In conclusion, when the cause is so important to a major league baseball player like Ken Caminiti that he takes larges doses of anabolic steroids to improve his performance, the effect is death. Caminiti was MVP of the National League in 1996; "I got really strong, really quick," Caminiti explained (Mileur, 2004); he was the first MLB player to admit to taking anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids are actually mimicking the male sex hormones that are called androgens, according to psychology professor Lindsay Sutton with Vanderbilt University. Anabolic steroids are synthetically produced to act as testosterone, the male hormone that is also present in women (to a lesser degree of course), according to Sutton, who explains that the original purpose for the development of anabolic steroids was not to help athletes cheat but to treat symptoms such as "hypogonadism," when testes are not producing enough testosterone "…for normal growth, development and sexual functioning…[and also for] impotency, HIV and other infectious diseases" (Sutton, 2012, p
Kids see these athletes as role models, and when they see them using steroids, they perceive it as an endorsement (Sports, 2005)." Doctors here see the use of anabolic steroids to enhance athletic performance as just another form of drug abuse (Jackson, 2005)
" Rafael Palmeiro of the Texas Rangers and Sammy Sosa of the Baltimore Orioles flatly denied taking steroids. Home-run king Mark McGwire refused to say under oath whether he had taken the drugs (McGowan, 2005)
As long as children and adults are being conditioned that winning at all costs is acceptable steroid use is going to be an issue in sports. In an interview with the Kansas City Star, Jeremy Giambi became the first active baseball player with significant major-league experience to publicly admit that he knowingly used steroids (Passan, 2005)
Random testing at the high school level will help in alleviating the problem of steroid use in youth sports. Student-athletes subject to random drug testing at an Oregon high school were almost four times less likely to use drugs than their counterparts at a similar school who were not tested, a study shows (Silverman, 2002)
¶ … Anabolic Steroids in the sporting world Anabolic Steroids Steroid usage has become increasingly common in today's society, as "the number of professional athletes who have come to rely on performance-enhancing drugs including anabolic steroids and human growth hormone has grown" (Becker & Scheufele 445)
The combination of all of these mind-altering substances within adolescents whose brains are not full developed can prove highly detrimental to the growth and maturity of such an individual. This is particularly true since "Children seem to be the most susceptible to anabolic steroid use" (Cheatham et al
Therefore, the disruption of the natural harmony and balance between the body and the mind that the aggressive tendencies of anabolic steroid use engenders can lead younger users into harmful consequences such as becoming addicted to other drugs. For example, "Among males not participating in school sports, 37% of the variation in anabolic steroid use was accounted for by frequency of cocaine use, injected drug use, and engaging in strength training" (Durant et al
However, a thorough analysis of existing literature unequivocally indicates that although steroid use may generate some positive effect, it is ultimately harmful to the human body and mind. Although steroid usage originated in the early part of the 20th century, it did not gain its widespread, pervasive presence until the middle to the late part of this century (Haff 42)
The medical risks of anabolic steroid more comparable to some others willingly accepted by athletes as well as by military soldiers and law enforcement professionals. The vast majority of documented cases of serious medical complications associated with steroid use involve individuals using many times the highest dosages ever prescribed for responsible purposes (Bahrke, et al
In many cases, ancient athletes and warriors used some of the same stimulants and medicinal herbs commonly at issue today in connection with professional sports. In principle, it is immediately obvious why drugs taken immediately before competition to provide a momentary advantage would be anathema to the spirit of athletic competition (Bettman 2008; Stern 2008)
But there is no drug that instantly transforms athletic performance, or that suddenly adds velocity or accuracy to the throwing motion or to the swing of a bat. Nevertheless, steroids taken in conjunction with training allow greater strength gains and muscle maintenance, endurance, reduced recuperation time, and speedier recovery from certain types of injuries (Green 1996)
Background and History of Anabolic Steroids in Sports: Synthetic human testosterone, the first anabolic steroid was developed in the early 20th century and originally intended to promote tissue growth for burn victims. Almost immediately, their potential for increasing physical size and strength, muscular endurance, and aggressiveness lead to their use for military purposes in World War II Germany (Jacobson 2006)
The most serious potential risks such as cancer, stroke, and heart attacks seem to be associated primarily with very heavy continual use. Both anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests that serious medical complications are relatively rare among moderate users over relatively short periods of time (Marcario 2005)
Conversely, low doses are now considered so benign that they are often prescribed, legally, for hormone supplementation in geriatric males in the same manner as their female counterparts have received estrogen supplements for decades. Low doses of anabolic steroids have also been developed for use as a male contraceptive (McCallum 2008)
Relatively recently, ex-NFL players of earlier generations began exhibiting high rates of early-onset senile dementia including Alzheimer's disease. Sophisticated brain imaging available today reveals the extent of the damage caused by years of violent football collisions and repeated concussions before concussions were recognized as a serious injury (Schwarz 2007)
If one were to rate their comparative risks of catastrophic injury and serious long-term health consequences, anabolic steroid use would probably rate lower than both cigarette smoking and playing professional football in the first place. Nevertheless, every major professional athletic governing body has implemented stricter rules prohibiting pharmaceutical performance enhancement, especially steroids, but to some observers, this appears to be motivated, at least in large part, by financial considerations corresponding to the effect of negative public relations and continued fan interest and major corporate sponsorship (Staudohar 2005)
They do not need the kind of win that brings on a soiled character (Will). An analysis of 26 pills from eight manufacturers showed that their ingredients fell below the recommended range for ethical drugs (Brunk 2000)
Green added that potential adverse effects of the drugs included prostate cancer, cardiovascular disease, reduced HDL and cardiac arrhythmias (Brunk). The General Medical Council warned doctors that they would be deleted from the medical register if they prescribed performance-enhancing drugs to athletes (Laurance 2000)