the main reasons for this is that many athletes feel an incredible amount pressure to take steroids in order to remain competitive against stronger athletes that they believe are also taking steroids.

It is not just professional athletes that take steroids though, and these drugs are used by amateur and semi-professional sportsmen and women all around the world. It is thought that as many as 6% of all male high school seniors in America regularly use steroids in order to boost strength and performance, and although many of these drugs are now prescription only, you can still legally buy steroids over the counter in the form of steroid supplements such as androstenedione (known as Andro) and DHEA in the US.

There arbue many health risks associated with powerful anabolic steroids from mood swings and increased aggression through to serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes, and these drugs can also make you much more vulnerable to developing certain types of cancers.

The UK has thousands of miles of beautiful coastline, and the best time for surfing is from the end of September through to November, when the mild water temperatures and cooling air combine to create regular swells, and there are fewer crowds on the beaches.

Here are three of the best surfing spots in the UK :

1. Sennen Cove, Cornwall – this beautiful sandy beach is on the Atlantic coastline of Cornwall , and has a good variety of both challenging and easy surf. Although this area is very busy during the summer, after October the beach is normally peaceful and very quiet. There is also a surf shop, excellent beach café and plenty of parking.
2. Pease Bay, Scotland – this is one of Scotland’s most popular surf spots and has a good local surf school, and its location on the south east coast means milder weather and great waves.
3. Llangennith, Gower, Wales – Wales has some great surfing beaches, with fantastic waves coming in from the Atlantic ocean, and Llangennith is one of the best with affordable accommodation and a good range of local facilities. Beginners will need to watch out for rips, as this can be a challenging area to surf in.