Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik is an admitted mass murderer who is currently on trial at the Oslo District Courthouse in Norway. He killed 76 individuals when he bombed government buildings in Oslo and murdered teenagers attending the Workers’ Youth League summer camp on Utoya island on July 22, 2011. Breivik admitted using several cycles of anabolic steroids during training in preparation for his massacre. He wrote extensively about his use of steroids in a 1,500 page manifesto that was entitled “2083: A European Declaration of Independence”. Breivik’s use of steroids predictably led several journalists to blame the drugs for his deadly actions. An expert witness disagreed with these assertions during testimony this week.
Joerge Moerland, a professor of forensic toxicology at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health was asked if anabolic steroids contributed to Breivik’s rampage.
“In my eyes, there was no additional effect due to the steroids,” said Dr. Moerland. “But I cannot exclude that they could have contributed to his aggressiveness and agitation.
Breivik also admitted using an “ECA stack” which is a combination of ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin typically used by bodybuilders for fat loss and/or as a pre-workout stimulant. The amount used was reported to be 50% higher than the maximum dosage permitted by European Union regulations.
Dr. Moerland seemed to think that the ECA stack had a greater impact on Breivik’s behavior than steroids. He testified that ephedrine can increase an individual’s self-confidence and willingness to engage in risky activities.
“He was slightly to moderately under the influence of a high affecting the central nervous system,” according to Moerland.
Nonetheless, Dr. Moerland admitted the effect of the stimulants was limited. The amount of caffeine was equivalent to 4-6 cups of coffee. This is a fair amount of coffee but certainly not enough to demonize caffeine.
In Breivik’s manifesto, he provided detailed information about his anabolic steroid and dietary supplement protocols. He obtained (and recommended that readers purchase) steroids through Alinshop and supplements from Bodybuilding.com.
He discussed his dislike of Dianabol due to its tendency to cause water retention. Breivik suggested several alternative stacks that he felt were more suitable for his purposes.
“I have concluded that DBOL can be counterproductive to use for battle,” wrote Breivik. “The reason is that up to 50% of your weight gain is water/liquid retention which does little for your strength and agility and only adds more weight for you to ‘carry’.”
He suggested using testosterone propionate instead. Alternatively, he recommended using Dianabol stacked with Aromasin or Dianabol for three weeks followed by Winstrol for three weeks.
Brevik’s manifesto indicates that he spent considerable time methodically planning his steroid and supplement use in addition to every other aspect of his attack.
While some have argued that Breivik was legally insane, the manifesto provided evidence that suggested otherwise.
Source:
AFP. (May 31, 2012). Breivik on ‘drugs’ for Norway massacre. Retrieved from http://www.news24.com/World/News/Breivik-on-drugs-for-Norway-massacre-20120531
