Anabolic Steroids
Anabolic Steroid Use in the Olympics 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.
Michelle Smith won four medals in Atlanta, three of them gold. Steroids are often taken in six to twelve week cycles. By 1958, physicians realized the drug had surfaced widely in the sports world. Some athletes use 10 to 100 times the amount their bodies produce. Some risks are temporary; others could be a threat to long term health. Not only did the medical community develop these drugs, but it played an early role in 'selling' this potential fountain of youth. Anabolic steroids can be taken by injection, by mouth, by skin creams, or patches. All of this takes place without exercise or training. " (Anabolic Steroids: A Threat to Mind and Body 2) Early users were mainly body builders, weight lifters, and football players, who relied on bulk or strength. Especially when risk factors such as low HDL level are sustained for a long time. According to David Katz and Harrison Pope of Harvard University, "There may be a greater number of cases of anabolic steroid induced psychiatric illness in the country than had been assumed. It is the increase in the production of testosterone in young males that precipitates puberty. During the 1970's demand grew as athletes in some areas sought the competitive edge that steroids appeared to give.
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