Preview

Anabolic Steroid Use

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
707 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Anabolic Steroid Use
Steroid use has a bad reputation when it comes to sports, however it can also be used to save lives. Steroid, short for anabolic steroid is a class of organic compounds with four rings of carbon atoms in its molecular structure. This includes any hormones, alkaloids and vitamins. The type athletes frequently abuse are the synthetic hormones. Quantities of these hormones larger than what humans normally create can help improve the body’s ability to gain muscle, improve speed, and increase endurance. These same hormones however can also help patients suffering from muscle atrophy by increasing their muscle mass. Steroids should be used medically and cosmetically because of minimal health concerns, but illegal in sporting events because of fairness in competition and loyalty. Steroid use is not extremely dangerous, although there are some side effects. The side effects for men include lower sperm, lower voice and smaller testes. Side effects for women include menstrual issues. Although, while …show more content…
When some athletes use steroids or different amounts of steroids, it causes a physical advantage. This increases the chances of who wins as the person with the steroids can do whatever the other person can with less effort. Instead of genetics and hardwork, a drug determines success. This means that the only way to set an even playing field is to offer either a ratioed dosage of the same steroid to every person participating in the event or to have no steroids allowed whatsoever. While this is obvious, it comes into question now the ability to alter genetics in newborns exists and when considering genetics themselves aren’t fair. To play a game truthfully, winning should be based on the work put in as much as possible. Because when it comes to medicine and cosmetics where there is no winning, money, etc. gained from having an advantage from steroids, the issue in those situations does not

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    The term “steroid” typically means the artificial substance created for improving muscle growth and the development of male sexual characteristics. Anabolic androgenic steroids are illegal without a prescription, and are prescribed to help the conditions of impotence, delayed puberty, and body wasting of people that are diagnosed with AIDS. Anabolic is the title given for the steroids effectiveness in putting muscle on the body and androgenic is the title given for enhancing the male sexual characteristics. (Are Steroids Worth the Risk) There isn’t just one type of steroids though; there are nearly 120 different variations. (Steroid Fast Facts) There are different kinds of steroids that have absolutely no side effects and are completely harmless; however, these are not the kinds of steroids that build muscle. These different types include “cortisol, estrogen, and progesterone.” They don’t build muscle which means that they aren’t anabolic which makes them completely harmless, and they are a legitimate medical use. They are usually prescribed to help men who don’t have enough natural testosterone and certain types of anemia. (Are Steroids Worth the Risk) Another form of steroids is known as steroidal supplements which contains dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione. This specific type of steroids used to be over the counter, usually found at health food stores and at gyms is now prohibited unless you obtain a prescription. Regardless of what an individual’s need is, all types of steroids excluding DHEA are illegal…

    • 2166 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Use of anabolic steroids, like use of multi-vitamins, does not enable one to become a “Superathlete”. These drugs work, to the extent that they do, only when combined with hard work, dedication, persistence, and the exercise of other athletic virtues (Rosenthal, 2005). But if the nature of sports is that it is a competition to determine which athlete has developed his or her skills to the utmost, perhaps use of anabolic steroids frustrates such a determination, since the user/hard worker may have an unfair advantage over the mere hard worker (Quinn, 2005). Let's call this argument against the use of anabolic steroids the “Argument from Unfair Advantage”. The general form of this argument is the following: use of anabolic steroids gives the user an unfair advantage over non-users; therefore, use of them ought to be prohibited. A different reason to think that the premise is true is that, if use of anabolic steroids were allowed, athletes who would use them would have an advantage over those who would not. This might be true, but it does not itself tell us why that would be an unfair advantage. It is permissible in professional baseball for a pitcher to get daily massages in order to help his pitching arm muscles recover more quickly, and this pitcher has an advantage over another pitcher who, because of a lack of time, location or finances, cannot receive daily massages. But it is not clear why this fact alone means that the first athlete…

