Anabolic Steroid Use in the Olympics

1891 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Performance enhancing drugs and its effects on the athlete

Canadian track star Ben Johnson was denied his gold medal in the 1988 Olympics after he tested positive for anabolic steroids. This incident sparked worldwide attention to the extent of anabolic steroid use. To date, the International Olympic Committee has barred the use of seventeen anabolic steroids. Other organizations, including The National Football League, National Collegiate Athletic Association's International Amateur Athletic Federation, and the International Federation of Body Builders have followed suit. Athletes and non-athletes alike are still abusing anabolic steroids to excel in sports. Anabolic steroids belong to a group of androgenic drugs. They are synthetic derivatives of testosterone and other male hormones. Most healthy adult males produce 2-10 milligrams of testosterone per day. Females produce trace amounts of this hormone. The hormone helps the body retain dietary protein, which aids in the growth of muscles, bones, and skin. They can also affect aggressiveness and sex drive. Steroids tend to mimic testosterone's body building traits, while minimizing the masculine effect. The adrenal glands in women and young boys produce very little testosterone. It is the increase in the production of testosterone in young males that precipitates puberty. The anabolic effect of testosterone during puberty includes deepening of the voice, increasing muscle mass and strength, and decreasing body fat. All of this takes place without exercise or training. Anabolic steroids can be taken by injection, by mouth, by skin creams, or patches. Steroids are often taken in six to twelve week cycles. The dosage depends on the sport, as well as the perceived needs of the athlete. Depending on what they want to achieve, athletes control how they respond to the drug and the physiological effect it has on them. Athletes often take far higher doses of anabolic steroids than have been given for therapeutic use or in clinical studies. Some athletes use 10 to 100 times the amount their bodies produce. Anabolic steroids are primarily the result of research to develop drugs that would separate the tissue building capability of testosterone from its masculinizing properties. This separation has never been accomplished. By 1935, the basic nature of its anabolic and androgenic effects had been recognized by Dr. Charles Kochakian, who most experts consider the "Father of Steroids." He showed that a hormone-like extract from male urine stimulated a strong positive nitrogen balance in castrated dogs. A positive nitrogen balance indicated the synthesis of new tissue proteins in dogs and humans.

Show More
Related

  • Comparing the Iraq War and the Vietnam War

    2081 Words  | 5 Pages

    "The troops are not very well trained, they're frightened, and they're terrified. It seems as if the soldiers fire all over the streets at anyone who moves" (Everest 12).

    Read More

  • Hitler’s Political Succession Amidst the Economic Depression

    1613 Words  | 4 Pages

    Adolf Hitler, a veteran of World War I, joined the ranks of the newly named National Socialist German Workers, or Nazi, party (NSDAP) in 1919. On February 24, 1920, he published a document outlining the goals and beliefs of the Nazi Party called the 25 Points. These included the abrogation of the Treaty of Versailles, the exclusion of Jews from the German “race,” the prevention of Jews from living in Germany, and the formation of a national army. Hitler outlined the economic benefits of these proposals in a Munic...

    Read More

  • The Short-Term and Long-Term Causes of the Protestant Reformation

    733 Words  | 2 Pages

    The protestant reformation of 16th century had both: immediate and long term effects. Thus, we can see that it was a revolution of understanding the essence of religion, and of what God is. The protestant reformation is said to a religious movement. However, it also influenced the economical, political and social life of people. The most global, short term effect of the reformation was the reevaluation of beliefs, and, as a result, the loss of authority of the Holy Roman Empire. The long term effects were: the emergence of new heretical movements, the declining of papacy, thus the reevaluation of people’s view on the church and life values.

    Read More

  • Effects Of Anobolic Steroids

    1390 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anabolic steroids are a group of muscle building chemicals, which are synthetic versions of the male hormone, testosterone. Developed in the 1930’s, they were prescribed to aid in muscle tissue repair by those who had undergone surgery or had degenerative diseases. Now the patients do not only use them but also athletes. Starting in the 1940’s steroids were introduced into sports. Steroids were one of the main reasons that Russia’s 1952 Olympic weightlifting team came out with pile of medals. With these results other nations thought their competitors should have the same advantage, and the use of steroids spread like wildfire.(NIDA pg 2) But now steroids are illegal to use if not prescribed by a physician, and have been banned by nearly all-athletic organizations, both professional and amateur.

