“[Thirty percent] of college and professional athletes have used or currently use steroids, as do 10-20% of high school athletes” (“Anabolic Steroids”). These numbers are alarming, but there are two main reasons why this is occuring: people tend to belief steroids will improve their appearances, and athletes believe their athletic abilities will increase. However, most are not aware of the effects steroid use has on the body. Steroid use has dramatic effects on the user’s body and mind in many different ways. Steroids are hormone replacements that affect the user’s body in various forms. There are three ways they are consumed: pills, creams, and injectable liquids (“Steroids”). There are countless amounts of steroids being used around the …show more content…
Men who use steroids for long periods of time experience the following: breast development, liver diseases, and even liver cancer (“Anabolic Steroids”). The effects on women are different than those of men. Women experience deepening voices.(“Anabolic Steroids”). Short term use of steroids is much different, though. Heart damage, problems with urination, reduced sperm count, and impotence are a few of the symptoms men experience with short term steroid use. Women who use steroids for a short period of time experience excessive hair growth all over their body and their breasts shrink in size (“Anabolic Steroids”). Both men and women experience the same types of emotions, though. Aggression, violence, irritability, and depression are a few of the emotions out of many one would experience (“Anabolic Steroid Abuse”). Their emotions can switch in the matter of seconds and they can sometimes be dangerous to be around, especially if they start to experience “roid …show more content…
There are two ways people can be tested: urine and blood samples that will then be sent to a lab (“Olympic Games”). If the person being tested gets her or his positive results back there will be many consequences to follow. In a public high school, if one tests positive for steroid use he or she experiences the following consequences: suspension from activities for eight weeks, they must receive counseling, parents have to be contacted, and then they have to test negative on all other random drug tests given. In a private high school, if one tests positive for steroid use he or she experiences the following: meeting with parents and school administration, take a second drug test, and if they test positive on that one as well, they get taken out of the school and it goes on their record (Stinchcomb). Of course, people have come up with ways to try and trick the drug tests, and sometimes it does work. There are three ways that people try to trick the tests: tampering, which means people put household products in their urine to try to make it harder to detect the steroids, water loading, which is drinking tons and tons of water to water down the drugs and try to flush them out of their system, and finally, popping vitamins, which flushes out the toxins in their bodies
One way steroids affect players is the effect on the mind and mental health of users. When baseball players take steroids, they put their bodies at risk. The risks include psychiatric symptoms such as bipolar disorder (Mitchell 55). Studies have shown that if baseball players get involved with steroids, there is strong chance they will experience symptoms like bipolar disorder or severe depression. Steroids also affect the cardiovascular system. They can cause heart attacks and increased or decreased cholesterol levels, and also cause the heart to become enlarged (Mitchell 55). The cardiovascular system faces tragic effects when people decide to use steroids. The liver is affected by steroids also, as the liver can become impaired, become cancerous, and thus cause skin to yellow (Mitchell 55). The f...
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.
Steroids are illegal in the US, and banned from baseball, however in the past they have not been suspected to be such a big problem. Therefore, Major League Baseball has failed to properly address it with preventative measures. In the 2001, the Major League Players Association’s contract with Major League Baseball protected players on the 40 man roster against testing. As for the minor leagues, testing only occured in-season, and was restricted to some players. Many players use in the off season and know how long the drugs will remain in their bodies (anywhere from 2 weeks to 18 months). If tested positive, they receive a warning about the hazards of the drug and are not punished at all. Five to ten percent of minor leaguers tested positive, and which fails to account for users not tested, those who used out-of-season, and those who found measures around the test. In the majors, some suspect that 50% of players use steroids and some, such as Jose Canseco, as hig...
Anabolic steroids have been heavily used amongst athletes since the 1950’s; the purpose of using is to add muscle mass, speed, strength, and endurance. Anabolic steroids come in two methods, injectable forms and oral forms. Oral and injectable steroids metabolize in the body differently. Oral steroids include some different hormones than injectable steroids. Oral steroids can include, but not limited to, methyl testosterone, fluoxymestrerone, and stonazolol. Injectable steroids can contain, but not limited to, Trenbolone acetate, testosterone propionate, and stanzolol. Surveys have been taken and have shown that 80-100 of bodybuilders, weightlifters, and professional athletes have used or are using steroids. As the doses of steroids grow larger and larger, it has said to increase aggression, fatigue loss, less libido, and mood changes.
