Steroids Affecting College Athletes

If given the chance to be the best in a sport, some athletes will risk everything and cheat. According to a study from the NCAA in 2007, 35% of college athletes start using steroids in college. College athletics are very competitive. In order to get ahead, athletes are using steroids. This is a problem for colleges across the United States. In fact, it’s difficult to see which college athletes are enhancing their performance by taking anabolic steroids or those who are not taking steroids. This is because many athletes train numerous hours on their own and with personal trainers to get ahead of the competition. The use of anabolic steroids is helping athletes achieve goals they never would on their own. Steroids ruin the purpose of playing

sports because it gives athletes an unfair advantage, the consequences for athletes, and the side effects it causes on the body.

The use of steroids gives athletes an unfair advantage.
Steroids help athletes work out for longer periods of time.
Glycogen is the stored form of glucose.

This stored fuel helps increase our tolerance to exercise and helps resist fatigue.
Steroids help make athlete’s muscles stronger.
According to a study by Maastricht University they found that a person on steroids can gain four - eleven pounds more than a person not on anabolic steroids.
Athletes who take steroids gain five to twenty percent of additional strength.

Consequences on athletes when taking anabolic steroids can ruin your entire career.
Two major consequences for getting caught with steroids at a college.
1st offense for testing positive for steroid use is not being able to play for 1 year.
2nd offense for testing positive for steroid use is losing whatever is left of their eligibility.

Steroids have many side effects on the body that can threaten the health of an athlete.
Doping can cause short term effects.
Steroids cause red blood cells to coagulate or clump together. This leads to blood clots.
People who use steroids have stomach issues. They feel bloated, nauseous, and will vomit blood because the lining of the stomach is irritated and the stomach has more acids.
They also have long term effects that are just as dangerous.
Steroids damage the liver, causing bile to leak out into the

bloodstream.
Steroid use causes focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. This disease happens when the kidneys work too much.
The use of steroids causes the heart’s arteries to narrow and the left ventricle to not pump as much oxygenated blood to the tissues in the body.
Males experience specific effects when taking steroids.
40% of men who take anabolic steroids will experience the shrinking in their testicles. This is the second most common side effect.
The use of steroids can cause an imbalance of hormones. When this happens, the tissue of the breast swells.
Females who take steroids will show signs similar to young males.
Women who use steroids will experience the same changes in their voice that boys do when they go through puberty.
Female athletes who use steroids develop hirsutism. Hirsutism is the pattern of hair growth seen in men.
Withdrawal symptoms vary with each person.
The most dangerous effect when you stop using anabolic steroids is depression. At times you may consider or attempt suicide.
People on steroids are more likely to see others as a threat. This can lead to violent outbursts.

Unfair advantages, consequences on the athletes, and the side effects on the body are just some of the major reasons why steroids ruin the purpose of playing sports. Steroids are used for the purpose of getting ahead of others. Athletes who become cheaters not only lose their career, but tend to deal with terrible side effects. They can do really harmful damage to your body forever. Just remember, don’t try to cheat when it comes to being the best, just train hard and you will get to the best you can be.