Steroids And Athletes Essay, Research Paper
What kind of role model is Mark McGwire? Many people are familiar with his
seventy homeruns in one season, but do they know that he has been using
androstenedione, a type of steroid that boosts testosterone levels? While it is
perfectly legal in the United States and in the major leagues, it sends the
wrong health message to athletes of every age. If young adults take
androstenedione, or any other steroid, they may regret it for the rest of their
lives. Artificially high levels of testosterone have been shown to permanently
damage the heart, trigger liver failure, and stunt a teenager?s growth (Gorman
21-22). All are too great of a price for any sport. What it all comes down to is
that we need to educate both ourselves and all intercollegiate athletes about
the risks involved with steroid use. Anabolic-androgenic steroids are chemical
derivatives of the male sex hormones. Anabolic refers to the constructive or
building-up process of the body?s metabolism. Androgen refers to male-life or
masculinizing characteristics. There are also two other types of steroids:
estrogenic or corticosteroids. Estrogenic steroids produce female or feminizing
characteristics, and corticosteroids originate in the cortex of the adrenal
glands and have a shrinking effect. The latter is used to treat tissue stress,
reduce inflammation, and to ease pain (Ringhofer 174). Users take steroids in
cycles lasting six to twelve weeks or more. Stacking, or the use of more than
one type of steroid, helps to maximize strength gains, minimize side effects,
and avoid detection. To build size, strength, and speed, athletes often use 10
to 100 times the medical dosage (Yesalis xxv). Anabolic-androgens can be taken
either by mouth, by injection, or, more recently, by skin creams or patches
(Cowart 25). The two main reasons that athletes use steroids are to improve
athletic performance and to improve their appearance. In 1985, Anderson and
McKeag did the first study of college athletes correlated with steroid use. They
interviewed 2039 male and female athletes and discovered much new information.
Nine percent of football players used anabolic-androgen steroids. Other male
sports included track and field (4%), baseball (4%), tennis (4%), and basketball
(3%). The only women?s sport associated with steroid use was swimming, in
which 1% were users. Five percent of Division I athletes were users in 1985, as
well as 4% of D-II and 2% of D-III athletes. The same study was repeated in
1991, in which 2282 athletes were questioned. Overall, steroid use slightly
increased, especially since three women?s sports became associated with
steroid use. Swimming remained at 1%, but one percent of basketball players and
track and field athletes also admitted to using the drugs. For men?s sports,
the figures are the following: football (10%), track and field (4%), baseball
(2%), basketball (2%), and tennis (2%). Five percent of both Division I and II
athletes admitted to using steroids, as well as 4% of D-III athletes (Yesalis
60). Since then, steroid use has decreased in Division I sports, but increased
among females. Steroid use by adolescent girls in the US is low but significant
(Cowart 61). The use of anabolic-androgenic steroids can lead to some cosmetic
side effects. First, they have an effect of body hair. Body hair patterns are
steroid hormone dependent. Normal anabolic-androgenic steroid use can lead to an
increase in facial hair growth and a gradual recession of the hairline. Balding
is accelerated with long-term administration to normal individuals with the
balding gene. Androgens increase sebaceous gland size and secretion rates, which
can result in acne. Relatively weak androgens can increase sebum production and
skin lipid cholesterol content also. Lipid cholesterol content appears at peak
levels in the sebum excretion after three or four weeks of androgen
administration (Yesalis 115-116). Gynecomastia, the development of abnormal
breast tissue in males, ?occurs in men when estrogen levels increase or
androgen levels decrease relative to the amount of estrogen present? (Yesalis
116). Many other side effects occur that are not visible. Increase in appetite,
energy, or aggressiveness, and a more rapid recovery from strenuous workouts may
be some of the first to appear. Anabolic-androgenic steroids can affect the
liver and cardiovascular and reproductive systems. Liver function can be
damaged, resulting in jaundice, blood-filled cysts, and benign and malignant
tumors. An increase in blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure can lead to
early development of heart disease, which can increase the risk of heart attacks
and strokes. For males, production of naturally occurring hormones may be
increased, which can result in shrinking testes, low sperm count, and
infertility. In females, male-like characteristics may appear, such as broader
