Former Notre Dame Football coach, Knute Rockne, once said, “Show me a good and gracious loser and I’ll show you a failure,” (“The Future of Steroids”). The importance of winning in sports and being the greatest has grown immensely. This unquenchable desire to be stronger, faster, and more agile than the opponent, has caused many athletes to stop at nothing to be the best; this pressure has caused athletes to take banned and illegal substances known as performance-enhancing drugs (Performance-enhancing drugs) to achieve maximum strength and speed. The use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs in sports has been obvious to many spectators and sports enthusiasts for quite some time now, and athletes who have been found guilty of taking …show more content…
The economy is in the worst recession since the 1970s and it is only getting worse, and many professional league teams are feeling the burn. Instead of letting the economy suffer, lawmakers can help it. By removing the ban on performance-enhancing drugs, more players are likely to take them; as a result they get better, stronger, faster, and more competitive. With the fiercest and the best competition always out there, more people are likely to watch and buy tickets. Thus, consumption by the public helps the economy because consumption by the people drives the economy. However, like most things in this world, if there is a positive side to an issue, there is usually a negative lingering in the shadows. When taking performance-enhancing drugs, the user will receive great rewards, but at high risks. There are major mental and physical risks involved when taking a performance-enhancing drug, especially anabolic steroids. According to the Mayo clinical staff, “Men may develop breasts, shrunken testicles, and infertility. Women may develop a deeper voice, an enlarged clitoris, and increased body hair. Both might experience rage, severe acne, infections, and other health issues,” (Clincal Staff, Mayo). It is evident that there are high risks when taking a performance-enhancing drug. These risks come in various forms, from being mild to
Since the use of steroids has become a trend among athletes, the number of deaths among them has risen. A lot of these deaths are due to suicides and violent behavior as a result of the effect of these anabolic androgenic steroids on mood. A number of recent, well-publicized deaths of American football players have drawn attention to the potential dangers of sports supplements and the raised important public health concerns about the unrestricted availability of these products that are exempt from U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation (Haller, 2002). Performance enhancing drugs are not only dangerous and damaging; they are potentially deadly. Between 1985 and 1995, at least 121 US athletes collapsed and died during or directly after a training session or game; most often because they had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or heart malformations (Maron, 1996). Most of the athletes that have collapsed and died during or directly after training session or game tested positive for some type of performance enhancing drug. From case reports, the incidence of life-threatening effects appears to be low, but serious adverse effects may be under-recognized or under-reported. Data from animal studies seem to support this possibility. One study found that exposing male
Athletics play such an important role in our society, but, unfortunately, some in professional sports are not setting much of an example. The use of performance-enhancing drugs like steroids in baseball, football, and other sports is dangerous, and it sends the wrong message -- that there are shortcuts to accomplishment, and that performance is more important than character. So tonight I call on team owners, union representatives, coaches, and players to take the lead, to send the right signal, to get tough, and to get rid of steroids now.”
The use of PEDs is illegal in sports, I believe that it should stay that way. Many athletes have had their lives ruined from PEDs loosing the ones they love or dying themselves, and there are many horrible side effects that include, mental problems, and even death. Also, when someone is taking PEDs and another isn’t in say football then the person who isn’t could get very hurt, in short PEDs should just be dropped out of professional sports. If PEDs stay in professional sports (illegally) then many more people will die. Weather it is from another person or yourself. Having PEDs in professional sports give the athlete side effects that are hard to live with, doesn’t even guarantee that the drugs will work-the risks are high and the chances of it being good are low- they set a bad example for kids and teens around the world who look up to the pro athletes who take PEDs, lastly it will hurt the other athlete or yourself.
Another reason as to why I think PEDs should not be legalized is that it has severe negative effects on musculoskeletal health. As an athlete, my musculoskeletal health is of great concern to me and if I start taking PEDs it will slowly degenerate my heath. Although winning is very important to an athlete, personal health should always be above that. The extreme pressure put on the athletes by their daily training already exhausts their body (muscles, bones, and joints). By taking PEDs, it will help make the body feel better in the short run but it will slowly deteriorate the body in the long run. The article by Nikolopoulos, Spiliopoulou, and Theocharis examines the negative side effects and potential health risks for athletes taking PEDs.
PED’s, ever heard of them? Ever used them? No? Good, keep it that way. PED’s is also known as performance enhancing drugs. Lately throughout the world and news these swindle drugs has started a huge controversy over if they are a use for a positive advantage or for cheating. Let me tell you, these drugs will ruin your future and chance of being a good role model. PED’s should be classified as a form of cheating if used in any type of competition. The drugs should also stay illegal throughout the United States. Also, they can be very harmful to the human body and can cause many health risks.
“Why it’s time to legalize steroids in professional sports” written by Chris Smith of Forbes Magazine argues that to level the playing field of professional sports it would be beneficial to legalize the use of performance enhancing drugs. Mr. Smith’s ideals that professional sports would be a fairer, more entertaining version of itself if performance enhancing drugs were legal, is an incredibly irresponsible and impudent declaration.