    Read More

  • The Protestant Reformation: A 16th-Century Upheaval

    1989 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Protestant Reformation, also known as the Reformation, was the 16th-century religious, governmental, scholarly and cultural upheaval that disintegrated Catholic Europe, setting in place the structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era (Staff, 2009). The Catholic Church begun to dominate local law and practice almost everywhere starting in the late fourteenth century. The Catholic Church held a tight hold on the daily lives of the people invading just about every part of it. Some people of this time would decide to stand up to the church and attempt to change the way it operated and make it release some of its control. These people who spoke out against the church came to be known as Protestants. The Protestants

    Read More

  • World War II

    4158 Words  | 9 Pages

    Stroebel, Jeffrey T. World War II. Part I: Between the Wars. The Sycamore School, 1995. Revised 1998.

    Read More

  • ANABOLIC STEROIDS

    366 Words  | 1 Pages

    Anabolic steroids are drugs containing, or hormone-like substances, that are used to increase strength and promote muscle growth. They were first developed in the 1930s in Europe to treat undernourished patients and to promote healing after surgery. Competitive weightlifters began using steroids in the 1950s as a way to increase their athletic performance. Use gradually spread throughout the world among athletes in other has been estimated that at least one in 15 male high school seniors in the United States--more than a half-million boys--has used steroids. Some are athletes attempting to increase their strength and size; others are simply youths attempting to speed up their growth to keep pace with their peers. In some countries, anabolic steroids are available over the counter. In the United States, a doctor's prescription is necessary.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther: The Religious Philosophies Of The Medieval Catholic Church

    1142 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martin Luther is considered one of the most instrumental individuals in Christian history for his role in the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation that severed the powerful religious, political, and social grip the Catholic Church had upon European society (1). Luther did not set out to be a revolutionary, but simply questioned the church 's marketing of indulgences that offered the buyer or their deceased loved one absolution from the penalty of sin (2). Luther’s famous “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,” or “95 Theses” argued against the sale of indulgences, but Luther also ultimately disagreed with many of the fundamental religious philosophies of the medieval Catholic Church. The religious ideas of Martin Luther differed from late medieval Catholicism on key elements of theology: spiritual authority, justification of sin, free will, and the sacraments.

    Read More

  • Industrial Revolution

    793 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Industrial Revolution during 1760 to 1820 in Great Britain was a burgeoning period. The revolution brought massive benefits and changes on socioeconomic and cultural conditions. Firstly, it pushed the development of socioeconomic, and also released a great amount of working opportunity. At second his extraordinary change made the communication and transportation more efficient. Lastly, this revolution it made the production of agriculture boost, and fewer workers were needed in farm work. The Great Britain Industrial Revolution assisted the growth of agriculture, communication, transportation and socioeconomic.

    Read More

  • The Protestant Reformation

    2541 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Protestant Reformation: What it was, why it happened and why it was necessary. The Protestant Reformation has been called "the most momentous upheaval in the history of Christianity." It was a parting of the ways for two large groups of Christians who differed in their approach to the worship of Christ. At the time, the Protestant reformers saw the church- the Catholic church, or the "universal church- " as lacking in its ways. The church was corrupt then, all the way up to the pope, and had lost touch with the people of Europe. The leaders of the Reformation sought to reform the church and its teachings according to the Scriptures and the writings of the Apostles. They sought to simplify the church by returning to its roots, roots long lost by the Catholic church at the time, or so the reformers believed. After the fall of the Roman Empire, life in Europe declined rapidly into the Dark Ages. The Dark Ages were a time of misery and darkness. There were only two socioeconomic classes: the very rich nobility or the very poor peasants. Small kingdoms popped up everywhere, and were constantly at war with one another. Whole libraries were destroyed, and the only people who remained literate were the clergy of the Christian church. Life became such a struggle to survive that, for a period of five hundred years, very little artwork or literature was produced by the whole of Europe. Eventually, around the year 1000, the conditions in Europe began to get better. This marked the beginning of the Middle Ages. The Crusades began as an effort to revitalize the spirits of the people. However, things still weren't very good. Plagues ravaged the land, carried by rodents and destroying whole villages. With th...

