Ryan Braun doesn't fit steroid-user mold

"That's the big question — why is it 'cheating?'" Fost said.

Braun did not respond to a request for comment from the AP.

"We are dealing with an incomplete set of facts and speculation," Brewers chairman and principal owner Mark Attanasio said in a statement. "Before there is a rush to judgment, Ryan deserves the right to be heard. We are committed to supporting Ryan to get to the truth of what happened in this unfortunate situation."

As Braun awaits his appeal, doctors continue to promote awareness of the potentially harmful effects of performance-enhancing drugs in youth and high school sports.

And despite ongoing education efforts, Briskin has suspected some of her patients were using them — especially those who have "unrealistic weight goals," like football players whose coaches have asked them to bulk up and switch positions.

One patient actually asked her for them.

"I'm like, 'Are you aware that's an illegal substance, and I can go to jail for prescribing it, and you can go to jail for taking it?'," she said.

Still, she says, performance-enhancing drugs remain remarkably easy to get, whether it's through somebody at a gym or online.

"You can pretty much buy anything on the Internet," she said.