Performance Enhacing Drugs In Sports

Colton Ruggieri

English Composition 122

Professor Bloir

26 March 2008

Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports

Athletes around the world are always looking for a competitive edge over their counterparts. Decades ago, top notch athletes were not exposed to the types of performance-enhancing drugs that are on the market today. In the eighties and nineties, the most popular performance enhancer available to athletes was steroids. Now, in the 21st century, the age of the “Steroid User” is long gone, and has been replaced by human growth hormone (HGH) , whish is undetectable when administering a drug test. Athletes who recognizing that they can easily beat the system, are now spending thousands of dollars at tainted health facilities and doctors offices to acquire these drugs. Steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) are quickly becoming a widespread epidemic in the sports community. Many athletes justify their reasoning for taking such drugs, whether it be out of frustration, the psychological effect, peer pressure, or what everyone hopes to get from these drugs which would be longevity in a long term contract, which equals money. Scientists and chemists will always be ahead of the system, creating and experimenting new drugs on athletes, hoping they go undetected.

It is not uncommon for an athlete to “hit the wall” while training. “Hitting the wall” is a figure of speech that indicates when an athlete plateaus with his training and does not see results he had previously seen. This happens with many “blue-chip” teenage recruits who are trying to expose themselves to top-notch collegiate coaches. Since most teenagers do not have the means of paying for human growth hormone (HGH) which can run up into the thousands per cycle, they resort to using steroids. In 2003, 3.5 percent of twelfth graders surveyed admitted to using steroids, despite the risk factors, which was a 1.4 percent increase from the same survey given in 1991. (Health Reference Center) A 1.4 percent increase may not seem like much, but when taken into consideration that it was ADMITTED users, the percentage is more significant.

Many athletes after “hitting the wall” will resort to using a performance-enhancing drug out of frustration upon plateauing. The muscular and skeletal systems in the body can only endure the same repetitious training schedule for four to eight weeks before reaching its plateau. To overcome a plateau and further better athletic results, switching workout routines regularly helps break “the wall” down. Many athletes do not know this and will get frustrated and look for a quick fix. Sure, steroids will also break “the wall” down, but it also comes with consequences and serious health problems that are life threatening. It is important to remember that one positive test for performance enhancing drugs can blackball an athlete from his sport for years. As for high school athletes, a zero tolerance policy is implemented, which means “one and done.”

A little known fact that people are unaware of is that performance-enhancing drugs are as addicting as street drugs and controlled substances. An athlete who flirts with the use of performance enhancers is more likely to continue the use over a period of time for its psychological effects. Not only is he seeing strength and performance gains, the substances produce a sense of invincibility by putting him in a euphoric state, often showing sign of extreme cases of aggression. Essentially, a steroid user is looking for a fix, just like a substance abuser yearns for self medication.

Increased aggressiveness may be beneficial for athletic training, but may also lead to overt violence outside the gym or the track. There are reports of violent, criminal behavior in individuals taking anabolic steroids . Other side effects of anabolic steroids are euphoria, confusion, sleeping disorders, pathological anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations. Anabolic steroid users may become dependent on the drug, with symptoms of withdrawal after cessation of drug use. The withdrawal symptoms consist of aggressive and violent behavior, mental depression with suicidal behavior, mood changes, and in some cases acute psychosis. (Harm Kuipers)

The story of the teenager Taylor Hooton made national headlines around the country. He was the star pitcher on his high school baseball team, but wanted to be more than just the star. His coach told him that he needed to get bigger if he wanted to play at the next level. Taylor took it upon himself to get bigger, but did it in a away that would ultimately cost him his life. Taylor began with the classic signs of steroid use, back acne, rapid muscle growth and intense mood swings. For his parents, these signs seemed abnormal and had him tested for drugs, but nothing showed up. Taylor’s behavior led him to steal money and valuables from the people he loved to pay for his steroids. His parents then had no choice but to punish him for his actions. After many tearful apologizes, Taylor asked his parents to lift the punishment, but that came with a resounding “no.” Taylor then went to his room and hung himself in his doorway with a belt around his neck. This was the first teenage steroid case that made a splash in the media, which brought out the true negative psychological effects of performance-enhancing drugs on an athlete.

High school sports has reached a level of popularity it has never known. More games are being televised and the market for recruiting has simply exploded. In turn, youths see this and immediately feel the pressure to excel at their respective sport so they can get a piece of the action. This is when peer pressure is at its strongest and most intense among competitive adolescents. Their have been many cases where the majority of high school athletes at particular a school are using performance enhancers. The athletes that are “clean” at these high schools feel obligated to begin taking steroids or human growth hormone (HGH) just to get on the same playing field as their peers.

Sometimes it is not even the players who are pressuring each other, but also their own parents and coaches. In Tyler Hooton’s case, his own coach told him he needed to get bigger and stronger. In his coach’s defense, he never told Taylor directly to take steroids, but it was known that other players on the team took them, while the coach turned a blind eye. The coach was indirectly promoting the use of steroids to Taylor