    • 1167 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The usage of steroids gives the user an unfair advantage over other athletes that have worked hard to gain muscle mass without using steroids. It is easy for someone to cheat and win. With steroids, you are tricking your body. You are creating something that is not you, and that is why you are cheating. It is estimated that as many as six million Americans have used or currently use steroids. It is unbelievable that somebody could somehow live more easily and more pleasantly because of chemicals. It is fine if someone is using steroids to recover from an injury so they can get back to work and behave like an ordinary person, but God forbid they should use anymore steroids than necessary and become unusually strong. That would be morally wrong. In the same way, it is fine if people use Prozac to feel normal, and it is fine if they use Xanax to calm down before giving a speech; as long as these drugs are used only for the point of functioning as a citizen. However, as soon as the person starts using Xanax for fun it becomes morally wrong. Athletes should be regulated closely because anabolic steroids are considered cheating. The use of these drugs violates the rules of all athletics. Anabolic steroids are traced far back in…

    • 2661 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Steroids come in a variety of way to be consumed: injected, swallowed, and snorted. These steroids build muscle to help one perform. Main steroids are HGH (Human Growth Hormone), anabolic steroids. All makes will make one stronger, all can end ones career. “Anabolic- androgenic steroids are synthetic derivatives of the male hormone testosterone” (Wadler). That’s just a nice way of saying anabolic-androgenic steroids make one stronger using fake hormones. Anabolic steroids are the most effective and have the worst long term affects. Anabolic steroids are so effective that they are prescribed by doctors to treat “malnutrition, growth disorders, and testosterone deficiency”(Wadler) Although most of these short term affects sound good, the long term seem to throw a juicy curve-ball back at you. Anne Marie Brooks, a writer for a weekly health magazine, states: “Muscles grow so rapidly that tendon or ligament damage results during physical activity. Instead of better performance, the user may face weeks or months on crutches, in a brace, in pain. “Ouch! That sounds like the negatives over rule the positives (of steroids) and anabolic steroids don’t sound so good after all. HGH which is a safer alternative of steroids is also used by a lot of athletes. “Human Growth Hormone is produced by the…

    • 1448 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    These Anabolic steroids are substances that give athletes a lean, shredded look (“Steroids”618). Nature supplies the minerals and proteins found in most “natural steroids. Natural steroids are not as effective as anabolic steroids, thus they have not yet been banned, though they’re frowned upon as a form of cheating. “In today’s world, athletes who are determined to cheat know that natural substances are the way to go” (Johnson 38). Anabolic steroids are frequently used in major sports and professional weight championships, and have been seriously banned in every major athletic league. The use of anabolic steroids is still a touchy subject among athletic…

    • 1508 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Most people want to look and perform better. Many people want to be stronger to make themselves look and perform better. Some people achieve this through the use of anabolic steroids. Steroids are a great way to look and perform better, but they can also have many negative effects.…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    When someone thinks about drug related deaths they might think of cocaine, ecstasy, or heroin but very few people think of anabolic steroids. Some people wonder, what is an anabolic steroid? A steroid is a basic four-ring carbon structure, but different types differ in the number of carbon atoms attached to the number 17 carbon atom in the molecule, and in the way which hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), and the hydroxyl (OH) groups connect to the carbon atoms. To put it simply, it's a manmade drug that mimics testosterone in the body. There are many other types of steroids but for this article the focus is anabolic steroids. It is an illegal drug that people, mostly politicians and general public that don't know any better, claim kills hundreds of athletes and non-athletes every year while others, doctors and users, call it a wonder drug that saves lives every day? When someone hears about steroid use they might think of athletes using them to gain an edge in their respective sport or body builders using them to gain size and strength. Steroids do these things but they are also used every day in hospitals to help treat asthma, burn victims, cancer patients, and even HIV and AIDS patients plus many more. Which type of steroid also affects what laws they fall under? Prednisone and estrogen can be given as a prescription and are not controlled but anabolic steroid testosterone is controlled. Why then, are anabolic steroids illegal? Today steroids are among the most prescribed and safest drugs in the world.…

    • 1942 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Steroids in Sports Today