You’ve all seen them, the enormously large muscle-heads at the gym, the participates of the World’s Strongest Man Competition, the amazing offensive tackles, and the lightning fast runners. They were all unnaturally strong, and looked like gods. You tend to obsess over how beautiful their bodies are, how strong they are, or how fast they can run. All you can think about is reaching that level of athletic excellence, and nothing will hold you back. At times like these some people tend to take the quick fit to get closer to their idols, in the form of steroids. But what individuals tend not see is the horrible side effects that accompany the use of these anabolic steroids. These powerful drugs have both positive and negative results from their use. Along with increased strength and size, users of steroids suffer from a wide range of sicknesses such as cancer, shrinkage of testicles, bad acne, hair loss, damage organs, intense mood swings, and impotence.
Abstract: Since the beginning of sports competition, athletes have always looked for some kind of edge over their competitors. They will do whatever it takes to be one of the elite, and that includes injecting supplements into their bodies to make them bigger, stronger, and faster. Steroid use is probably one of the most common drug misuses in sports competition. Athletes found that with anabolic steroids, one could become a better athlete twice as fast. Not until 1975 was the drug first banned from Olympic competition because of the health risks it produced.
There are many controversies today on what should be allowed in sports. Many people have many different opinions about those controversies. The most important controversy would be whether or not steroids should be allowed in the sporting world. All sports have included tests that are mandatory for all players to participate in randomly whenever they are approached. The side effects of performance enhancing drugs are very serious and should never be ignored. As long as with the boost in performance that players experience when they use these medications also. The sport would never be the same and they would have to deal with a significant number of extra problems with the players and their health. Steroids make people perform way past human expectations, suffer from severe health problems that come from Side effects, and the sport will permanently be effected and therefore should not be allowed to be used.
Anabolic steroids were first developed in 1930 when scientists attempted and successfully created a synthetic form of testosterone. This synthetic product was created for the intent that it will aide men who were unable to generate a sufficient amount of testosterone for a safe and balanced growth (Anabolic Steroids, 2013). Steroids simply function by converting proteins into muscle at an accelerated speed, which is the major influence for users. Over the past few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of teenagers experimenting with steroids with little or no awareness of the side effects. According to “teenagers at risk for use of performance enhancers” journal article, 76% of the teens who responded to the survey could not identify any negative side effects of steroids (Schneider.M, 2004). Another study in the Sydney Morning Herald’s “Steroid Use Soars among young men” article, the 2013 needle syringe program survey, by the Kirby Institute at the University of NSW, found 74 per cent of people in NSW who started injecting illicit substances in the past three years had sought out performance- and image-enhancing drugs, compared with only 27 per cent in 2003. This increase of steroid use may ...
Many people have had their lives ruined by the use of illegal steroids, yet. The desired effects are so overwhelming that people tend to overlook the consequences. Then there are the consequences. Steroid users believe taking anabolic steroids will enhance their performance, strength, size,etc.
There are many different types of steroids being produced and used everyday in America. Steroids are any synthetic hormones that your body produces naturally such as birth control used by millions around the world and cortisone which reduces the actions of chemicals in the body that cause inflammation, redness, and swelling . Anabolic steroids are the ones that I will be talking about they are made for the male sex hormone called testosterone which tells the body to increase muscle size and strength, it also allows for faster muscle recovery. Anabolic steroids will not automatically make you the next Mr. or Mrs. Universe. Those who use Anabolic steroids usually train there muscle much longer and harder then those who don't. The Anabolic steroids only give them the ability to push there muscles far beyond what they would regularly be able to and recover much faster. This is not without saying that there are no side effects to such an amazing drug. In men steroids can cause shrinkage of the testicles, decrease in sperm count (that can lead to being sterile), impotence, prostate enlargement, Gynecomastia (appearance of female breast on male), and acne which are all reversible when ...