backs, wider shoulders, thicker waists, flatter chests, more body and facial
hair, and deeper voices. The clitoris may enlarge, and menstrual cycles may
become irregular or stop completely (Ringhofer 175). The central nervous system
can also be affected by anabolic-androgenic steroids. An increase in mental
awareness, elevation in mood, improvement in memory and concentration, and a
reduction of sensations of fatigue can all be partly related to the stimulatory
effects on the central nervous system (Yesalis 163). When individuals
discontinue use of steroids, their size and strength diminish, often
dramatically. These effects motivate renewed use (Yesalis 171). Physical
dependence on steroids, or any other drug, is characterized by symptoms of
withdrawal (Yesalis 197). Dependent users are usually heavy users that more than
likely began taking steroids before the age of sixteen. They complete more and
longer cycles of use, combine multiple anabolic steroid drugs simultaneously,
and use injectable anabolic steroids. In addition, they are more likely to
perceive peers as steroid users. Dependence can occur within nine to twelve
months after initial use. Severe dependence is marked by an excess of dependency
symptoms and social dysfunction. Withdrawal from anabolic-androgenic steroids
can be broken down into two phases. The first phase may begin and end in the
first week. It is characterized by increased pulse rate and blood pressure,
chills, goose bumps, nausea, headaches, and dizziness. The individual is often
anxious and irritable. In the second phase, which may begin in the first week
and last for months, the person shows depressive symptoms and has cravings (Yesalis
205-6). The most critical task of prevention programs is to target the risk
factors of anabolic steroid dependence or abuse, which I hope that I have made
clear. Prevention programs must address the broader cultural context, especially
in the U.S., that places high values on physical attractiveness and on winning
competitions. Successful programs address these influences by providing
alternatives for managing them. Treatment is needed when the severity of
dependence hinders the user from stopping safely on his or her own. The major
goal of treatment is not only, abstinence from anabolic steroids, but also
restoration of health (Yesalis 208). As coaches of possible anabolic-androgenic
steroid users, I suggest three ways to educate your players. First, give a clear
message that any non-medical use of steroids and other performance- or
appearance-altering drugs is illegal and harmful to physical and emotional
health (Ringhofer 138). Promote the importance of participation, fun, and fair
play in sports instead of ?win-at-all-costs? values. Lastly, point out that
the physiques of body builders, and other role models like McGwire, do not
represent healthy or necessarily attractive ideals for young people to follow.
Coaches need to accept the responsibility of making their players aware of the
dangers of steroid use. If they do not, then who will?
4b2
Cowart, Virgina. The Steroids Game. Chicago: Human Kinetics Publishers, 1998.
Gorman, Christine. ?Muscle Madness.? Time. 7 September 1998: 21-22.
Ringhofer, Kevin R. Coaches Guide to Drugs and Sports. Champaign: Human Kinetics
Publishers, 1996. Yesalis, Charles E. Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise.
Champaign: Human Kinetics Publishers, 1996.
Другие работы по теме:
Athletic Heroes Essay Research Paper Athletes As
Athletic Heroes Essay, Research Paper Athletes As Heroes Are there any sport heroes left in society today or have they all diminished? There are people who believe that there are sport heroes in todays society and there are people who believe that there is no such thing as sport heroes nowadays. When socie
Steroids 3 Essay Research Paper Most people
Steroids 3 Essay, Research Paper Most people have the goal and dream to have the perfect body. They believe they will be more popular, or attractive if they achieve the body that they desire. But what lengths will people go to, to get the perfect body. The biggest problem in sports today, as many people know, is steroids.
Over The Edge Essay Research Paper In
Over The Edge Essay, Research Paper In the brutal cutthroat world of modern sports where athletes are in demand for excellence, athletes have been forced to find alternative means to improve their performance. Today, athletes often face a choice whether to use drugs to enhance their performance or to accept what could amount to a handicap.
Steroids Essay Research Paper Steroid use has
Steroids Essay, Research Paper Steroid use has become very common in the world of athletics. Steroids are no longer just used by body builders. Steroids are now becoming widely used in all sports such as baseball, football, track and field, and ice hockey. Steroids have become easy for just about anyone to get their hands on them.
