What are anabolic steroids? “Anabolic steroids” is the street name for synthetic substances related to the male sex hormones or also referred to as testosterone. They promote the growth of skeletal muscle and the development of male sexual characteristics in both males and females. Anabolic steroids are commonly abused by professional athletes and Olympic athletes to enhance their performances. There are many reasons people abuse steroids and a few different ways to do so. Also, even though an athlete may win a World Series or an Olympic gold medal, there are very serious effects one can suffer from steroid abuse.
Anabolic steroids were originally developed in the late 1930s to treat a condition called hypogonadism. During the 1930s, scientists discovered that anabolic steroids could facilitate the growth of skeletal muscle in laboratory animals, which led to abuse of the substances by bodybuilders and then by athletes. Professional athletes and Olympic athletes abuse steroids merely to increase athletic performance. “Baseball players Gary Sheffield and Jason Giambi admitted during grand jury testimony to using the clear, according to reports in the San Francisco Chronicle.” (Shipley) Others may abuse them due to a mental condition called muscle dysmorphia to increase muscle mass and decrease body fat. “Muscle dysmorphia is the opposite of anorexia. Unlike anorexia, which makes one believe that they're overweight, dysmorphia bequeaths the illusion that one does not have big enough muscles.” (Lee)
There are many ways to administer anabolic steroids. Some can be taken orally, others are injected into the muscle, and some can be applied topically to the skin. No specific way is safer than the other. When taking anabolic steroid...
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Psychological effects, hormonal changes, and internal damage are just a few of the effects anabolic steroid abuse has on individuals. However, it is hard to justify just how bad anabolic steroid abuse is because most cases go unreported. Either way, there is a direct scientific link between the abuse of anabolic steroids and the severe effects it has on the abusers.
Works Cited
Kuipers, Harm. "ANABOLIC STEROIDS: Side Effects." Sportscience. Ed. T. D. Fahey. Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine and Science, 7 Mar. 1998. Web. 8 Oct. 2011.
Lee, Ian. "Dysmorphia: Male Anorexia." AskMen. AskMen Contributor. Web. 8 Oct. 2011.
Shipley, Amy. "Marion Jones Admits to Steroid Use." The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2007. Web. 8 Oct. 2011.
Weaver, Jane. "Steroid Addiction a Risk for Young Athletes." Msnbc.com. Msnbc.com, 4 May 2005. Web. 8 Oct. 2011.
Anabolic steroids have become an epidemic amongst athletes since the 1950's when a Swiss company by the name of Ciba Pharmaceuticals introduced what was to become the most popular anabolic drug for athletes called methandrostenolone. “By this time, the era of the steroid athlete was well underway and world records were being shattered and re-shattered with remarkable regularity.” (Oklobdzija & Weyrauch, 1989, para 3) From then on, there have been many cases throughout professional sports where athletes are reported or caught using anabolic steroids.
In today’s society in athletics, muscle mass and strength seem more important than in years past. It is believed that many athletes use anabolic steroids to increase their muscle mass and also their strength. Anabolic steroids are a group of synthetic hormones that promote the storage of proteins and the growth of tissue, sometimes used by athletes to increase muscle size and strength. Before the mid 1970’s the use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) was used mainly by highly trained athletes especially those involved in weight training. Since then other athletes including those involved in recreational sports and non-competitive sports have started using the steroids. Steroids are also being used by many school age children especially those involved in sports in the schools. Everyone wants to be bigger, stronger, and faster and will do almost anything to gain this.
In our days, most people have set the goal and dream to have the perfect body. They believe by having this image, they will be popular and/or attractive. People want to achieve the body that they desire, like a super star, a hero in a Hollywood movie, a strong soldier, and an Olympic athlete. However, what are the extent people will go to get the perfect body? The biggest problem for those who dream to have a beautiful body today, as many people know, is the consumption of steroids. It is amazing what people and athletes will do to enhance their performance, strength and muscle size by taking steroids. Whether right or wrong people who use steroids to become the fastest and strongest will prevail, so who would turn down a substance that could turn them into a super athlete and a muscle man? The purpose of this essay is to inform the reader on the popular anabolic steroids that most people use and the positive and negative side effects of steroid use on its users and finally my personal point of view.
Anabolic/androgenic steroids are synthetic variants of the natural hormone testosterone (James 7). At its naturally produced levels, testosterone is very good. In males, it helps promote protein anabolism (building), stimulates production of sperm, and has metabolic effects on muscle, bone, and skin (Goldman 72). Anabolic steroids are used medically to treat types of anemia, some breast cancers, osteoporosis, endometriosis, and hereditary angioedema (NIDA 2). But anabolic steroids are often taken at 10 to 100 times the natural, physiological levels by athletes looking for an edge in training (Yesalis xxv).
