Use of Steroids in Sports

“…medical researchers believe that between 1 and 3 million youths and adults have taken anabolic steroids in one form or another specifically to enhance their looks or athletic performances,” stated Nuwer (Nuwer, 61). As astounding as these figures are, the number of performance drug users is steadily increasing. With this progressively increasing numbers, it is projected that millions more will use steroids in the immediate future (Newer, 61). Athletes have always sought an advantage in competition even if ignoring the law and their health if necessary. Using drugs of any sort to facilitate an athlete’s athletic ability should be illegal. The use of performance enhancing drugs is not only detrimental to the user but it also creates an uneven playing field for other athletes.

It has always been one of mankind’s greatest instincts to compete and win. Throughout the course of recorded history, athletes have used different types of stimulants to augment their athletic prowess. The ancient Greeks ate sesame seeds, and the Andean Indians and the Australian aborigines chewed coca leaves and the pituri plant for stimulating and refreshing effects (History of Steroids, 1). While ancient athletes believed these harmless placebos enhanced their performances, it was only by their own determination and drive that they were successful. The first actual “steroid” was created in 1935 when the Germans were able to successfully synthesize the male hormone Testosterone (History of Steroids, 1). Testosterone was given to their soldiers in WWII to increase their strength and aggression (Anabolic Steroids, 1). It was over the next 50 years that the use of steroids spun dramatically out of control. In the 1970’s the demand for anabolic steroids grew as the benefits of taking these drugs became more apparent (History of Steroids, 1). It was at this time that the myth of their necessity was born. The use of these drugs has “punted performance standards clear out of sight, so far out of sight that no human can attain them without chemical assistance.” (Francis, 1). This myth was hushed in 1975 when the International Olympic Committee banned steroids from the Olympics and in 1988 when the Anti-Drug abuse act was passed, making them illegal for non-medical purposes (Anabolic Steroids History, 1). Steroids were officially banned in the United States when congress passed the Anabo...

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...plements Creatine, 2). The only problems that can be foreseen with creatine are if the user exceeds the recommended dosages recommended by the manufacturers. It is said that, “This is where the possible dangers of creatine lie, as your body will have to work extra hard to excrete the unused creatine, putting unnecessary stress on your liver and kidneys” (Creatine Side effects, 1).

In today’s society when an athlete breaks a world record, some viewers may justify him winning with the following response: “Well, he’s obviously on steroids.” With the elimination of performance-enhancing drugs altogether, questioning an athletes performance would be laughable. Not only have these drugs demoralized the athletic community but, they have also tainted the phrase “pursuing victory with honor”. Also, these chemically engineered methods to increase muscle mass have dangerous side effects that are harmful to the user and to the participants that play against. These drugs have raised the bar so unrealistically that competition has become impalpable. When an athlete uses drugs to amplify his performance, he is cheating himself, his teammates, his competitors and the people who look up to him.