Does Arnold Have A Steroid Problem?

Even political enemies had to be impressed with Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance as he jumped head first into the California recall election last night -- both with Jay Leno on The Tonight Show and later as he faced the press outside NBC's studios in Burbank. For more on his chances, and Schwarzenegger's singular appeal, check in with Martin Devon, Ben Domenech, and James Lileks.

One thing for sure: no matter where you stand on Schwarzenegger and his qualifications, the upcoming campaign promises to be a bruising affair. Here in the Washington, D.C. area, I got a preview of what was coming when a popular local morning DJ with clear sympathies for both the Clintons and the Gores, spent an entire segment examining charges about Schwarzenegger's reputation for womanizing.

But for me, the charge that sticks in my mind concerns Schwarzenegger's acknowledged use of anabolic steroids as he dominated competitive Bodybuilding in the 1970s, and the speculation over the last few days that this might become an issue in the upcoming campaign.

Over the past few days, I've seen a number of approving articles about how Schwarzenegger's approach to competitive Bodybuilding will aid him in his political endeavors. Yet, I have to admit some surprise that these same pieces neglect to mention steroids.

Back when he was the Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Schwarzenegger talked about his own steroid use in a June 1992 interview with Kenneth T. Walsh at U.S. News and World Report (available online by subscription):

On his steroid use. In those days you didn't have to deal with the black market. You could go to your physician and just say, ``Listen, I want to gain some weight, and I want to take something.'' Then the physician would say, ``Do it six weeks before the competition, then it will be safe.'' And that's what you would do. The dosage that was taken then versus what is taken now is not even 10 percent. It's probably 5 percent.

On his own performance. It was not the drug that made me the champion. It was the will and the drive and the five hours of working out, lifting 50, 60 tons of weights a day, being on a strict diet and training, my posing and doing all the different things that I had to do.

Schwarzenegger is right about one thing: steroids alone would have never made him a six-time winner of the Mr. Olympia competition. Schwarzenegger, much like cyclist Lance Armstrong, is a genetic freak. For the five-time Tour de France winner, it's a massive lung capacity that provides him with several times the aerobic strength of a normal human. And if you've ever seen photos of Schwarzenegger as a young man in Austria, you'd see that he'd been endowed with an ability to train with weights longer and harder than the rest of us. And like Armstrong, he was born with, or developed, an iron will to succeed that few of us can appreciate.

But what sets the two individuals apart, is that somewhere along the line, Schwarzenegger decided that he needed an extra boost in order to reach the highest levels of his profession. And for Arnold in his pre-Hollywood days, that extra boost was anabolic steroids.

As to whether this will cost him political support, I'm not so sure. Back when Schwarzenegger was a champion bodybuilder in the 1970s, what Slate's Virginia Heffernan called "the golden age of steroids," their use and distribution wasn't illegal, and potential side effects not well understood.

If anything, if Schwarzenegger is honest about his past, further admissions will have a political impact similar to an admission that one might have smoked marijuana in college. And in a state like California, that impact may very well be negligible.

But one area that should be a legitimate area of inquiry regarding Schwarzenegger's steroid use concerns its effect on his long-term health -- a proper question of any candidate for public office For a number of years now, Schwarzenegger has been on the lookout concerning public speculation about a possible connection between his admitted steroids use and his problems with heart disease (in 1997, he had a defective heart valve replaced) -- a known side effect of steroids.

In December 1999, Schwarzenegger won $10,500 in damages against a German doctor who predicted that the actor's heart condition meant that he didn't have long to live. Later that same month, he settled a $50 million lawsuit against a supermarket tabloid that claimed his heart was a "ticking time bomb."

Even without a history of steroid use to explain, questions about the candidate's health are right and proper. How he answers those questions are another concern entirely.

POSTSCRIPT: Since Off Wing's inception, I've written pretty extensively about both steroids and dietary supplements and their potential side effects. Simply because I've concluded that an admission of steroid use need not be politically damaging, doesn't mean I approve of their use. If you're genuinely interested in learning how you can use strength training as part of a physical fitness program, I'd suggest you check out Natural Strength, the online home of Washington, D.C.-based strength expert, Bob Whelan.

I've known, and worked out with Whelan for the better part of a decade, and I can't think of a better guide to building strength without using dangerous drugs than him.

Eric 03:21 AM

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