Their Athlete For Steroid Use example essay topic

A Struggle for Size Athletic competition has been part of society since the early beginnings of man. Gladiators, wrestlers, and sprinters are some the early types of athletes that competed. Mankind seems to have been born with a desire to compete; every man feels the need to have dominance over another man. These facts are even apparent in today's society. Now there are all kinds of sports to choose from, and many of these sports are played at a professional level. These sporting events give individuals that chance to be the better of another person, just as the earlier ones did.

That inbred desire to dominate will lead men to do almost anything for victory. This is good in many cases because it shows courage and perseverance; on the other hand, many have taken it to the extreme of using outside agents to better their chances for dominance. By this I mean, a large number of athletes use performance enhancing drugs. "Athletes have taken natural or synthetic performance aids since the earliest days of organized sports competition" (Clark, Cooper, and Griffen, 525).

The usage of performance enhancing drugs like steroids has become too widespread and it needs to be stopped. The illegal production and distribution of steroids should be disrupted or even halted. The athletic community as a whole looks down upon the usage of such drugs. Many rules and regulations have been created to cut down on the number of athletes that use drugs to heighten their performances. The Olympics exemplify this strategy very well.

If an Olympic competitor admits or is tested positive for steroid use the can be stripped of any medals won, or they can be disqualified from all competition. A well remembered instance in which this occurred was when the sprinter Ben Johnson won the gold meda in the 100-meter dash, but not to long after he was denounced from his position as the worlds fastest man. Professional and college football in the United States also takes this approach to athletes caught using steroids. Football players may be fined or suspended from playing in games for testing positive. Just last month three National Football League players were suspended from the last four games of their season because of testing positive for substances that were similar to steroids. These are not the only events in which testing and penalties take place.

Many other sports test their athlete for steroid use. These methods of testing and penalizing the athlete are valiant attempts at reducing the problem. Yet, these attempts are not enough because they focus too much on those that use the drugs instead of the sources of the substances. In no way though are the athletes free from blame. They are the individuals that must make the final decision, but there needs to be more of an effort to penalize the persons distributing these drugs.

In order to solve any type of problem, one should consider the source of the dilemma, and then head straight for that source with the intent to dispel the struggle. I have a simple solution to propose that will correct the escalating use of steroids among the athletes of today, but it may be hard to accomplish. Although it seems like a good plan to penalize the athletes for using steroids it really is not, because all this does is temporarily lessen the use, nothing more. These athletes are taking the full blame for this problem, but there are others that should share this burden with them.

I believe that instead of attacking athletes as though they are the criminals, we need to assault the distributors of these substances. By cutting off the problem at the root, which is the distributors and producers, we prevent the athlete from ever having the chance of getting their hands on these steroids. If we do not address the problem in this manner then it is possible that it could never get resolved. It will continue to grow like weeds in a garden if we do not rectify the issue. Leaving it up to the athletes to refrain from usage allows the substances to continue being circulated, and this does not bring us towards a solution it merely pacifies us.

There needs to be some strict fines placed on those that produce or distribute steroids. It is necessary to understand the nature of these substances and what they are. Steroids are natural or synthetically occurring compounds with a wide range of physiological activity, as defined by Encarta Encyclopedia. Steroids are substances that increase strength and size of the user. These substances do this because they possess a tissue building quality. This quality speeds up certain processes at the cellular level that involve growth and development.

Steroids are commonly used in the medical world for many ailments and injuries. Included in the family of steroids are sex hormones, adrenal hormones, and bile acids. Some of the substances are important to the field of biology, as well as medicine. It was common earlier in the century for steroids to be used to treat patients suffering from gastrointestinal disorders.

The steroids helped these patients build tissue that they otherwise could not, because their disorders kept them from absorbing nutrients. Steroids come in a wide array of forms, and can be taken many different ways. These substances can be taken orally by swallowing pills, or injected directly into the bloodstream. There are a couple new forms that can be placed between the cheek and gum, as with chewing tobacco. The most common forms of steroids are the anabolic steroids that are associated with the sprinter Ben Johnson.

Anabolic steroids increase muscle development, improve strength, and enhance endurance. Few of these anabolic substances are legal for use, maybe only a handful. Some anabolic steroids such as oxymethalone, nandrolone, and stanozolol can only be found on the black market. Usage of these three drugs can lead to addiction and severe health problems and other side effects. Some of the health problems include sterility, heart or liver disease, and kidney damage. Other common side effects are increased aggressiveness and paranoia.

