Thesis Statement For Steroids

Steroids are a hot topic of debate and controversy in the world of athletes and sports. Steroids fall under the umbrella of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) and are a dark cloud that have been hovering over the sports world for a long time. In the world today, steroids are the most relevant in major league baseball. Many baseball players, such as Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, and Mark McGwire, just to name a few, have ruined their reputations because of steroids. There are repercussions for PED use in major league baseball, which have cut down on the substance abuse by players but have nowhere near eliminated the problem.

Steroid abuse has become a huge problem in professional sports today. Athletes are now using steroids to gain a competitive edge over their opponents. Also, the athletes are using the steroids to recover quickly from major injuries or surgeries. Many former superstar athletes have been caught taking steroids during the season and offseason.

Later it was discovered that anabolic steroids could facilitate the growth of skeletal muscle which led to abuse by bodybuilders, weightlifters, and athletes in other sports. Abuse of anabolic steroids can cause acne, breast development in men, heart attacks, and liver cancer. Most side effects are reversible if the abuser stops taking the drugs, but some are permanent, such as voice deepening in females. Possible health consequences for men are infertility, shrinking of the testicles, and male-pattern baldness while with women enlargement of the clitoris, and excessive growth of body hair can happen. It can affect the musculoskeletal & cardiovascular system, liver, skin, cause infection, and have psychiatric effects such as rage, aggression, mania, and delusions. Treatment of anabolic steroid abuse uses medications to restore the hormonal system after its disruption, and medication to target specific withdrawal symptoms.

Steroids come with three different types of risks/side effects that include: mental health, addictive potential and physical dangers. Steroids have immediate effects on the brain of a user as soon as they begin taking them. As soon as steroids are introduced into the user’s system, they “[bind to the] androgen (male sex hormone) and estrogen (female sex hormone) receptors on the surface of a cell.” Studies have suggested that “steroids may contribute to psychiatric dysfunction, paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility” (“NIDA InfoFacts: Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic)”, 2009). These mental side effects also contribute to the growing narcissistic nature of steroid users, where they feel invincible, that no one is better than them, or

Anabolic pose a ton of risk while associating with them as they are addictive and can pose health risks with abuse leading people to believe that they are bad and should be banned across all sports and taking them off doctors prescriptions, numerous risks involve shrinking of the testicals, heart conditions, strokes, blood clots and other physical defects.Leading to bad physical proportion and one example is men growing breasts and as said before shrinking of testicals leading to a lower sex drive, infertility testicular cancer and as serious as death. These are all risks associated with abuse of anabolic steroids where Corticosteroids risks are likely Bone density, ulcers, osteoporosis and numerous types of infections. (William A. Darity, Jr 2008, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner K. Lee Lerner 2012, Elizabeth Magill 2011, Barbra C. 2007, Stacey L. Blachford and Kristine Krapp,

When using steroids for a long period of time it can have many consequences. If he or her starts the use of steroid use in adolescence years it could change the behavior of him or her in greater ways and change them into their adult lives. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 9th through 12th graders have or use steroids 4.4-5.7 percent of boys and 1.9-3.8 percent of girls use. (Fernandez, Hosey, 2009)

Users have different reasons for doping and, subsequently, steroids have different health consequences. Some common side effects from steroid use are the following: acne, genital changes, water retention, yellowing of the eyes and skin; women may experience: male-pattern baldness, decreased breast size, deeper voices, hairy bodies, and menstrual irregularities; men may experience: reduced sperm production, shrinking of the testicles, impotence, difficulty or pain in urinating, baldness, and irreversible breast enlargement. But these are just minor setbacks right? One could say that, like those aren’t bad, but researchers have also linked steroid abuse to much more serious risks such as: fatal liver cysts, liver cancer, blood clotting, cholesterol changes, hypertension, stroke, and even heart attack. Despite all these potential problems, many still choose to take steroids.

The use of steroids in sports has been a very common argument for so long because there has been arguments that it enhances performance. Why you should not use steroids! Steroids make you have mood swings and can damage your physical appearance. The more steroids you take has a bigger effect on your body. steroids should not be allowed because they cause health risk, behavior issues/mood swings,and they affect the brain.

Steroids and PED’s are used today in sports to help athletes gain muscle mass and strength. Other athletes use them to boost their athletic performance. Today, about 30 percent of college and professional athletes still use anabolic steroids, 10 to 20 percent of high school athletes use them (Lewis). There are many reasons why steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs shouldn’t be allowed in sports.

The issues that surround the use of steroids among athletes raises much controversy and debate.  What most users tend to overlook are the dangers and risks of steroids.  One of the biggest problems with steroids is the fact that athletes only look at the immediate results, muscle and strength, and not at the long-term results that will damage their health.

“…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

Athletes, whether they are young or old, professional or amateur, are always looking to gain an advantage over their opponents to come away with the win. The desire for an "edge" exists in all sports, at all levels of play, from peewee wrestling to professional football. Successful athletes rely on skill, practice, and hard work to increase their skills, speed, power, and ability. Today, high school and even middle school students are using steroids illegally. The United Institute of Health reported that 2.9% of twelve graders in high school have used anabolic steroids(Drugs In Sports, 2) These drugs may also have been called: roids, juice, gym candy, pumpers, stackers, balls or bulls, arnies, or anabolics(Anabolic Steroids, 1). Also most

Currently it is an estimated that at least 6.67 percent of high school seniors in the United States have tried steroids, which is 500,000 males between the ages of 17 and 18 (Anabolic Steroids). The pressure of steroids on teenagers is constantly drilled into their heads because they associate increased strength with perfection. Teenagers are under immense pressure to be perfect. Kids are pressured to do well in school, sports, and any other activities that they are participating in. Anything other than the best is unacceptable and failure which strikes and leads to disrespect. Failure has the sole purpose of tearing people from their self confidence and lending them to be insecure, questioning their abilities and themselves. It does

Anabolic steroid is widely being used by young teens throughout middle school and high school. Studies reveal that children in fifth, sixth, and seventh grade, aging from 9-13 are using anabolic steroids.(isteroids) Think of a number that would represent the percentage of middle school students that have taken an anabolic steroid at least once. “According to steroid stats of various studies, 5.4% of all middle school students are reported using steroids. This includes 2.6% male students, and 2.8% female students.”(isteroids) “Steroid use is growing among 12-17 year old males, and the average adolescent begins

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.