Any type of artificial substance that an athlete takes can be considered as a Performance Enhancing Drug. There are several different classes and each one has a unique effects and side effects. Some of the classes Performance Enhancing Drugs that are commonly used are: lean mass builders, stimulants, painkillers, sedatives, diuretics, boosters, and masking drugs (Wikipedia). Within each of these types of P.E.D.’s there are different drugs.
Some may wonder what these classes are. Lean Mass Builders drive or amplify the growth of muscle and lean body mass. This can also reduce body fat and the time that an athlete takes to recover from an injury. Some types of lean mass builders are anabolic steroids, xenoandrogens, beta-2 agonists,…show more content… Now you may understand why these drugs are considered Performance Enhancing drugs. Each drug takes a different effect to help the athlete preform in a way that is better than their abilities. Some side affects for men who take anabolic steroids may be: developing breasts, having a decrease in sperm count, they may become infertile or become incompetent. Some of the effects on anabolic steroids for women are: growing excessive face and body hair, their voices may deepen, they may experience menstrual irregularities, reduced breast size, or have a masculinized female fetus. Also some of the effects that can happen on any man or women are: getting acne, have oily scalp and skin, jaundice, become bald, have heart attacks, develop significant risk of liver disease, have high levels of bad cholesterol, have mood swings, or suffer delusions (DeNoon). These are only a few of the bad effects of taking an anabolic steroid.
What is the difference between an anabolic steroid and a corticosteroid? An anabolic steroid is a synthetic steroid hormone that resembles testosterone in promoting the growth of muscle. Such hormones are used medicinally to treat some forms of weight loss and (illegally) by some athletes and others to enhance physical performance. Whereas a corticosteroid is any of a group of steroid hormones produced in the adrenal cortex or made synthetically. There are two kinds: glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. They have various
