“ As many as 10-15 on each team are taking the substance to gain lean muscle mass” (HGH Use Is). The players have became so much bigger than they were in the 70’s. Tight ends have became at least 10 pounds heavier and are standing at 6’4 or even taller. The average weight for a tight end in the N.F.L. is usually 240 pounds, but some individuals like Rob Gronkowski are 6’6” 265 pounds.Tight ends would take steroids to become bigger and stronger which means they would become harder to tackle, and could also power their way past the first down marker. Lineman are the players that are more prone to use steroids. They use them because their position requires them to be big and strong. Offensive lineman that take steroids take them so the defensive player would have a harder time getting to the quarterback. Defensive lineman that take steroids take them so they could over power the offensive lineman that is blocking them to stop the ball carrier from getting a big gain. The average height and weight for an offensive lineman is 6’5 and weighing 312 pounds. The biggest player drafted in the 1979 draft was 272 pounds, there are guys being drafted around 290 pounds or above now
Steroids are classified as anabolic steroids, which increase muscle growth and are meant to reduce the weight of the body. Anabolic steroids are also often used among athletes to increase their muscle growth. However, many people who inject steroids irregularly, induces side effects such as, kidney failure, liver damage, heart attacks, and undersized growth. Athletes inject themselves with the performance enhancing drug to improve their performances. The legal use of prescription steroids can be use to treat different conditions that cause a loss of lean muscle mass.
Throughout the history of athletics, athletes have searched for ways to make themselves better, faster, and stronger. Steroid use is one of the most popular choices among these athletes. Steroids are synthetic hormones that produce specific physiological effects on one's body and have been used since the 1930s (Center for Substance Abuse Research). Although the German Scientists who discovered steroids did not intend to use it for body building or to create better athletes, steroid use has developed into a controversial subject concerning the health of users and other moral issues. The use of steroids in athletics is physically and morally wrong because it essentially promotes the deterioration of the health of athletes and unfair competition among these athletes.
Americans today tend to believe that there are only a select few in sports who are users of steroids. However, according to Julian Savulescu, "20.3% of professional athletes said they have tried drugs or steroids to improve their performance in the game" (3). At this high percentage, about one in five athletes are considered "cheaters". Jacob Beck believes that "using steroids is not cheating if a whole generation of the best and most promising athletes have been doing it" (5). There is no reason to continue trying to catch steroid users when so many athletes take them. All major league sports are filled with steroid use to some extent. It is impossible to have a perfectly "clean" sport without eliminating a good percentage of its players. Since steroids already have a major presence in major league sports and there is no way to ever completely get rid of them, steroid use should be legalized. By legalizing steroids, athletes would no longer have to worry about unsafe or risky suppliers; with prescriptions from doctors, steroids would be safe for the athletes, and users would be less likely to abuse them. Also, the playing fields for all sports would be more equal than they have ever been in a long time. By creating an equal playing field, sport records would be more meaningful and there would be much fewer arguments for cheating or an unfair record. With an increase in muscle strength, there would be fewer injuries and more quality performances, which would make fans more inclined to go to a game knowing there was going to be a great display of strength and athleticism.
...f 10th graders, and 2.5 percent of 12th graders. In “Bigger, stronger, Faster”, a documentary on steroid use, They said that only 15% of steroid users were athletes so that leaves 85% for the rest of America. If the government and media continues to concentrate on athletes who use steroids, instead of focusing on the bulk of users, then they will continue to alienate many citizens by making anabolic steroids illegal without proper research to back up there decision.
Health risks can be produced by long-term use or excessive doses of anabolic steroids. These effects include harmful changes in cholesterol levels, acne, high blood pressure, liver damage, and dangerous changes in the structure of the left ventricle of the heart. Conditions pertaining to hormonal imbalances such as gynecomastia and testicular atrophy may also be caused by anabolic steroids.
Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances that mimic the male sex hormones known as androgens. This is where the true name anabolic-androgenic steroid is derived, but for familiarity purposes they are referred to only as anabolic steroids (no purely anabolic agent has ever been synthesized). Specifically, they are synthetically produced to act as the male hormone testosterone. Testosterone has a 17-carbon core, like its replication- the anabolic steroid, and is credited for the promotion of growth of skeletal muscles and the development of male sexual characteristics. It has both androgenic (masculinization) and anabolic (tissue-building) effects in the human body. Functions of testosterone include increased numbers of red blood cells, improved calcium deposition in the bones, muscle enlargement, increased body hair, thickening of vocal chords, and growth and development of the prostate gland (Hickson, Ball, Falduto; 1989). Women have naturally occurring testosterone already present in their bodies, but in such sm...
