The use of carbon skeleton chromatography for the detection of anabolic steroid drug metabolites has been studied in man. The known metabolites of methandrostenolone and 19-nortestosterone were detected both by carbon skeleton chromatography and conventional methods; in addition, some previously unrecognised polar metabolites of 19-nortestosterone were found. Previously unknown metabolites of norethandrolone and oxymetholone have been detected by carbon skeleton chromatography. The urinary metabolites of the above compounds, except for methandrostenolone, were extractable after incubation with a β-glucuronidase preparation; the metabolites of methandrostenolone were freely extractable from urine. A number of steroids with uncommon structures and steroid alkaloids have been successfully reduced to compounds which behave chromatographically like hydrocarbons; therefore, the detection of the metabolites of many such compounds by carbon skeleton chromatography may be possible.