Bodybuilding Controversy

Many subcultures have derived since the beginning of time. They could be classified through religion, culture, style, outlook on life and many other aspects. The one subculture that has grown tremendously through out time is a very hard one to notice as a subculture opposed to a sport. Its said that bodybuilding started way back in the times of great philosophers like Plato who believed that a man should strive for a balance between mind and body and that there should be harmony between the two. Also Plato believed with out a well-conditioned body the mind would ultimately suffer. Taken into aspect obviously someone perused the great words of a historic

Steroids (anabolic) are a drug that was discovered and made by medical scientists in the last 1930’s to help with medical problems. The drug was made to help with many medical problems such as testosterone, growth, sexual functioning, and other medical problems such as helping people with HIV to help grow musical. It also helps with many other diseases. Like any other drug on the market people learn that the drug can be used for many other ways. Steroids can enhance athlete’s performance as well as bodybuilders and is used in almost every sport out there. The use of steroids has become a widespread problem. Steroid use has caused many help problems with the misuse of the drug and has caused the drug to be illegal for people to use them in

Individuals really get behind their beliefs. It is this reason that these body builders will put everything on the line to meet society’s standard. Their beliefs are very important to them. Many believe steroids have no negative effects. These steroids may not have physical effects on these particular users, but it can have legal, and psychological effects on the user's. But due to their beliefs, these guys are willing to risk it, to fit the social construct of society. “Others believed steroid enforcement was such a low law enforcement priority, that only either the very stupid or the very brazen need to be concerned.” This belief is very strong among many bodybuilders, thinking that it won’t happen to

Abstract:  With the increase of competition has also come the need to become bigger and stronger than the opponent.  The use of steroids among athletes has caused the focus of the game to change.  No longer does an athlete want to win by doing their best, but they want to become bigger and have an advantage over the opponent.  Ultimately, all athletes feel that they need to use performance-enhancing drugs to compete at the same level. Despite all of the warnings and information on performance-enhancing drugs, athletes continue to use them and overlook the potential health risks associated with steroids.

Bodybuilding is the process that involves development of muscle fibers which is facilitated through special exercises, increased diet (calorie) as well as having the recommended amount of rest. I believe that in the current century bodybuilders have formed subcultures that are very unique in the sense that they have their own values, beliefs as well as traditions that are enshrined within their cultural provisions.

Throughout the history of athletics, humans have pursued new and innovative ways to construct better, faster, stronger athletes. Steroid use is one of the most popular choices among these athletes. Steroids, first created in the 1930s, are synthetic hormones that produce specific physiological effects on one's body (Center for Substance Abuse Research). Although the German scientists who discovered steroids did not intend its use for body building or creating better athletes, steroid use has developed into a controversial subject concerning the health of users and other moral issues. Overall, the use of steroids in athletics is physically and morally wrong because it essentially promotes the deterioration of the health of athletes and

Anabolic Steroids are commonly viewed as a miracle drug in order to increase muscle growth and definition, but what most users of the drug don’t know are the life altering effects that prolonged use can cause. When the drug was released in the late 50’s by scientists working for the Soviet Union, they had no idea what the lasting effects were going to be. At first the drug seemed to be almost a miracle, it helped the Soviet weightlifting team beat the American team by a long shot, but then the lifters began to experience certain bodily changes that were actually the onsets of horrendous life changing side effects that could have been prevented with further studies. Since that time, most states in North America and around have banned the distribution and use of the drug completely due to its adverse effects on the body, if caught using such drugs in professional sporting communities, it could land the athlete thousands of dollars’ worth of fines and they can even face up to five years in jail if they are found with the drug in their possession. On top of this, the risks involved can potentially alter the normal way of life for that athlete for the rest of his life, such risks include hormonal changes, cardiovascular problems, behavioral issues, and even problems with the reproductive system.

“…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

Also, the FDA has found 300 products that are frauds. These products are usually in dietary supplements, sexual enhancement supplements, and bodybuilding products. These products contained unapproved stimulants (Starling 1). Michael Levy, the FDA’s director in its Division of New Drugs and Labeling Compliance said, “These products are masquerading as dietary supplements- they may look like dietary supplements but they are not legal dietary supplements” (Starling 1). Most adverse reports consist of liver damage, strokes, heart attacks, kidney failures, and death. “The Federal Food and Drug Administration noted that it had, 'worked with industry' to to recall

Based on all that is said about the diet supplements and muscle enhancers they are not good and Congress needs to do more to protect the American people. Reasons to support this come in a variety of ways. There are atheletes dieing in order to stay on teams and make weight for their job. The American public is always concerned with what they look like so they are taking all the diet pills to make themselves look better. What the congress isn’t realizing is that these products come with serious side effects to the human body. With products being

The group is easily identifiable in larger society. The very nature of bodybuilding is to stand out from everyone else (Sinicki). That being said, bodybuilders are generally accepted in society, aside from a few strange looks and comments; unless steroids or other banned drugs are used (which increase aggression) they fit peacefully into society (Sinicki).

Bigorexia as know as muscle dysmorphia and both have definitions. Bigorexia is defined as “a mental disorder characterized by a normal person´s obsession with an imagined defect in physical appearance; also called muscle dysmorphia” and muscle dysmorphia is defined as “a mental disorder primarily affecting males, characterized by obsessions about a perceived lack of muscularity, leading to compulsive exercising, use of anabolic steroids, etc.” in dictionary.com.

In the past three decades, steroids has been becoming a serious problem more than ever in the athletic field. Steroids are anabolic drug "to build" growth hormones that include the androgens (male sex hormones) principally testosterone and estrogen and progestogens (female sex hormones). Steroids were first developed for medical purposes. They're used in controlling inflammation, strengthening weakened hearts, preventing conception, and alleviating symptoms of arthritis and asthma. Unfortunately research has shown that steroids have been abused in almost every kind of sport. Although steroids contribute to a muscular body, usage should remain illegal because they physically deteriorate and mentally destroy the body.

twitch muscles. Fast twitch muscles have a fast form of myosin ATP and are very

In today’s society, athletes are revered as heroes. There is immense pressure to be the best. Athletes are willing to do whatever it takes to gain an edge, even if it means compromising their health. For almost three decades, athletes have been supplementing their strength program with anabolic steroids to enhance their performance. To be sure, anabolic steroids are effective supplements to strength training programs, but there is no doubt that the consequences can be deleterious.