Blog Entry 5- Steroids in Athletics

The use of steroids has plagued modern sports competitions for many years now.  Steroids completely eliminate the physical balance that is the underlying theme of competition. An unsavory fact is that steroid use is on the rise.  Men and women are taking steroids at an increasingly alarming rate.  Now they can be found in almost every sports league across the world.  A more disturbing fact is that they can now be found in almost every age group as well. 

We can’t condemn steroid users without first knowing why they take them in the first place.  There must be some benefits, right?  Anabolic steroids are derivatives of the naturally forming testosterone found in both men and women.  The anabolic effect of testosterone allows the muscles to retain more protein from the users diet.  This in turn causes an increase in strength and muscle mass.

http://media.ebaumsworld.com/picture/Velso/Steroids.png

Now it’s time to hear the bad news.  The awesome muscle building power of steroids is not without side effects.  Here are several physical and psychological effects.

Physical side effects:

·      Men-Shrinking of the testicles and development of breasts

·      Women-Facial hair growth and deepened voice

Psychological side effects:

·      Hostility

·      Aggressiveness

·      Irritability

·      Depression

·      Mood swings

The bottom line is this: steroids cause testicle shrinkage and unnatural facial hair growth. As for any steroid use in my future, shrinking of the testicles is more than enough to keep me away.

Citations:

Darkes, J.  (2010).  The Psychological Effects of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids.  Mesomorphosis.  Retrieved from

http://www.mesomorphosis.com/articles/darkes/psychology-01.htm

none.  (2007).  Anabolic Steroids.  ESPN.  Retrieved from

http://espn.go.com/special/s/drugsandsports/steroids.html