Performance-enhancing suppleme

When it comes to competitive sports everyone wants to win. Some people will do about anything to be able to win out on the field. They will cheat, lie or even take harmful and unknown drugs to help them win. In the last couple of years the performance-enhancing supplements creatine and androstenedione have become increasingly popular among athletes. Sales are expected to top 180 million dollars this year. (CIF 1) Performance-enhancing supplements should be taken off the market.

Creatine is a chemical that is already found in the body. It is ingested into the body when meat and fish are eaten. Creatine is stored in the muscles and is used for short bursts of energy. (Dodd 1) The suggested dose for creatine supplementation is five grams, equivalent to the amount found in a two pound steak. (Gorman 1) It is estimated that thirteen percent of NCAA athletes and fifty percent of baseball players use creatine. Some superstars like Mark McGwire and Michael Johnson use creatine. (Dishong “Creatine” 1) Creatine is currently not banned by any major athletic group. (Dishong “Creatine” 3)

Androstenedione is a chemical that is converted into testosterone by a natural enzyme in the body. (AST 1)

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However the purity of andro supplements is not regulated because it does not claim to treat or cure a disease. (Lovitch 4)

Performance enhancing supplements should be taken off the market. (Peck 1)

Steroids are synthetically produced male hormones taken with the hope of an increase in strength. (Lurie 3) The average age of people who use steroids for the first time is fifteen. (CIF 3) However, anabolic steroids have over fifty documented adverse side effects. Because of its resemblance to steroids, the NCAA, NFL and Olympic Committee have banned andro. (Swaim 4) Supplements can also cause some people to experiment with stronger and more dangerous drugs, like steroids, when they become unsatisfied with the results of the supplements. When creatine is abused side effects can include: rashes, vomiting, anxiety, migraines, seizures, and possibly kidney damage. Furthermore weight gains due to creatine are not gains in lean body mass, they are gains in water retention within the muscles due to the large amounts of creatine. (Juhn 1-2) Creatine is also found to be associated with lowering cholesterol and increasing metabolism. (Dishong “Steroids” 2) Also, long-term sexual side effects can occur with steroid use. The rest is destroyed by the liver, causing it to overwork. These include: Liver toxicity and tumors, permanent neurological disorders, high blood pressure, and even serious changes to the body’s blood clotting mechanism. (Juhn 2)

Anything taken in mass quantities can have an effect on your body. (Gorman 2) In addition, andro was also found to increase bodily hair and prematurely close growth plates.

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