Steroid use and Sports

Published 29 Nov 2016

The steroids taken by athletes contain testosterone or chemicals that act in a similar way to testosterone, which help increase the development of male sexual characteristics. So, as well as promoting the growth of skeletal muscles, steroids basically turns women into men and men into monsters.

“The Steroid Story, What they are, what they do, and what you need to know about the uses and abuses of anabolic steroids”

According to the author Laura Bonetta this article beautifully highlights that anabolic steroids, the trendy name of artificial substances connected to the male hormone testosterone, are helpful drugs that doctors recommend to treat incapacitating diseases. But gradually more, they are being abused by strong people to pick up an athletic presentation and appearance. Moreover, one of the main scandals in new sports history exploded in 1998, when Mark McGwire first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals and an applauded home-run king confessed he used androstenedione to improve his performance on the field.

Strength Of Anabolic Steroids

According to the author of this article The human body construct various dissimilar kinds of hormones, which are released into the blood and act similar to messengers to control the function of different tissues and organs. Testosterone is a hormone made first and foremost in men’s testes that triggers a lot of the changes that occur throughout puberty ty. Moreover, females also have small amounts of it in their bodies.

Weaknesses of Anabolic Steroids

Though a variety of anabolic steroids may be at variance with their relative level of anabolic in opposition to androgenic effects, “there are no purely anabolic steroids,” says Cynthia Kuhn, a pharmacology professor at Duke University Medical Center. He also highlights this fact that means that an athlete taking anabolic steroids to get better muscles will knowledge side effects that have to do with the androgenic functions of these drugs.

“Psychological Characteristics of Adolescent Steroid Users”

According to this article of Kent F. Burnett, anabolic-androgenic steroids have been used since the early 1950s to improve the athletic presentation, the occurrence of use appears to have greater than before significantly in recent years. Chiefly disturbing is the augmented incidence of their use amongst adolescents. The rising proof of habituation amongst adolescent steroid users and the strongly reinforcing properties of the drugs have created a pressing require for more information concerning the psychosocial characteristics of the adolescents who use these drugs. Such information would dish up an imperative role in the growth of effectual intervention and obstacle programs. Thus, the goals of the present study were to methodically assess a broad variety of psychosocial characteristics in mutually steroid-using and nonsteroid-using adolescents and to decide if any of these characteristics might prove helpful in differentiating flanked by these groups.

According to the research analysis of this article, the data did not recognize any exclusive personality characteristics that distinguish athletic adolescents who use steroids from athletic adolescents who do not use steroids. Further, while no cause-and-effect conclusions can be drawn, the mood trouble data point to that there are a number of potentially serious harmful psychological effects throughout steroid use cycles.

“Steroid Substitutes: No-Win Situation for Athletes”

According to the author Kevin L. Ropp that though the three drugs are not steroids, all are battered in sports since athletes believe they improve performance. From athletes in international rivalry to college and high school athletes to the teenager who just wants to “bulk up,” people of all ages and aptitude have found alternatives to putting back anabolic steroids.

No doubt, the study also set up that a lot of steroid-type ingredients, called sterols, were being advertised. With the exemption of ecdysterone, the sterols were all plant derivatives, Ecdysterone is a bug hormone with no known use in humans. Human growth hormone, or HGH, is one more popular steroid option. Produced of course by the human body, HGH’s only accepted medical use is to treat pituitary dwarfism, but it is under study to treat other disorders.

Contrasting anabolic steroids to those steroid alternatives, Leggett says, “We accepted all of these anabolic steroids for family use in treating diseases like anemias, osteoporosis, and convinced cancers. We know what to wait for from their label dosage and overdoses. A few short-term reactions from using steroid options are alike to those associated with anabolic steroid abuse. These reactions comprise bloody diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, severe acne, early balding, bloating linked by water retention, and greasy skin.

Clenbuterol, gamma hydroxybutyric acid, human enlargement hormone, and erythropoietin, all banned in global competition, are a few of the more well-liked steroid alternatives athletes are now abusing. But, Leggett says, this list is probably to produce as athletes trial with dissimilar and new chemicals.

Research Challenges

After reviewing the above articles we can say that steroids are dangerous when used in any manner without medical supervision. Athletes that compete in a competitive sport usually use it to gain an advantage over their opponents. The problem is that it has undesired side effects for men, women, and even the unborn. There have been many famous athletes at the Olympics that have used steroids and have achieved Olympic glory by winning the gold medal. But when they were tested for drug use and were found positive for drugs, they were embarrassed in front of the world and shamed their country. When abused steroids are no longer anabolic, they stop building the bodies tissue and start tearing it down, as anything will when used in excess.

No doubt, this research can be expanded in detail because it also had the great effect on the social and ethical behavior of adults. In conclusion, the use of anabolic steroids is a serious mistake that many athletes make when competing in sports. But this research is highlighting the causes of steroid on sports athletes because when they were tested for drug use and were found helpful for drugs, they were uncomfortable in front of the world and shamed their country. When abused steroids are no longer anabolic, they stop building the bodies tissue and start tearing it down, as anything will when used in excess.

Reference

  • Laura Bonetta (2004, August). The Steroid Story, What they are, what they do, and what you need to know about the uses and abuses of anabolic steroids, American School Board Journal, August 2004
  • Kent F. Burnett , Mark E. Kleiman 2002, Psychological Characteristics of Adolescent Steroid Users. Journal Title: Adolescence. Volume: 29. Issue: 113. Publication Year: 1994. Page Number: 81.
  • Kevin L. Ropp 2002, Steroid Substitutes: No-Win Situation for Athletes. Magazine Title: FDA Consumer. Volume: 26. Issue: 10. Publication Date: December 2002. Page Number: 8.
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doping_in_sport
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