In their introduction to the recently published Special Issue of Steroids (Volume 74, Issue 3), '"Detection of Anabolic Steroid Abuse in Sports", Guest Editors: Bowers, Clark, and Shackleton, write: "The first reported use of testosterone to enhance performance in sport was in the early 1950s. Dr. John B. Ziegler, team physician for the US men’s weightlifting team, learned of testosterone use from the Russian team doctor at the 1954 World Championships in Vienna. Ziegler, through his ties to Ciba, began experimental use of Dianabol with the US weightlifters at the York Barbell Club in 1959. Once the weightlifters realized that the little pink pills were responsible for their strength gains, demand increased and Zeigler lost control of the 'experiment.'"

With that loss of control, the foundation for the "arms race" between athletes using performance enhancing steroids and the authorities who wanted to detect the users and impose sanctions upon them had its beginnings. The "dopers" held sway until the late 1960's and early 1970's when the technology to detect doping entered log phase growth. Each advance in technology was met with new ways to circumvent detection, including the use of "designer" steroids, specifically engineered to escape detection

This important volume of Steroids acquaints the reader with the history of this race, and with the science that has arisen to meet each new challenge. It contains contributions by the most important individuals/labs with the responsibility for developing new tests and using them to detect steroid abuse.

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