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. Steroids can be beneficial in certain situations, but usually they only lead to harmful results.

In today's world professional athletes are placed in high regard by society. These athletes are made into role models and almost godlike creatures. Because pro athletes are so glorified, many more are using steroids to boost themselves and there careers into stardom. Ben Johnson's medal stripping marked the beginning of this widespread use by bringing it to the attention of the world.

The most likely place to find a steroid pumped body is in the sport of professional bodybuilding. It is likely that nearly all of the individuals that compete at the professional level of bodybuilding have taken some form of steroids, during the course of their careers. Professional wrestling which has gained much popularity in recent years is notorious for steroid use among participants. The National Football League is another place where steroid abuse has caught the attention of viewers. It seems as though every day a new player is busted for testing positive. Professional Baseball as well has had its share of controversy.

Last year Mark McGuire received some unwanted attention for his use of androstenedione, a growth hormone. So, McGuire ended up stopping his usage so that he would not be criticized when he broke the homerun record. Younger athletes that see this behavior are very likely to emulate it. Brian Boz worth, a well-known college football player, is also remembered for his steroid use during his college days.

Another well remembered football player that struggled with steroid use was Lyle Alzado. He used them all throughout his college and professional careers. Alzado used the steroids secretly during his career to help him achieve the greatness that he did. Eventually he declared publicly that he had lied about his use, but this was only after some deadly side effects had set in. During his early years playing he looked at steroids as answer to gaining competitive edge in the rigorous sport, and quickly he became addicted. He quickly gained recognition, and in 1977 he was award defensive player of the year from the league.

Alzado used the steroid called stanozolol and later nandrolone, both extremely addictive and dangerous. He continued to use them throughout his career disregarding the dangers that they brought. Alzado's popularity won him some television roles after his football career. After being diagnosed with his disease, Alzado earnestly tried to convince people of the dangers that steroid use entailed. Eventually he died from a rare form of brain cancer that he attributed to steroids. Alzado was only forty-three when he died (Compton's Online Encyclopedia).

Competing in athletics on any level has its pressures. Pressures to perform and win can be a heavy burden for players. Every player wants to be the best and become the next superstar of their sport, like Michael Jordan is to basketball. As with many areas of life, the better you perform on the field the more prestige, money, and power you will receive.

These rewards are very enticing to young athletes, and many would sacrifice profusely to achieve such goals. Getting to such greatness requires a great amount of time, skill, hard work, and luck. But, instead of sacrificing time and hard work athletes look for the easy way to reach stardom. This seems to be a theme that is growing more common in the realm of sports. Still, some athletes may not be as gifted as others may, so they likely will try to make up for deficiencies by using steroids. Nevertheless, many factors can lead young athletes to turn towards steroids.

Ever since I was young I have been involved in sports. It has always been a dream of mine to play college football or baseball at a prestigious school, and then maybe go to the big leagues. As the years have passed my dream has gotten closer and closer to reality. I am now attending school on a football scholarship. Along the way though I have felt many pressures from family, friends, coaches, and mainly my self.

All them want to succeed. Because of these tremendous pressures I personally have been tempted to use drugs to enhance my athletic abilities. I have seen many of my teammates use them with no problems. Due to the fact that members of my team have used them, I also have easy access in attaining them. I have been offered a free amount several times just to try them. Thankfully, I have refrained from using steroids.

I have chosen other safer alternatives, but it may be harder to get the results I need. I have decided to use dietary supplements to increase my protein and nutrient intake. I have found that there are many stores around where one can get good nutritional supplements to help themselves gain weight and strength. I glad that technology has provided some decent alternative to steroids, because they are a very tempting to young athletes like myself. "Since the 1950's, anabolic steroid use in order to increase muscular development and to improve strength and endurance has spread rapidly among both male and female amateur and professional athletes" (Compton's Online Encyclopedia). This trend will continue to spread unless we address to source of the problem, rather than the athlete.

The makers and distributors of these harmful and illegal substances must be caught and then penalized. It is important that we do something about this problem because many people will take these steroids without understanding the damages that they can cause to their bodies. I have found alternatives to steroids, so I know from personal experience that it is possible to be successful without them. 701 "Steroids". Compton's Encyclopedia Online.

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1997. "A large group of naturally occurring or synthetic lipids with a wide range of physiological activity". Clark, Cooper, and Griffen. "An Old Problem".

Congressional Quarterly Researcher July 26, 1991: 525. "Athletes have taken natural or synthetic performance aids since the earliest days of organized sports competition. ".