Performance Enhancement Drugs In Sports

Performance Enhancement Drugs in Sports

Taresha Bryant

COM 112 Ð'- Effective Persuasive Writing

Professor Kenneth Leon

July 28, 2007

Performance Enhancement Drugs In Sports

Athletic competition has been a part of our society since the beginning of time. We were born with the competitive gene; the desire to be better than the next man. Sports events give athletes the opportunity to prove, they are better than their competitor. This is good because it shows courage and determination; on the other hand, many have taken it to the extreme. Athletes will do anything to beat their competition; including taking performance enhancement drugs. It is believed that 7 out of 8 athletes are using these drugs. Athletes are now being forced to talk about their steroid use. In December 2003 the federal grand jury investigated the BALCO Corporation because of their illegal distribution of performance enhancement drugs. According to reports from BALCO, the list of steroid users is linked to the Most Valued Players (MVP) in Major League Baseball (MLB). The names being dropped are Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield. These athletes believe taking performance enhancement drugs better their chances to win. "Athletes have taken natural or synthetic performance aids since the earliest days of organized sports competition" (Clark, Cooper and Griffen, 525). The usages of performance enhancement drugs as well as the illegal distribution and production of steroids have become too widespread. This needs to be stopped. Performance Enhancement drugs are threatening the integrity of the game.

Below are the strong reasons I feel steroid use in sports needs to be stopped:

1. What exactly are performance enhancement drugs?

2. How do performance enhancement drugs work?

3. What are the health hazards?

4. Why do athletes continue to use enhancement drugs?

5. Athletes caught using performance enhancement drugs should be penalized.

What Exactly Are Performance Enhancement Drugs?

Performance Enhancement drugs mostly known as steroids is a synthetic form of male hormone. Steroids are broken down into a two different ways:

Anabolic = growing or building

Androgenic = masculinization; developing male sexual characteristics

Anabolic/androgenic steroids are also know as, energy boosters. Anabolic steroids are classified as Schedule III drugs in accordance with the Controlled Substance Act (U.S. Department of Justice Ð'- DEA, 1997). Today anabolic steroids are chemically manufactured. Most healthy males produce between 2 to 10 milligrams of testosterone a day. Testosterone is largely responsible for the change in muscle, bone structure and density. Testosterone first starts working in the mail reproductive system during the puberty, assisting with the growth of body hair and the deepening of the voice. Steroids give the athletes an increased amount of male testosterone which increases their strength and size. Taking bigger doses of testosterone will also produce more growth and development. The result of taking anabolic steroids is beneficial to athletes because it helps them to gain physical strength, train harder and build their muscle. The ability to gain weight and building muscle quickly is very appealing to today's athletes. They think that by doing this, it gives them the power and strength to be the best at what they do. Athletes know that if they get injured their body repairs quicker being on steroids.

How Do Performance Enhancement Drugs Work?

There are two types of steroids; oral and injectible. Oral steroids are pills that can be detected in the body for weeks or month after the person stops taking them. Injectible steroids are injected into muscle tissue. Injectible steroids are slowly released out of the muscle and into the body. The body tolerates injectible steroids more efficiently and that is the reason why athletes prefer them. Some athletes will even combine oral steroids with injectible steroids for a deadly combination. This deadly use of combining steroids is called mega dosing. A prime example of mega dosing is Jason Giambi's accounts of how he used steroids. Giambi states "he injected HgH (human growth hormone) into his stomach, testosterone into his buttocks, rubbed and undetectable steroids known as "the cream" on his body and placed drops of another, called "the clear," under his tongue." (ABC NEWS)

Steroids enhance the performance of the athlete. Athletes push their bodies to a limit that they would never think of doing if they were not on steroids. Athletes who take steroids are known to lift weights 2 times their body weight. Why? Because steroids allow them to push their bodies with out feeling the strain or limitations their body can't handle. Some athletes are known to get hernias because they strain so much from lifting weights. You can spot an athlete who takes steroids; they are usually the athletes sitting on the disabled list. The usually have a number of ailments steaming from steroids use for example: torn ligaments, torn muscle, strained hamstring, strained quadriceps, strained calf muscles, ruptured tendons in their wrist and torn rotator cuffs. Athletes don't realize that they are making their muscle too big for their tendons and ligaments. Their bodies can't handle the extra pressure and that is how they end up injuring themselves.

What Are The Health Hazards?

There are a number of side effects associated with taking steroids. Some steroids are legally prescribed by a doctor if you are suffering from; anemia, osteoporosis, growth stimulation gonadal dysfunction or any gynecological disorder. But we will discuss the illegal way steroids are being used by athletes. Some side effects from taking steroids are visible, and some are internal. Some are physical and some are psychological.

Below is a list of side effects for men, woman as well as the deadly combination of steroids:

Men: tend to get feminine tendencies when they start taking steroids.

Ð'* Reduced sperm count