In recent years there have been many stories of athletes, especially in baseball, that have gotten caught using steroids. People single out the idea that the competitor did not abide by the rules. Because of this narrow-minded act, they tend to not look at the harmful effects these drugs have on the body. Steroids are extremely damaging physically and psychologically. There are multiple ways in which a human can experience long and short-term effects from the use of these horrible drugs. The most common effects include diseases and severe brain problems. While HGH and Anabolic steroids are a serious concern for sports, it is a more prominent problem in baseball, but the frightening part people fail to recognize, is that the drugs cause life-threatening problems. Steroids were invented by “A doctor by the name of Dr. Ruzicka, who in the early 1930’s created it for medical purposes, essentially to fight conditions like cancer and AIDS” (Steroids in Sports).The drugs are mainly byproducts of the male hormone called testosterone. When a person takes steroids, they are putting extra testosterone into their body. Excessive testosterone eventually leads to rapid muscle growth. As humans use steroids, they can be faced with horrible health problems such as “high blood pressure, HIV/AIDS (when taken with shared needles), fluid retention, depression, anxiety, mania, low sperm production, and over-exertion” (Steroids in Sports). Additional effects include development of breasts in men, growth of facial and chest hair in women, faded testicles, pattern baldness, and increase risk of prostate cancer. In addition, steroids can bring about psychological consequences. Several of the many psychological side effects include “edginess, impatience, paranoid feelings, severe mood swings, obsession with body image, and angry and violent outbursts that people call “roid rage”” (What Steroids do to a Body). These conditions are not pleasurable for a person to have to live with. If the abuser has a family in which they provide for and take care of, the psychological consequences make tasks like these that much more difficult. Nobody should exhibit these horrifying characteristics to their loved ones at any point in their life.
One of the most common short-term side effects of steroid use is Edema, or in other words, water retention. Edema causes “swelling in the ankles, knees, feet and wrists. This condition can be constant for some people while taking steroids” (Mayo). Abusers with Edema can easily feel uncomfortable and their bones may not properly function. Another very probable short-term side effect is the “atrophy of the testicles. This condition causes the testicles to shrink and is caused by testosterone coming from another source other than the testicles themselves, causing them to shrink” (Christopher). Finally, the last common short term effect is jaundice. “Jaundice is failure of bile flow that causes yellowish pigmentation of skin, tissues, and body fluids” (Sutton). The condition will bring unwanted attention to users and it is a disorder that will take away from a person that is trying to have a big bad look.
Some of the long-term conditions are ones that most steroid users entirely overlook. One of the most harmful conditions is a cardio vascular problem. High cholesterol is linked with steroid use and this “increases the chance of blood clots to the heart or the brain, which can result in death or severe disability. As the body tries to cope with the massive muscle mass that it is quickly building, there is an extra burden on the heart to supply blood” (Christopher). High cholesterol can also result in death from heart attacks, which is common throughout steroid use. Problems with the liver can become another long-term effect that is disregarded amongst steroid users. According to many cites “Steroids are scientifically proven to cause
Why take steroids? They cause a lot of problems that you probably won't notice until later on in life. As an example, take Marion Jones, a United States track star. Her coach had been putting steroids in her water for 2 years straight. After a period of time she noticed herself becoming bigger, stronger, and faster but she had no clue it was the steroids. From 1999-2001, Marion received 5 medals, 3 gold and 2 bronze. In 2001 the International Olympic Committee investigated Marion Jones. They accused…
The Truth on Steroids The topic of steroid use in sports continues to make the headlines more frequently. There may be a legitimate reason for steroid use. One example would be that the drug helps the athlete overcome personal injuries. Steroids help the repair process, by quickly repairing joint tissues allowing them to return to the game rapidly and to compete more competitively. Steroids have always been a major issue in sports. Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire both openly used steroids, and the two…
There are many articles that will explain the physical side effects of anabolic steroids but there are few that tell us about the psychological effect. A person may start to develop a psychosis (a break in reality). The steroid user doesn't feel connected with the real world and is instead living and thinking in his own world. In this reality he is all-powerful, invincible and capable of anything. It is in the psychosis state that the violence associated with "roid rage" comes into play. Another…
Anabolic Steroids In Exercising, Athletics, And The Effects On The Human Body Anabolic Steroids in Exercising, Athletics, and the Effects on the Human Body Through all of history, athletes have searched for certain “foods” and “potions” to turn their old bodies into more powerful ones. By doing this, many athletes turned to anabolic steroids. When did these drugs come about, or what is the history behind steroids? The noted history of anabolic steroids being abused drugs began in 1954 among Olympic weight lifters…
Jerry Walker English 120 November 15, 2012 Steroids: “Giving you a boost or do you really need them to stay in the game?” Even if you’re a true athlete you know there is always room for improvement, you may hear commotion from television or in the locker rooms about drugs that supposedly known to give you a step up on the competition and majority of the people already know what it is. The answer to that are steroids. Do you know what steroids actually are and how they can potentially harm our…
Prospectus The arrival of Steroid use came about in the nineteenth century that created many positive impacts for women athletes of this era. There has always been myths that discuss the weaknesses that exist in women’s performance. Their nature(genetics) is dissimilar to man and so it is seen as “her disability.” Women were always recognized to raise their children and nurture them, and this became a woman’s millstone. The issue that existed for centuries was women trying to gain access to the…
Negative Effects of Steroids Over one million Americans seek shortcuts to larger muscles and greater endurance by using anabolic steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. Steroids are drugs that act like chemical in the body. Most steroids are transformed into testosterone when they enter the body. Testosterone is a male growth hormone. While the user gains some short-term results, they are hurting themselves in the long run. (Kalawalski) Some of the effects of anabolic steroids damage your kidneys…
Anabolic Steroids and its Affect on Modern Athletes Developed in 1931 Anabolic-androgenic Steroids or just Anabolic Steroids have become a controversial topic among society. The word “anabolic” means growing or building which was the full intention of the development of anabolic steroids. They were first used in the early 1930’s to stimulate bone growth and enhance male sexual characterizes. In its development steroids underwent several changes and enhancements. When first developed steroids…
about steroids. This article explains to you the down falls of injecting steroids into ones body. The author points out that steroids is an ergogenic drug. This drug is primarily used by young men who believe the drug will increase their strength, power, bulk (weight) speed and athletic performance. This article includes extent of abuse such as, seventeen to twenty percent of college athletes use steroids. Hundreds and thousands of people ages eighteen and older abuse anabolic steroids at least…
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…