“[Thirty percent] of college and professional athletes have used or currently use steroids, as do 10-20% of high school athletes” (“Anabolic Steroids”). These numbers are alarming, but there are two main reasons why this is occuring: people tend to belief steroids will improve their appearances, and athletes believe their athletic abilities will increase. However, most are not aware of the effects steroid use has on the body. Steroid use has dramatic effects on the user’s body and mind in many different ways.
Steroids are used as much in sports now as they have ever been in the past, even with stricter testing and knowledge of the harmful side effects. Olympians are especially prone to use these drugs because of the great pressure put on these athletes, but it is becoming wide spread through all sports. For the most part, the athletes get away with steroid use because of new technologies and using patterns which make the steroids undetectable to the tests.
Anabolic steroid use is very dangerous and illegal in the USA. Steroid abuse is where danger comes into play. Anabolic steroids can be used safely with many positive effects and minimize the side effects if used safely, and in moderation. "I used steroids. It was a risky thing to do, but I have no regrets. It was what I had to do to compete. The danger with steroids is overusage. I only did it before a difficult competition – for two months, but not for a period of time that could harm me. And then afterward, it was over. I would stop. I have no health problems, no kidney damage or anything like that from using them." (Schwarzenegger) The positive side effects of steroids include increase in the male sex hormone (testosterone); which spikes improved recovery rate, increase in euphoria, gain in strength and size, increase in sex drive, and beco...
Wrongful uses for steroids have become a popular phenomenon in life today by the professional athletes encouraging them to adolescent minds. The TCADA, or Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, says: “The majority of users taking steroids are young, male athletes, bodybuilders, and endurance sports participants” (Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse 1). If one uses steroids at an age too young growth can be stunned forever. Steroids can also cause acne flare up, rapid mood swings, premature balding and aggressive behavior. In Figure 1, it displays the key locations on the body that steroids affect with the harmful effects. Steroids do not just affect men; women also are victims of the harmful effects, such as developing male hormones, causing hair growth and deepening of the voice.
In sports, the use of steroids is prevalent among athletes that have reached a plateau in their physical development.
Athletes should not take steroids or supplements as they can lead to addiction and severe health problems and other side effects. Some of the health problems include sterility, heart or liver disease, kidney damage, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and cancer in males and females. Other common side effects are increased aggressiveness and paranoia. The list can go on and on. Female users face even more problems than male users. In females, many physical changes may occur such as growth of facial and body hair, deepening of the voice, diminished breasts, and abnormal menstrual cycles. If taken by to early, anabolic steroids may stunt growth, by fusing the growth plates. ...
After reading the drugs facts about anabolic steroids, I learn and understand what “steroids” mean and the effects it has on people. “Steroids” means male sex hormones testosterone. This drug can be taken in many different ways: injected into the muscle, cream or gel. I learned that this drug can help treat people with the problem of delayed puberty, loss of muscle mass, cancer and aids. Although, this drug can affect the brain causing changes in the mood and behavior. Anabolic steroid can mess with the brain and make people aggressive if it is used long-term. However, this drug can be life-threatening on how people use it. Athletics, bodybuilder and others, usually take steroids for a better body appearance which can have negative effects
While the effects of steroids can seem desirable at first, there are serious side effects. Excessive use can cause a harmful imbalance in the body's normal hormonal balance and body chemistry. Heart attacks, water retention leading to high blood pressure and stroke, and liver and kidney tumors all are possible. Young people may develop and a halting of bone growth. Males may experience shrinking testicles, falling sperm counts, and enlarged prostates. Women frequently show signs of masculinity and may be at higher risk for certain types of and the possibility of birth defects in their children. The psychological effects of steroid use are also alarming: drastic mood swings, inability to sleep, and feelings of hostility. Steroids may also be psychologically addictive. Once started, users, particularly athletes, enjoy the physical "benefits" of increased size, strength, and endurance so much that they are reluctant to stop even when told about the risks. Major athletic competitions, including the Olympics, routinely screen athletes to prevent steroid use.