There are many types of steroids abused by athletes in order to increase their muscle mass and strength. Though steroids have a negative reputation, there are some that can be beneficial to athletes and certain patients. There are types of steroids called corticosteroids that have more medical uses to them and another type called anabolic-androgenic steroids that have a more limited medical use. The anabolic-androgenic are usually the steroids that are being abused by athletes (Bigelow, par.10). The use of steroids goes back to the end of World War II around the 1940’s. Doctors were giving the freed prisoners from the Nazi concentration camps that were at risk of death anabolic-androgenic steroids to help gain back their muscle mass and weight faster. From this knowledge, steroids began to be used by body builders and athletes to get more fit than they already were. It is believed that the abuse of the steroids started in the late 1940’s by weight lifters and bodybuilders, and by the 1950’s, it was spread to the Olympics (Bigelow, par.11). Any type of steroid should not be used if they are only going to be abused by being used in large doses with the intentions of increasing lean muscle mass and strength (Bigelow, par.11). After years of abuse of anabolic-androgenic steroids in the Olympics they were added to the list of banned substances and random testing of athletes were announced to start taking place (Bigelow, par.35).
"Anabolic steroids is the familiar name for synthetic substances related to the male sex hormones (e.g., testosterone). They promote the growth of skeletal muscle (anabolic effects) and the development of male sexual characteristics (androgenic effects) in both males and females”(National Institute on Drug Base).First, the benefits of steroids are very obvious to see. The user gains strength, mass, and speed in a short amount of time. Also, the user has a more aggressive attitude, which is good for football players. However, there are more bad side effects than good. The side effects include hair loss, acne, liver damage, kidney damage, increased breast tissue and becoming very aggressive. These are just some of the horrible bad side effects by using steroids.
Just how popular is the use of steroids? Well, one survey states that the prevalence of self-reporting anabolic steroids use in adolescents ranges from 5%-11% of males and 2.5% in females.(AAP pg 2) So, the even at a young age kids decide to use steroids to their advantage. At this age they do not take time to look at the adverse effects of steroid but only the perks. Most individuals consume steroids in two ways. People either administer them orally or by intramuscular injection. Once taken there are a series of events that ...
Over one million American desire short cuts to bigger muscles and greater endurance with anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. Anabolic steroids are derivatives of the male hormone testosterone. A few of the negative effects of the drug are impairment to the kidneys as well ...
Steroid is a name given to drugs that are manufactured from testosterone, a reproductive hormone found in men. Some athletes normally use anabolic steroids because these drugs improve one’s capacity to compete and train, yielding high results. Steroids work by reducing exhaustion during training, and also reduce the length of time an athlete needs to recover from exhaustion. In addition, steroids enable the growth of tissues and muscles in an athlete’s body by instructing the body to produce extra proteins. During the 1936 Olympics held in Berlin, the first rumors of athletes using steroids emerged. The problem of athletes using steroids was again reported in 1954 during weight lifting championships. The Soviet athletes recorded a very impressive performance at all levels of weight lifting. Later on, the team’s physician admitted that the Soviet athletes were being injected with testosterone in order to increase their muscle mass and strength after being questioned about how they achieved their success. WHO (World Health Organization) in 1968 was the first party to complain about incidents of athletes using steroids, these sentiments were later backed by IOC (International Olympic Committee). This paper is going to give reasons why professional athletes should not be allowed to use steroids (Yesalis 25).
Health risks can be produced by long-term use or excessive doses of anabolic steroids. These effects include harmful changes in cholesterol levels, acne, high blood pressure, liver damage, and dangerous changes in the structure of the left ventricle of the heart. Conditions pertaining to hormonal imbalances such as gynecomastia and testicular atrophy may also be caused by anabolic steroids.
The most famous of these drugs are anabolic steroids, which are, as defined by the Controlled Substances Act issued by the Food and Drugs Administration under the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, any drug or hormonal substance chemically and pharmacologically related to testosterone that promotes muscle growth. Patient with medical prescriptions are allowed to take steroids to treat some diseases such as delayed puberty. However, the use of anabolic steroids should be stopped because it comes with high risk on the level of physical and mental health.
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.
Anabolic steroid use is very dangerous and illegal in the USA. Steroid abuse is where danger comes into play. Anabolic steroids can be used safely with many positive effects and minimize the side effects if used safely, and in moderation. "I used steroids. It was a risky thing to do, but I have no regrets. It was what I had to do to compete. The danger with steroids is overusage. I only did it before a difficult competition – for two months, but not for a period of time that could harm me. And then afterward, it was over. I would stop. I have no health problems, no kidney damage or anything like that from using them." (Schwarzenegger) The positive side effects of steroids include increase in the male sex hormone (testosterone); which spikes improved recovery rate, increase in euphoria, gain in strength and size, increase in sex drive, and beco...
Some of the ill effects of the drugs are damage to the kidneys and liver. A person can also alter the balance of the natural hormones. This can cause detrimental affects to the body. The effects of you natural hormones being out of balance can last several years after being off the drugs. Some male user form breasts due to the use of steroids. Because of the increase in testosterone, steroids can cause serious acne problems. When used by teens is can cause stunted growth. Other side effects include genital changes, water retention, yellow eyes, coronary artery disease, ligament injuries, high blood pressure, changes in cholesterol levels, sterility and liver disease. The list goes on and on. Women that use steroids run the risk of male pattern baldness. Some effects of steroids are even worse. Some people fall into comas after injecting the drugs, some may even die from the injections (Kalawalski 13-15).
Anabolic steroids are chemicals that are similar to testosterone, the male sex hormone. Steroids are used by a number or young people to enhance their muscle mass and increase their performances. While anabolic steroids are successful at building muscle, they can damage many human body organs, such as the heart, kidneys and liver. Steroids are taken by injection or in pill form, after steroids enter the bloodstream; they are distributed to organs and muscle throughout the body.