Anabolic Steroid Use by Athletes Essay - 3169 Words

In the 1988 Summer Olympics, an unbelievable feat occurred. The feat happened during one of the premiere events, the 100 meter dash. The event was set up to be a great race between Carl Lewis of the United States and Ben Johnson of Canada. This did not happen. Ben Johnson blew away the field running a 9.79, a world record. Carl Lewis finished a distant second with a 9.88 (Ben Johnson). That is not the end of the story. Later on, the runners had to take a urinalysis. All of the runners passed but one, Ben Johnson. He tested positive for anabolic steroid use. It was later discovered that hed been using steroids for several years. He was striped of his gold medal and his world record. Carl Lewis was given the gold and the world†¦show more content†¦The final group is recreational drugs. This class is also illegal in athletics and contains drugs like cocaine, crack, marijuana, and heroin. This class is more for social use than for the help it provides the athlete, so they are used equally by athletes and non athletes (The use of Anabolic . . .). Anabolic steroids -- technically called anabolic-androgenic steroids -- are a part of erogenic drugs and a member of the second classification. They are a synthetic derivative of the male hormone testosterone. These drugs along with exercise training allow a person to bulk up greatly, which may enhance an athletes ability in a sport (The use of Anabolic . . .). The zeal to win is within us all, but some people are just willing to go to greater lengths to win. Doping -- the use of drugs or other substances to improve ones performance -- started back even before the Roman Empire. Greek wrestlers use to gorge themselves with large amounts of meat in hopes of increasing muscle mass (NIDA . . .). The first competitive athletes charged with doping were swimmers from Amsterdam. These competitors would dope with anything from strychnine and caffeine to cocaine and heroin. Their doping spread to other countries as well (NIDA . . .). Doping finally lead to a higher level, steroids. The first steroids were created in the 1930s,Show MoreRelatedWhy Do Athletes Use Anabolic Steroids?2261 Words   |  10 PagesMiramontez Professor Winter English 103: Critical Reasoning and Writing 7 May 2015 Why do athletes use Anabolic Steroids? An anabolic steroid is the name that is associated with the male sex hormones. Anabolic steroids promote the development of male sexual characteristics in both males and females, and also promote the growth of the skeletal muscle (drugabuse.gov). In the late 1930s, anabolic steroids were developed. The primary reason for their creation was to treat a certain condition calledRead MoreThe Use Of Anabolic Steroids And How Athletes Are Cheating1482 Words   |  6 Pagescreation of sports. Athletes are becoming bigger, faster and stronger. The competitive edge has started to increase and guys are looking for ways to enhance their performances. Many turn to repetitive practices and healthier diets, while some turn to protein powder. No matter the method the average athlete is trying their best to propel his or her efforts past previous marks. Most stick to natural remedies, but there are a select few that turn to steroid injections. Steroids have overtaken the sportsRead More Anabolic St eroids Use by Athletes: A Threat to Body and Mind2344 Words   |  10 Pagesfor. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson In the world of sports today, anabolic/androgenic steroid use is a vast problem. Since its’ introduction into Russian weightlifting, it has been expanding with no signs of stopping. It has spread into every major sport, with usage by every age and race. The use continues to grow, even with a lengthy list of serious health, legal, and ethical concerns. Because of our societys adoration of muscle, athletes put their athletic goals higher on their priority list than theirRead MoreSports Philosophy And Recreation : Anabolic Steroids1430 Words   |  6 PagesSports Philosophy and Recreation Are Anabolic Steroids Important Of Body Building? I will argue no that anabolic steroids are not important for body building because they have great negative effects. The use of anabolic steroids has been discouraged over the years because of their side effects, and they are against the philosophy of sports. The steroids are medicine and protein supplements that aid in the body building. I hugely oppose the notion that anabolic steroid are imperative in building the bodyRead MoreAnabolic Steroid Use in Sports Summary1493 Words   |  6 PagesAnabolic Steroid use in Sports The competitive drive to win at all cost is fierce among athletes. Winning at all cost often includes using one of many performance enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids. Many athletes use performance enhancing drugs, like steroids, to achieve higher goals and set higher records than other drug-free successful athletes. Although athletes are performing at higher levels when using such drugs, what is the cost? Finally anabolic steroids should remain bannedRead MoreAnabolic Androgenic Steroids Is A Huge Problem Among Today s Athletes857 Words   |  4 PagesComposition Mrs. Vidden 14 January 2015 Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Abuse in Professional Sports Anabolic-androgenic steroids are a huge problem amongst today’s athletes. The use of these drugs has been around for many years in sports. Understanding anabolic-androgenic steroids and why people take them is needed in the process of trying to eliminate them from professional sports. Also, players knowing and understanding how the negatives of anabolic-androgenic steroid use outweigh the positives will hopefullyRead MoreAnabolic Steroids : Use And Performance Enhancing Drugs1516 Words   |  7 Pages The Debate over Anabolic Steroids The use of performance enhancing drugs like anabolic steroids has been a debatable topic in the United States as early as the 1950’s. Former U. S. Representative Howard Berman expresses that â€Å"Steroids can seem necessary to compete at the highest level, and the quick rewards may seem to outweigh the long term consequences to users.† The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states that countless athletes, both young and old, face life threatening illnesses dueRead MoreAbstract. Anabolic Androgenic Steroids Are Ergogenic Resources1723 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract Anabolic Androgenic Steroids are ergogenic resources commonly used by athletes in search of better achievement performances. However, the use of these substances by non-athletes, for aesthetic purposes, have become a growing problem in gyms and sports centers. This conduct has favored the indiscriminate and abusive use of these steroids, exposing its users to health risks. Anabolic steroids are a subset of androgens, namely, synthetic compounds derived from testosterone, developed for therapeuticRead MoreStop The Destruction Of The Athletes998 Words   |  4 Pagesstop the destruction of the athletes, the U.S government has to take direct actions. To be more specific, the Department of Health must insert strict laws to forbid the supplements stores for selling illegal anabolic steroids. If this action will be taken, the results will be positive because at first the law will reduce the public access to the steroids and then completely annihilate it. At the moment, every athlete, prof essional or not, can easily purchase anabolic steroids from local supplement storesRead MoreAnabolic Androgenic Steroids : The Miracle Working Products That Help Athletes Or Any Physically Active Person936 Words   |  4 Pagesworking products that help athletes or any physically active person, to enhance their performance (Powers, p. 569). An example of an ergogenic aid is anabolic-androgenic steroids, which are known to build and strengthen the muscle. Athletes who chose to take anabolic-androgenic steroids can choose to either take it orally or inject it within their muscle, to try to enhance their performance within their respective sport. The type of performance that the anabolic-androgenic steroids would likely show improvement