Professor of Health Policy and Administration, Exercise and Sport Science, The Pennsylvania State University
Research Interests
Anabolic steroids, chemical dependency, drug use, endocrinology, epidemiology, health promotion, hormones, performance enhancing drugs, sport injuries
Teaching Interests
Introduction to health care organization; principles of epidemiology; research methods; clinical outcomes
Bio Sketch
Dr. Yesalis received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Michigan and he was awarded his doctoral degree by the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health in 1975. He then joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins for one year. Dr. Yesalis was a member of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health at the University of Iowa, College of Medicine from 1976-1986. Currently he is Professor of Health Policy and Administration and Exercise and Sport Science at The Pennsylvania State University.
For the past twenty-five years, much of Dr. Yesalis' research has been devoted to the non-medical use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AS) and other performance-enhancing drugs and dietary supplements. In 1988 he directed the first national study of AS use among adolescents and was the first to present evidence of psychological dependence on AS. In addition, he has studied the incidence of AS use among elite power lifters, collegiate athletes, and professional football players. In 1993, using nationwide data, he demonstrated the association between AS use and violent behavior as well as an association with the use of other illicit drugs and alcohol. He also presented an estimate of lifetime AS use in the U.S. population (over one million). A recent study conducted by Dr. Yesalis showed a significant increase in AS use among teenage girls and boys since 1990. In 1998 he wrote The Steroids Game which focuses on prevention, education, and intervention regarding AS use by adolescents. He is the editor of a medical reference text, Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise (2nd ed.) and co-editor of Performance Enhancing Substances in Sport and Exercise.
On three occasions he has been asked to testify before U.S. Congress on legislation related to the control of AS and growth hormone abuse. Dr. Yesalis has been a consultant to, among others, the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, U.S. Senate Judiciary and Committees, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse: National Commission on Sports and Substance Abuse, the NFL Players Association, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Publications
BOOKS:
Bahrke, M. & Yesalis, C. (Eds.) Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sport and Exercise, Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, 2002.
Yesalis, C. & Bahrke, M. Current Comment from the American College of Sports Medicine: Anabolic Steroids, April, 1999. (Official position statement of the ACSM)
Yesalis, C. Medical, Legal, and Societal Implications of Androstenedione Use (invited editorial), Journal of the American Medical Association, 281(21): 2043-2044, 1999.
Yesalis, C., Bahrke, M., & Wright, J. Societal Alternatives to Anabolic Steroid Use, Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 10(1): 1-8, 2000.
Yesalis, C. & Bahrke, M. Doping Among Adolescents, Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 14,1:25-35, 2000.
Bahrke, M., Yesalis, C., Kopstein, A., & Stephens, J. Risk Factors for Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use Among Adolescents, Sports Medicine, 29, 6: 397-405, 2000.
CHAPTERS:
Yesalis, C. & Bahrke, M. The Epidemiology of Doping in Sport. In Biomedical Side Effects of Doping: Project of the European Union. Peters, Schulz & Michna (Eds.). Bundesinstitut fur Sportwissenschaft: Bonn Germany, 2001.
Yesalis, C. Difficulties in Estimating the Prevalence of Drug Use Among Athletes in Doping in Elite Sport, Wilson & Derse (Eds.), Human Kinetics, Champaign, ILL, 2001.
Bahrke, M. and Yesalis, C. Psychological\Behavioral Effects of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids. In Singer, R. et al. (eds.), Handbook of Research on Sport Psychology, New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1993.
Yesalis, C., Wright, J. and Lombardo, J. Anabolics in Athletes. In Kopera H. (ed.), Anabolic Steroids, Vienna: Bruder Hollinek, 1993.
Yesalis, C. An Unvarnished Look at Steroids. A Practical Guide to Practically Everything, Bernstein, P. and Ma, C. (eds.), New York: Random House, 1995.
Stuart, B. and Yesalis, C. The Iowa Pharmacy Capitation Experiment: Economic Incentives and Provider Performance. In Studies in Pharmaceutical Economics, Smith, M (ed.), New York: Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1996.
Yesalis, C. Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids. In Drug Abuse and Drug Abuse Research: the Fourth Triennial Report to Congress, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, 1996.
Selected Journal Articles
Yesalis, C. & Bahrke, M. History of Doping in Sport. International Sports Studies. 24,(1):42-76,2003
Bahrke, M. & Yesalis, C. The Future of Performance-Enhancing Substances in Sport. Physician and Sportsmedicine, 30,11:51-53, 2002
Yesalis, C. & Bahrke, M. Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids and Related Substances. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 4:246-252, 2002
Yesalis, C. Use of Steroids for Self-Enhancement: An Epidemiologic/Societal Perspective. The AIDS Reader, Vol. 11, No. 3, 157-160, 2001.
Selected Presentations
Yesalis, C. "What's wrong with Youth and Amateur Sports?" Sessions Chair, The summit on sports Refrom: Assessing the Past, Planning the Future. National Institute for Sports Reform, Lake George, New York November 7 - 9, 2003.
Yesalis, C. "An Individual Journey to Sports Reform" Keynote Presentation. Summit on Sports Reform: Assessing the Past, Planning the Future. National Institute for Sports Reform, Lake George, New York November 7 - 9, 2003.
Yesalis, C. & Bahrke, M. History of Doping in Sport. Keynote Address to the 6th European Congress of the European Committee for the History of Sport, Gottingen, Germany, September 26-30, 2001.
Yesalis, C. The Epidemiology of Doping. Presented at the European Union Symposium ADoping: Biomedical Side Effects@, German Sport University Cologne, July 23 2001.
Consultant
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy 2000, 2003
National Institute for Sports Reform - Advisory Board 2002
Center for Science in the Public Interest 2001
Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives 2001
Drug Enforcement Administration, 1992 -
World Book Science Year
USA Track and Field
U. Of Iowa Sports Medicine Department
Other Activities and Interests
Military History
Harley Davidson Motorcycles & Corvettes
Racquetball
Weightlifting
Running
Education
Sc.D., 1975, Medical Care Organization, Johns Hopkins University
