Stanozolol: The Drug of Choice for Track and Field Cheats


The sport of athletics is plagued by the persistent issue of doping. Topping the list of substances that has sidelined athletes is the steroid Stanozolol.

 

Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid with a long history of use in sports doping. With a staggering 324 confirmed cases,  it is clear that this drug remains the preferred choice for many athletes looking to cheat their way to the top.

India is the country with the most sanctions involving Stanozolol. The country has 80 sanctioned athletes registered in the Anti-Doping Database where the steroid has been used.

Anabolic steroids most used

Close behind Stanozolol are Norandrosterone (271 cases) and Erythropoietin (236 cases). These substances, along with others like Testosterone, Methandienone, and Nandrolone, are designed to enhance muscle growth, increase endurance, or boost the production of red blood cells, respectively.

The Anti-Doping Database can reveal that out of the more than 3300 doping cases we have registered in the sport of Athletics, Anabolic steroids is in nearly half of the cases with 1505.

Russia – topping the country list

Russia remains the undisputed kingpin of doping in track and field. With a staggering 453 confirmed doping cases, the country far outpaces any other nation.

The preffered choice for most Russian athletes is Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (Oral Turinabol). Anabolic steroids is involved in 172 of the 453 registered doping sanctions in the Anti-Doping Database.

India follows in a distant second with 343 cases. Anabolic steroids is the most used substance type. In the Anti-Doping Database we have registered 228 sanctions where an anabolic steroid is the reason why the athlete received a sanction.          

Kenya (257), the United States (208), and Morocco (113) round out the top five.

Consequences of doping

The consequences of doping are severe, both for the athletes involved and for the integrity of the sport itself. In addition to facing bans and disqualifications, athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs risk their health. Anabolic steroids, for example, have been linked to a range of serious side effects, including heart disease, liver damage, and mental health problems.

Related articles

Access the world's largest Anti-Doping Database, spanning over 60 years of doping cases and investigations.

Use up-to-date data when reporting or researching on doping in sport, or when defending an athlete in an anti-doping matter.