Steroids In Sports

Nick Whitecar

Professor Curtis

English 2010

4 August 2005

Anabolic Steroids in Sports

Introduction

To some people sports are what they live for; they wouldn't know what to do with out them. I'm one of those people. I love to play sports and I love to watch sports. Anabolic steroids are one of the biggest topics in sports today. I didn't know much more than the steroids make people bigger and stronger. I have always been curious on how they work and what advantage athletes get by taking them. So that is why I chose anabolic steroids as my research topic. I knew that it would fun and interesting for me to learn about them.

What anabolic steroids are

Thomas D. Fahey stated that Anabolic steroids are drugs that resemble androgenic hormones (sometimes called male hormones) such as testosterone. Athletes consume them in the hope of gaining weight, strength, power, speed, endurance, and aggressiveness. Various athletes involved in such sports as track and field, wrestling, weight lifting, and Football use them all over the world. However, in spite of their tremendous popularity, their effectiveness is unknown. The research literature is divided on whether anabolic steroids enhance physical performance. Yet, almost all athletes who consume these substances acclaim their beneficial effects. Many athletes feel that they would not have been as successful without them. There are several possible reasons for the large differences between experimental findings and empirical observations. The use of anabolic steroids in the "real world" is considerably different than an experiment. Most studies have not used the same drug dosage used by athletes. Institutional guidelines prohibit administration of high dosages of possibly dangerous substances to human subjects. Subjects in research experiments seldom resemble accomplished weight-trained athletes. Under these conditions, we must assess the results of sound research studies, as well as clinical and empirical field observations, in order to obtain a realistic profile of the use, effects on performance, and side effects of these substances. (Fahey 1).

Steroids are made up of male hormones, called testosterone. Testosterone is what changes a boy into a man. Male hormones have two kinds of effects, androgenic and anabolic. Androgenic effects are the male characteristics. Both have a core 17-carbon steroid chemical structure that gives them anabolic (protein building) and androgenic (masculinizing) properties. These include enlargement of the penis and testes, voice changes, hair growth on the face, and genital areas, and increased aggressiveness. The anabolic effects of androgens include fast growth of the muscles, bones, and red blood cells. Anabolic steroids have been made for the purpose of enhancing the anabolic properties (tissue building) of the androgens and minimize the androgenic (sex-linked) properties. The effects of male hormones on accessory sex glands, genital hair growth, and oiliness of the skin are anabolic processes in those tissues. The steroids with the most potent anabolic effect are also those with the greatest androgenic effect. (Fahey 1).

Anabolic Steroids have a basic four-ring carbon compound. Anabolic Steroids are synthetic testosterone, which are made in a lab by chemist. There is a difference between the two. The androgenic (male characteristics) have been minimized to decrease the effect. The anabolic (bulking up characteristics) have been enhanced to build more muscle tissue faster than natural hormones. Another difference between the natural and synthetic is the chemical structure has been changed to make the effect of the steroid last longer. (Wright and Cowart 26).

Anabolic steroids have been around since the early 20th Century. The use of anabolic steroids didn't start out as a muscle builder. Anabolic steroids were use for about 50 years (around 1930-1980) for things such as anemia, hereditary angioedema, breast cancer, protein deficiency, infections, surgery recovery, burns, HIV/AIDS, and depression. Steroids are still used today in come cases but many other drugs have been developed. (Bahrke & Yesalis 33).

The testosterone molecule compound, which anabolic steroids are similar to, is a very complex compound. Just like any other drug it can be very harmful and dangerous when it is abused. Shortly after anabolic steroid were available to the public in the 1930's it was abused by the American public. You could buy the steroids without a prescription and they were sold over the counter at any drug store. People were taking the synthetic testosterone to increase sexual desire. By the 1950's athletes began to take the synthetic testosterone (steroids) to increase there muscle size, strength, and performance. (Talyor 11).

How anabolic steroids work

Thomas D. Fahey illustrates that Anabolic steroids have many ways they can be taken. Through swallowing the pills, shooting it into the body or rubbed in through the skin with creams or gels. Every Dosage given to someone by a doctor will vary between patients and depends on the medical condition, and age of the patient. When steroids are being taken without medical attention they are usually being taken in the wrong ways. Illegally steroid users may take dosages between 10 and 40, which is a hundred percent more than recommended doses. Sometimes steroids are taken two different ways at a time, such as injection and orally. This method is called 'stacking'. The steroids are taken this way because some think there is a larger effect. There is also another method of taking steroids called the 'pyramid'. This is when the person using the steroids takes doses in a 6 to 12 week cycle. Starting with smaller doses and work up to the largest doses. This method is believed to help the body get used to the steroid use and adjust accordingly. The way that anabolic steroid work isn't to complex and anyone can understand it. The first thing that must happen is the steroid must be taken orally, injected, or rubbed in by a cream or gel. After the Steroids have entered the blood stream they affect the cell. The anabolic steroid (A) finds a cell and enters through the cell membrane (see Figure 1). Almost every cell in the body had a receptor. A receptor could be called a deliver man for the nucleus. When something enters the cell the receptor goes and gets it and brings it back to the nucleus. In this case the receptor is delivering the anabolic steroid to the nucleus. So the receptor is called the 'hormone receptor'