While the effects of steroids can seem desirable at first, there are serious side effects. Excessive use can cause a harmful imbalance in the body's normal hormonal balance and body chemistry. Heart attacks, water retention leading to high blood pressure and stroke, and liver and kidney tumors all are possible. Young people may develop and a halting of bone growth. Males may experience shrinking testicles, falling sperm counts, and enlarged prostates. Women frequently show signs of masculinity and may be at higher risk for certain types of and the possibility of birth defects in their children. The psychological effects of steroid use are also alarming: drastic mood swings, inability to sleep, and feelings of hostility. Steroids may also be psychologically addictive. Once started, users, particularly athletes, enjoy the physical "benefits" of increased size, strength, and endurance so much that they are reluctant to stop even when told about the risks. Major athletic competitions, including the Olympics, routinely screen athletes to prevent steroid use.
The intent of this essay is to show that steroids have many negative effects and that steroids, and other natural supplements, should be closely studied by the FDA. This essay will also support the claim that the professional sports industry needs to eliminate steroid use and set a good example for younger athletes.
“Steroids are any type of a large group of fat-soluble organic compounds, as the sterols, bile acids, and sex hormones most of which have specific physiological action” (Dictionary.com). When our bodies are still developing, the effects of steroids can be dangerous and can also be permanent (“Above”). Steroids are made out of substances such as nandrolone, stanozolol, testosterone, fluoxymestrone, and oxandrolone. Sometimes people say when you can’t pronounce something, you probably shouldn’t use it. In the 1940’s testosterone began to be widely used in competitive sports, but the dangers of loading up on testosterone were not yet clear (“History”). Instead of using steroids for a bad reason, there is a medicinal purpose. Cortisteroids can treat arthritis, asthma, lupus and multiple sclerosis, eczema and rashes, and some types of cancer (“Steroids: Medline”). Also, steroids can be used to treat anemia, to improve weight loss due to severe illness, and to treat osteoporosis. Steroids can only be sold to you by a pharmacist f...
My issue over the concern of athletes have been struggling with the usage of steroids has widely spread among athletes and others; not only do steroids give an athlete a hard times but it’s also an unfair advantage to the other athletes and what they’ve accomplish. “Besides making muscles bigger, anabolic steroids may help athletes recover from a hard workout more quickly by reducing the amount of muscle damage during the session” (“Steroids in Sports”,2005). Now a days steroids are everywhere as an athlete. Many males and female young athletes preferably take it because they want to look and feel good when it comes to impressing someone and trying to become someone they look forward too. Young teens and adults try to cheat themselves in the career of their dreams. When it comes to a sport, teen athletes are not aware of what type of consequences may happen to them at the time. It may come to the time where it’s too late to take care of. In other cases, some athletes may like feeling the aggressive they get when they take drugs such as steroids. Athletes shouldn’t take steroids as the harmful health effects of the anabolic steroid in population wise. Many people have had their lives ruined by the use of illegal steroids and yet the desired effects are overwhelming that people tend to forget about the results and consequences that may effect. Athletes on steroids believe taking steroids will enhance their performance, strength, and size without having to put necessary work. These benefits, however, are associated with much short-term and long term risk.
Steroids became an option to athletes in the Olympics and other major sporting events during the 1950’s. But this use of steroids among athletes only became widely apparent when Canadian sprint runner Ben Johnson tested positive for steroid use after winning the gold medal for the one hundred-meter dash during the 1988 Olympics (Francis, 45). Now a skinny fifteen-year-old can just walk down to the local gym and find people who either sell or know how to get in contact with those who sell the drug that will make him envious of his friends. Steroids are an attractive drug. While steroids seem harmless to the unaware user, they can have a risky effect. Most of the time whether the users are new or experienced, they do not know the dangerous consequences steroids can have on their bodies and their minds. Though steroids cause a relatively insignificant number of deaths in our society, the banning of steroids is justified because steroids have a lot of side effects not known to the uninformed user.