Drugs in sports is becoming a problem everywhere. “Another 26-year old athlete died of liver cancer after taking a number of different types of steroids over a four year period ” (Drugs and…). This is significant because this shows how dangerous drugs can be. If we have drug testing in schools this student could still be alive and would have stopped drugs before it got bad. The evidence points to the fact that drugs are a major health risk that is very concerning. In some cases taking drugs can even lead to death. In addition, another situation took place that affected a college student named Bob. Bob tried everything to gain weight so he could play football, so he chose to try steroids like everyone else. Steroids got him to play professional football, but horrible things were happening to him. He was having serious health problems. Bob quit drugs and is lucky to be alive (Drugs and…). This connects to the fact that doing drugs is a major
Famed writer Grantland Rice once wrote, “When the great scorer comes to mark against your name. He'll mark not won or lost but how you played the game” (World of quotes, 1). That buoyant attitude of selflessness and heart has slowly diminished throughout the course of time. Now, George Allen’s booming voice, former coach of the Washington Redskins, runs throughout head of America, “Only winners are truly alive. Winning is living. Every time you win, you’re reborn. When you lose, you die a little” (Harris, 67). It is with this frame of mind that athletes are pushed beyond the edge of reason. Although peer pressure and pressure from coaches are central reasons why one may use steroids, most users begin using in order to improve their self image or excel in sports. Ethics, integrity, and legality aside, some athletes will stop at nothing to attain “that extra edge”.
One of the most-treasured items a person can have is their health. Consequently, a great deal of money is spent on healthcare on account of people want to be healthy to do the things they enjoy in life. In the article “Steroid Abuse in Today’s Society,” states “There is increasing concern regarding possible serious health problems that are associated with the abuse of steroids, including both short-term and long-term side effects.” ("Steroid Abuse in Today's Society" 3). Unfortunately, there are side effects that will accompany someone who takes steroids. For women and men, steroids can cause masculinizing effects. These symptoms can cause fertility problems in both genders. Fortunately, by stopping the use of drugs can cause a shift in changing men’s health for the better, but for women the symptoms may never go away. Studies have not concluded the long-term effects of steroids, but in the worst cases, death can occur. Performance enhancement drugs are dangerous to an athlete’s
In the days when steroids were only being used by body builders and professional wrestlers, stories about performance enhancing drugs could only be found on the back pages of the newspapers. When former Oakland Raiders All-Pro Lyle Alzado admitted to steroid use in a 1991 Sports Illustrated article the whispers about what professional athletes were using steroids began to get louder. (Puma, 2005) Finally, in 2002, when Caminiti, a former MVP, came clean, two things were clear; athletes in all sports were using these drugs, and that they worked. The fact that steroid use had permeated our national pastime combined with the media explosion of the internet and 24 hour a day sports talk created a perfect storm which created the biggest sports story of the new millennium so far. However, two other facts remained clear, performance enhancing drugs were old news, and athletes in all sports from all over the world had been using them for years.
Steroids are a hot topic of debate and controversy in the world of athletes and sports. Steroids fall under the umbrella of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) and are a dark cloud that have been hovering over the sports world for a long time. In the world today, steroids are the most relevant in major league baseball. Many baseball players, such as Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, and Mark McGwire, just to name a few, have ruined their reputations because of steroids. There are repercussions for PED use in major league baseball, which have cut down on the substance abuse by players but have nowhere near eliminated the problem.
There can be life lasting effects on the body, such as muscle weakness, blurred vision, and high blood pressure (“Performance-Enhancing Drugs: Know the Risks” Mayo Clinic). Also studies show that steroid users can get heart impairments and may be more likely to suffer from heart failure and stroke (Science Daily). It may also hurt them mentally by ruining relationships, being treated less trustworthy, and it might make them act differently and commit crimes. Those are just a few of the effects that may come if you use drugs like
Performance-enhancing drugs (PED 's) have been an issue for many decades now for the medical and sports field. Olympic and professional athletes have been using them to gain an upper hand on the competition, but some may ask if it 's really worth it? Studies show that performance-enhancing drugs have been proven to negatively affect the health of athletes who take them. Simply put, performance-enhancing drugs could either improve athletic performance or can be extremely dangerous, in certain situations, deadly. There have been strict rules and drug testing in the professional sporting organizations, as well as in world competitions. For example, in the summer of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, in two of the
Firstly, performance-enhancing drugs made athletes succeed. All athletes feel efficient when they consume the substance. For example, Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France winner, said it's impossible to win without consuming the substance (PEDs). However, when athletes stop consuming the substance they feel inefficient. The more (PEDs) consumed energy levels go from zero to hundred real quick. For instance, cyclist David Millar said that (PEDs) made him efficient during his 2004 professional cycling competition. However, if David Millar stopped the consumption of (PEDs) he would've lost his competition. Therefore, the use of performance-enhancing drugs is helpful for athletes because it's efficient and effective. Being efficient can make you better at sports because you spend time productively. Spending time productively can make you achieve success because you do more than you did without being efficient. For example, cyclists David Millar's efficiency, made him win his competition.
Abstract: With the increase of competition has also come the need to become bigger and stronger than the opponent. The use of steroids among athletes has caused the focus of the game to change. No longer does an athlete want to win by doing their best, but they want to become bigger and have an advantage over the opponent. Ultimately, all athletes feel that they need to use performance-enhancing drugs to compete at the same level. Despite all of the warnings and information on performance-enhancing drugs, athletes continue to use them and overlook the potential health risks associated with steroids.