The typical male steroid user is 30 years old, well-educated, Caucasian, and working in a white-collar job, not an athlete or teenager looking to get a competitive edge, according to a new study.

Fox News reported Oct. 11 that researchers who conducted an Internet survey of about 2,000 males in the U.S. found that these 30-something steroid users were taking the drugs to increase muscle mass, strength and physical attractiveness, and not for sports. These typical users also cited factors like increased confidence, decreased fat, improved mood and attraction of sex partners are playing into their decision to use steroids.

Unlike users of other drugs, steroid users also tend to be strategic planners who monitor their dose carefully to increase benefits and minimize harm, researchers said. "This is simply not a style or pattern of use we typically see when we examine substance abuse," said study co-author Jack Darkes of the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Institute at the University of South Florida.

The study was published in the Oct. 11, 2007 issue of the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.