    Read More

  • The Protestant Reformation

    1843 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century is one of the most complex movements in European history since the fall of the Roman Empire. The Reformation truly ends the Middle Ages and begins a new era in the history of Western Civilization. The Reformation ended the religious unity of Europe and ushered in 150 years of religious warfare. By the time the conflicts had ended, the political and social geography in the west had fundamentally changed. The Reformation would have been revolutionary enough of itself, but it coincided in time with the opening of the Western Hemisphere to the Europeans and the development of firearms as effective field weapons. It coincided, too, with the spread of Renaissance ideals from Italy and the first stirrings of the Scientific Revolution. Taken together, these developments transformed Europe.

    Read More

  • Great Britain and the Industrial Revolution

    819 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, Britain had some tremendous natural attributes. It was naturally endowed with many deposits of coal and iron ore, which were used heavily in the early stages of factory production. In addition, Britain was situated at a critical point for international trade. Its position between the United States and the rest of Europe allowed them to have a serious impact in all matters of trade. Likewise, a multitude of navigable waterways, easy access to the sea, and a mild climate all contributed to the onset of industrialism. Britain's topography was conducive to industrialism because its diversity allowed for the production of many agricultural products, preventing any sort of shortage or famine. Evans remarks, “Each single such advantage could be replicated in other European countries and some could be accentuated, but no other nation enjoyed such a rich combination of natural bounties” (111). Furthermore, the nation was free of many trade tariffs that hampered industry in other European nations while featuring a real opportunity for upward movement in society which provided a great incentive for acquiring wealth. Britain also experienced tremendous population growth which provided a potential workforce as well as an increase in the demand for goods.

    Read More

  • The Industrial Revolution of England

    1659 Words  | 4 Pages

    There were many factors that caused the Industrial Revolution to occur specifically in England. England had large quantities of coal and iron ore beneath the ground, which was a very inexpensive source of energy compared to the previous use of wood. As population grew, wood became increasingly more expensive to use as fuel because it took longer to go out and retrieve and it was becoming scarce. Another reason that aided in the industrialization of England was the political strength that England had. It’s previous accomplishments in colonization allowed for a larger supply of raw material and more locations to sell manufactured goods. England also had the upper hand economically with its central bank and successful credit markets. This provided financial stability, allowing people to take greater entrepreneurial risks.

    Read More

  • The Protestant Reformation: The Purpose Of The Protestant Reformation

    570 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1500’s the Roman Catholic was all-powerful in Europe as there was no legal alternative at the time. The Church jealously guarded its position with so much force that if anyone went against the learning’s and the ways of the church was burned at the stake and labeled as a heathen. Some of the causes for Protestant reformation were the corruption within the Catholic Church because during the time of the black plague as soon as people knew they had the plague they knew they were going to die within a 3 day period after developing the symptoms of the black plaque, so the people affected would have paid their local catholic ministers for indulgences so they were guarantied to get into heaven and not go to hell or purgatory. Martin Luther exposed this particular practice in 1517 through the 95 theses, as he was upset that people and Catholic ministers could make God over look peoples sin just by being bribed through brought indulgences.

    Read More

  • Adolf Hitler's Reign of Terror

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    Adolf Hitler began to gain respect and political power in 1919, when he joined a small group of men called the Nazis. This was just a year after the First World War had ended, and Germany’s economy was all but booming. Hitler soon became the leader of the Nazis, and began to promise people that he would rebuild Germany. He swore he would make it a thriving empire, one that would last a thousand years. He began to preach moving speeches, and most did not believe Hitler in the beginning. Nevertheless; Hitler’s silver tongue soon convinced millions that what he spoke was true. He rose in the ranks and became the dictator of the German empire in 1933 (Hoffman). Adolf immediately began regaining territories that were taken from Germany during World War One.

    Read More

More about Anabolic Steroid Use in the Olympics

Open Document