"Since the 1950s, some athletes have been taking anabolic steroids to build muscle and to improve their athletic performance" (www.steroidabuse.org). They feel their bodies becoming stronger and their ability to perform increase. Although a stronger body and better performance result from using steroids, the consequences can be harmful to the body and illegal.
             "Anabolic steroids were developed in the late 1930s primarily to treat hypogonadism, a condition in which the testes do not produce sufficient testosterone for normal body growth, development and sexual functioning" (www.steroidabuse.org). They were also "used to restore body weight in concentration camps" during World War II (Grolier Encyclopedia). The drugs were used for medical reasons only, such as "delayed puberty, some types of impotence, and wasting the body caused by HIV or other diseases" (www.steroidabuse.org). After research, scientists discovered that the skeletal muscles in laboratory rats increased when treated with anabolic steroids. With this discovery, body builders and athletes used the drugs to increase their performances in their events. As a result, the widespread usage begins throughout the United States.
             "Anabolic Steroids is the familiar name for synthetic substances related to the male sex hormones (androgens). They promote the growth of the skeletal muscle and the development of male sexual characteristics, and also have some other effects. More than one hundred different anabolic steroids have been developed, but they require a prescription to be used legally in the United States" (www.steroidabuse.org). However, there are some anabolic steroids that can be purchased legally without a prescription through health food stores. "They are often referred to dietary supplements, although they are not food products" (www.steroidabuse.org). The supplements are converted into the mal...