Steroids
“A Dangerous Game” Essay, Research Paper What are steroids? Steroids are a drug that are mainly used by people who are involved in sports. They are also used by people who are affiliated with making themselves stronger.Steroids are drugs that are injected into the body, usually through the anus with hypodermic needles.The drug is chemical hormone.
The Effects Of Anabolic Steroids P1 Essay
, Research Paper Anabolic steroids have recently become a serious problem because of the excessive overuse and/or abuse of the illicit drugs. The problem began mostly with professional athletes, such as weight lifters, body builders, and long distance runners. Although there are many dangers associated with the use of the drugs, they can have great effects on the athletes’ performances in competitions.
Steroids Essay Research Paper SteroidsEver since their
Steroids Essay, Research Paper Steroids Ever since their introduction into sports in the later 1950’s the use of anabolic steroids has been a controversial issue. Much debate has arisen dealing with whether steroids should be allowed for performance enhancement. If you’re not familiar with them, The 1994 Merrian-Webster Dictionary defines an anabolic steroid as, “any of a group of synthetic hormones sometimes taken by athletes in training to increase temporarily the size of their muscles.”
Steroids Essay Research Paper Anabolic steroids are
Steroids Essay, Research Paper Anabolic steroids are powerful muscle-building and performance-enhancing compounds. They are many times used as the “secret-weapon” behind many world-class athletes, their performance, and bodybuilding. Steroids increase the amount of muscle one can build. They are banned by almost every athletic organization and are illegal, therefore leading to arrests and jail time if one is caught with them.
Steriods Essay Research Paper For many years
Steriods Essay, Research Paper For many years people have wrestled with the issue of performance enhancing drugs. Even though many tests and studies have been done to show the affects of these drugs,
The Truth About Steriods Essay Research Paper
Anabolic steroids were first introduced by the Germans during World War II. The soldiers were injected with synthetic testosterone to make them fight more aggressively. Since then, men and woman alike have turned to anabolic steroids to enhance their overall athletic performance and appearance. Now, as we enter the new millennium, it is not just the athletes who use steroids; steroids are becoming more widespread and easier to get, even by an inexperienced user or a teenager.
Sucess From Creatine Essay Research Paper Success
Sucess From Creatine Essay, Research Paper Success From Creatine Many people in athletics avoid using creatine monohydrate because they do not know much about it. They are convinced that something that can help athletes achieve
Steroids Essay Research Paper STEROIDS
Steroids Essay, Research Paper STEROIDS “I just wanted to boost my performance.” These are the words spoken by numerous athletes who have been captured using steroids. The continuous stress and pressure on athletes to perform well has caused some to breakdown and take steroids as an easy way to bulk up. Steroids amongst athletes is not the only problem.
Steroids Essay Research Paper SteroidsSteroids are groups
Steroids Essay, Research Paper ?Steroids? Steroids are groups of natural chemicals, which include fat and all the things fat can break down in the body?s system. From this break down, the body then can be ?boosted? and a human being can do things that most people consider physically impossible. Steroids also affects the mind. ??What is found in Steroids are certain alcohols (or sterols), bile acids, many important hormones, some natural drugs, and the poisons found in the skin of some toads?
Steroids The Easy Way To Destruction Essay
, Research Paper Steroids: The Easy Way To Destruction Athletes’ use of steroids is very popular these days, but even though steroids do produce quick gains in muscle size, they also have some very serious side effects. After long-term use, steroids can cause a change in behavior, a decrease in the body’s natural hormone production, and most seriously of all, addiction.
Steriods 2 Essay Research Paper Are steroids
Steriods 2 Essay, Research Paper Are steroids a drug? Yes, they are considered drugs and some types are illegal. These types of steroids are very controversial because they help body builders to bulk up fast and they make the body builder gain weight and loose fat in a short period of time. But on the other hand steroids also destroy the body.
Steroids In Sports Essay Research Paper Steroids
Steroids In Sports Essay, Research Paper Steroids In Sports The use of anabolic steroids among athletes has become a controversial topic in the United States. Taking anabolic steroids is illegal, and furthermore these drugs may have harmful and sometimes deadly effects. The results of taking anabolic steroids, gaining weight and building muscle rapidly, are very appealing to many athletes.
