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.

Football betting is something that quite a few football fans do, often seen as just a way to enjoy the game more. Some people even think they can make a living from it but is this really true? The truth is that there is only one real way of making a living from football betting unless you are some sort of mafia boss that fixes fantasy football games.

The way to make money Football better or even sports betting in general is to bet using arbitrage. This is when you find odds differences on different sports or soccer news sites and exploit these differences to make it so you come out on top either way regardless of who wins the match. There is lots of information about betting arbitrage on the internet; the thing you have to remember is that even though you get a guaranteed return the return is usually very small.

Therefore I recommend that if you are into football betting to make the game more exciting don’t go through the long process of arbitrage but if you are seriously in search of a side income or a new career path, try out sports betting arbitrage.

Former England captain David Beckham certainly gets about, and AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has now confirmed that he will be joining the club during the January transfer window from his current position with Los Angeles Galaxy.

A similar deal was in place last year, with Beckham playing the second half of the season at the Serie A club before returning back to Los Angeles, and Galliani would not confirmed whether this transfer would be made permanent in the future stating the he never discussing buying players in January.

Reports in the media have suggested that Beckham’s contract with Los Angeles Galaxy has a ‘get out’ clause at the end of this current 2009 and as this side which is currently struggling at the bottom of the Major League Soccer tables there can be no doubt in most people’s mind that Beckham, still at the top of his game, will not want to get stuck with such as dysfunctional team for another season.

AS Roma captain Francesco Totti’s knee troubles are still not over, and after suffering a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee and undergoing surgery nearly two years ago, it seems as if he has still been having problems with this tricky injury.

After seeing the club doctor follow the training session at the beginning of the week reports from the Italian media are suggesting that he is being advised to have another operation on his knee before returning to the sport.

Totti has been on good form this season so far, scoring goals and taking the side through to a strong mid year position, but injuries saw him sitting out the last two matches, one of which AS Roma lost and the other seeing them draw 1-1 with Fulham, and fans are understandable worried about the effect Totti’s absence with have on the AS Roma’s Championship League campaign.