Why Do Olympic Athletes Use Steroids

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The Risks Olympic Athletes Take by Using Drugs In the 2016 Summer Olympic games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, 11,544 athletes from 207 different countries competed in 41 different competitions and sports. These athletes had trained for these games since the 2012 Olympics in London, England. For four years, veteran and newcomers have worked very hard to qualify for the Olympics, preparing to prove themselves and earn medals, or defend old titles. During training, these athletes diet and workout in order to be in the best shape physically and mentally. Despite this preparation, many athletes feel the need to take the risk of using steroids or performance enhancing drug. Increased steroid use among Olympic athletes has led to more frequent drug testing and comes with the risks of losing any medals won, being denied the opportunity to compete, health repercussions, and negative effects on an athlete's and …show more content…

Even though PEDs help you build muscle and have more stamina and endurance, they affect your body in some very bad ways. Long term steroid use leads to a dependence, and withdrawals when they are taken away. Some of the smaller things it does to your body are: deepening your voice, causing hair loss on your head yet increasing body hair growth, muscle weakness, joint pain, and many more little things (Staff). One drug that is preferred as a “Human growth hormone” can do much more to your body than just make your joints hurt, or your voice deeper. “Athletes take it to improve muscle mass and performance” but it hasn’t proven “to improve either strength or endurance,” the only way an athlete can get it is if a doctor prescribes it to them “and is administered by injection” (Staff). HGH can cause your heart to enlarge and burst, it can cause diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol which can all cause life threatening problems including heart attacks

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