Drugs In Sport Essay Research Paper There
Drugs In Sport Essay, Research Paper There are many powerful forces in the world, but few are as powerful in sports as this. It is so powerful that 50% of athletes would keep using this knowing it
Sports People Do Not Make Good
Role Models Essay, Research Paper ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY SPORTS PEOPLE DO NOT MAKE GOOD ROLE MODELS There is much evidence to support the argument that steroid use is widespread in the Olympics. Rugby League Footballers abuse alcohol, there is widespread corruption in cricket, racism in football, Rugby League and AFL and violence and fights among the players.
Steroids 2 Essay Research Paper STEROIDS PLAYING
Steroids 2 Essay, Research Paper STEROIDS: PLAYING A DANGEROUS GAME Have you ever thought of doing serious weight training to give yourself a better muscular build? Have you ever thought steroids would be a helpful tool in doing so? If you have you must know that steroids are a deadly and illegal drug. After reading my paper I hope that the thought of using steroids will leave your mind forever and encourage you to keep others of them.
Steriods
… Essay, Research Paper Steroids, what they are why people use them Mohammed Ghatala SEC # 3 03-21-00 What are anabolic steroids? ?Anabolic steroids are a group molecules that include the male sex hormone testosterone and synthetic analogs of testosterone? (Taylor,1991) Anabolic steroids are used by many people in sports today due to the rapid increase in muscle mass.
Dangers Of Anabolic Steroids Essay Research Paper 2
Dangers Of Anabolic Steroids- Essay, Research Paper Dangers of Anabolic Steroids- In the past three decades, steroids has been becoming a serious problem more than ever in the athletic field. Steroids are
The Truth About Anabolic Steroids Essay Research
Paper The Truth About Anabolic Steroids By definition, anabolic steroids are the synthetic versions of the naturally occurring male sex hormone testosterone. Recent statistics report that over 3 million athletes and bodybuilders in this country alone have used anabolic steroids. A recent Sports Illustrated article has stated that 90% of professional athletes have at one time taken some form of illegal performance enhancing drugs.
Steroids Essay Research Paper SteroidsIn the past
Steroids Essay, Research Paper Steroids In the past three decades, steroids have become a serious problem more than ever, especially in the athletic field. Steroids are an anabolic drug used to build growth hormones that include the androgens (male sex hormones), principally testosterone, estrogen, and progestogens (female sex hormones).
Steroids Essay Research Paper SteroidsSteroids are a
Steroids Essay, Research Paper Steroids Steroids are a synthetic version of the human hormone called testosterone, and they can be very addictive. Currently, there are more than 100 different types of steroids that have been developed. The two most common are gamma hydroxybutyrate, also known as GHB, and clenbuterol.
Violence In Sport Essay Research Paper Violence
Violence In Sport Essay, Research Paper Violence in Sport In most of our popular spectator sports, winning depends on the use of violence. To score and win, athletes’ bodies are routinely turned into weapons to be used against other bodies, causing pain, serious injury, and even death. How do we interpret the social meaning of this violence? Commentators – both apologists and critics – have made sweeping statements about sports and violence, but their analyses rarely take into account the meanings of violence in sports to the athletes themselves.
Should Drugs Be Allow In Sports Essay
, Research Paper Drugs have been around for thousands of years but their reasons for being used has changed. Drugs were originally intended for medical uses. In ancient Egypt, physicians prescribed tannic acid to treat burns. The early Chinese and Greek pharmacies included opium used as a pain- killer, while Hindus used cannabis and henbane plants as an esthetic.
Drugs In Sport Essay Research Paper The
Drugs In Sport Essay, Research Paper The topic I am going to discuss today is Drugs in Sport. My contention is that drugs should not be made legal in sports.
Steroids Essay Research Paper SteroidsShould steroids be
Steroids Essay, Research Paper Steroids Should steroids be legal? Well let’s start of with what are steroids? Steroids are classified in the encyclopedia as “any of class of lipids having a molecular structure based on four joined carbon rings with hydrogen molecules attached.”(encylopedia)
Fun Essay Research Paper Why not just
Fun Essay, Research Paper Why not just pay college athletes? College athletics is a money making scheme for both the college administration and the athletes that are involved. There are agents