    • 2025 Words
    • 9 Pages

    The United State is a country that thrives on competition. We idolize our sports stars and practically make major athletic events holidays. Children grow up with their favorite athletes plastered to the wall of their bedrooms and dream that one day they will be the next Barry Bonds, Shaqullie O 'Neal, or Tom Brady. Professional athletes train year-round to be in ideal psychical shape in order to perform their best. But what happens when their best just isn 't good enough? We expect our sports stars to be perfect, upstanding citizens and role models but this isn 't always the case. The recent exposure of athletes using steroids has exploded into a phenomenon involving athletes all around the world. It has cheapened sports and cast doubt on the integrity of our athletes. Steroid use is not exclusive to professional sports. More and more college and high school athletes are beginning to use steroids for many of the same reasons that the pros do; to enhance performance, get an edge on the competition, and improve personal appearance.…

    • 2025 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    For the past few years, it has been all over the media; athletes on steroids and how it should be dealt with (Rutherford). But as sports-fan and as a society in general, we can be hypocrites at best. We like to see collegiate or Olympic athletes break long standing records, being in the 100 meters dash, the high jump, or in swimming, but when it is done and over with and later we find out that it was done with the help of anabolic steroids, we want to crucify them.…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Steroid Persuasive Speech

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Anabolic steroids are often used by athletes and body builders to build muscle and improve athletic performance.…

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Steroids are not meant to be taken by woman, because a woman's genetics are not meant for male testosterone. Some of the effects on girls are; increased facial hair, development of masculine traits such as deepening of the voice, loss of feminine characteristics, shrinking of breast, and even extreme increased sex drive. These risks are not worth having just so they can become better or close to their competition. Most woman's effects of steroids are irreversible and once one cannot be changed. Another trend found in woman is that when they take steroids they tend to drink more often than usual. This leads to even more liver problems and possible shut down of this organ may be a long term…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Steriods

    • 852 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Steroids and their precursors can have severe, long-lasting effects on health. The higher the dose, the more severe the effects. Some of these side effects are reversible, while others are not. In growing adolescents one of the major risks of using…

    • 852 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    More than ninety percent of regular steroid users experience health issues associated with steroids. The less severe impacts are oily hair, bad breath, acne and red spots on the skin. Steroid use can lead to premature balding, dizziness, mood swings, hallucinations, insomnia, paranoia, nausea, high blood pressure, vomiting, trembling, aching joints and jaundice. As well as this they increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. Because steroids can be injected, the risk of illness like HIV and hepatitis are present. Many steroids are known to create disharmony within the…

    • 1363 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Steroids Usage

    • 1332 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Should athletes be allowed to use performance enhancement drugs in professional and minor sports if everyone can access them? Or is it an unfair advantage that athletes use to get the upper hand? This argument stands today, which divides opinions around the sporting world. Steroids is known throughout the sporting world as a way to cheat and enhance your physical appearance and abilities, but it is also a life saver and a common way to help the body, there are two sides to it. There are always two sides to an argument one side might think that it is right while the other side will have different views and opinions. As an athlete I know about the use of steroids and I have seen people who have used it. I wanted to learn more about performance enhancement drugs and how they are used in the sporting world and in the medical field. Throughout my research I have seen that there are many different viewpoints and ideas on this topic. Before I could determine my answer I had to know what steroids were and how they affected the body, I had to know the history of how steroids were used in professional sports.…

    • 1332 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In some instance, people have used steroids and passed away, and in other cases, people have used steroids for over 30 years with little to no effect. Since steroids have been introduced and used in sports, sports have never been the same. Steroids have improved a bodybuilder’s physique, a baseball player’s physical ability, and an Olympians overall endurance and performance. Without steroids, Arnold Schwarzenegger would have never won the Mr. Olympia Competition seven times, and Lou Ferrigno would have never been the Incredible Hulk. In baseball, Mark McGuire would have never shattered Roger Maris 1961 single-season home run record by hitting 9 more. With all that being said, steroids have enhanced player’s ability to shatter long-standing records and raise player salaries to astronomical cost. Often times, the reward of using steroids drive athletes to a higher level and make them risk everything for the sake of…

    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays