THE USE OF STEROIDS BY ATHLETES

Steroids are drugs that many athletes use to enhance their abilities in sports. The use of

steroids can be dangerous to both your body and mind. The drug also can give athletes unfair

advantages which could propel them to victory. The use of steroids should not be permitted

What is a steroid? Steroids are a synthetic version of the human hormone testosterone.

Testosterone stimulates and maintains the male sexual organs. It also stimulates the

development of bones and muscle, promotes skin and hair growth, and can influence emotions.

In males, testosterone is produced by the testes and the adrenal gland. In the 1930's, researchers

first developed steroids to rebuild and prevent the breakdown of body tissues from disease. The

first use of steroids in sports was recorded in 1954 at the world championships in Vienna,

Austria (Snyder 72). Russian weight lifters were using steroids and were merely invincible in

their competition against other countries (Snyder 72). The U.S. coach asked the Russians how

they were accomplishing this, and they told him they were given steroids (Snyder 72). This

started the craze for steroids around the w

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Steroids also heighten the aggression of the user that improves their performance in their sport and makes them feel as if they are invincible which in return builds their confidence. This gives

athletes a way to cheat or have an unfair advantage over other opponents. Skin bruises more easily and wounds heal slowly (Mayo Clinic). Many steroid users feel depressed and do things they would never think of doing (Snyder 67). Steroids give the athletes increased

muscle mass, strength, endurance, and recovery rates (Steroidsinfo). The sperm count in males lowers, testes decrease in size, and natural testosterone decreases which can cause infertility (Snyder 70). The effects on the liver are peliosis hepatitis blood filled cysts can weaken and eventually shut down the liver (Snyder 69). Many gold

medals, championships, world records, and Hall of Famers have been achieved through this form

of cheating. Others such as police officers and bouncers use them because they work in physical fighting environments (Steroids). The most greatly affected emotions are agitation, euphoria, insomnia, and psychosis (Macmillan 95). Women also experience masculine features such as a deepened voice and abnormal hair growth (Steroidsinfo).

In the summary of my paper, the use of steroids by athletes is a very risky business

that I do not want to be a part of. I think you should not result to a drug just to take you to the next level. Depression often is seen when the drugs are stopped and may contribute to steroid dependence (Steroid Abuse). The three main problems that occur are adverse effects in the liver, cardio-vascular system, and reproductive system (Snyder 69).

Approximate Word count = 1453
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

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