Evans 1

Naquan Evans
ENG 111
Boyd
17 July 2014
Cause and Effect of Athletes Using te!oids
"hen an ave!age A#e!ican hea!s the $o!d %ste!oids& #a'o!ity of the# auto#atically
thin( that ste!oids a!e only used fo! #uscle enhance#ent fo! #en) $hen actually $o#en can use
ste!oids too* te!oids a!e so#eti#es called %+oids&) %Juice&) and %,he -at Gi!l&* ,he!e a!e
diffe!ent ty.es of ste!oids that a!e used fo! diffe!ent !easons* te!oids can /e used fo!) not only
#uscle enhance#ent) /ut also fo! .e!fo!#ance enhance#ent as $ell* 0the!s use ste!oids to fight
the .!o/le#s !esulting f!o# 123 and A24* 5!ofessional athletes co##only use ste!oids fo! a
.e!fo!#ance /oost* 2n the 16
th
centu!y #ost .!ofessional ste!oid use!s have /een 7a'o! 8eague
Base/all .laye!s* 9"hen 2 a!!ived in ,e:as in 2001) 2 felt an eno!#ous a#ount of .!essu!e* 2 felt
li(e 2 had all the $eight of the $o!ld on to. of #e and 2 needed to .e!fo!#) and .e!fo!# at a high
level eve!y day)& ; Ale: +od!igue< =A>!od ad#its?* ,he ty.es of ste!oids that a!e used in
.!ofessional s.o!ts a!e called ana/olic ste!oids* 7ost of the athletes $ho used ste!oids $e!e
co#ing to$a!ds the end in thei! ca!ee!) so they felt al#ost o/ligated to a/use this d!ug* o#e of
the athletes use the d!ugs /ecause they love the s.o!t they a!e .laying so #uch) $hile othe!s 'ust
use the d!ugs to i#.!ess fans $ith thei! !a.id g!o$th in .e!fo!#ance* ,he a/use!s don@t .ay
attention to the side effects that ste!oids co#e $ith until it is too late* Not only do ste!oids have
an effect on the outside a..ea!ance /ut they also give the use! ange! issues) co##only called
Evans 2
%+oid +age&* Due to the detrimental effects of steroids on the human body, athletes should
refrain from steroid use.
Although the negative effects of ste!oids a!e se!ious and need to /e (no$n) so#e ty.es of
ste!oids a!e safe and !elia/le) so#e ste!oids can /e given to .eo.le f!o# docto!s* ,he #a'o!ity of
ste!oid use!s tend to /e young) #ale athletesA ste!oid use is not 'ust li#ited to /ody/uilde!s and
foot/all .laye!s alone* ,he !eason .eo.le use ste!oids #ostly is to i#.!ove thei! a/ility to .lay a
s.o!t) anothe! !eason .eo.le co##only use ste!oids is to inc!ease thei! #uscle si<e o! !educed
thei! /ody fat* 0ften ti#es this g!ou. of use!s consist of #en $ho thin( they a!e too s#all and
$ea() o! $o#en $ho thin( they a!e too fat o! fla//y* ,he!e a!e #any !easons as to $hy .eo.le
a/use this d!ug* "hen $o#en a!e in the t!ansfo!#ation of a se: change they a!e also given
ste!oids /y docto!s to /oost thei! testoste!one* te!oids can /e used /y va!ious age g!ou.sA
elde!ly .eo.le a!e given ste!oids to !egulate thei! ho!#ones* "hen (ids that a!e /elo$ ave!age in
height and in $eight a!e /o!n) docto!s give the# ste!oids so that they can eventually g!o$ to
!egula! si<e* o#eti#es .eo.le $ho a/use ste!oids $e!e .hysically a/used at a younge! age) so
they ta(e these d!ugs /ecause they $ant to /eco#e /igge! so that they can .!otect the#selves
f!o# getting a/used again* Athletes thin( that ste!oids $ill ta(e the# to the ne:t level) $hen
actually they can /e hinde!ed /y all the side effects of the ste!oids*
Athletes should not use ste!oids* Even though they can so#eti#es #a(e an athlete
.e!fo!# /ette!) they a!e /ad fo! you! /ody) es.ecially $hen used ina..!o.!iately* ,hese d!ugs
can #a(e $o#en #anlie!) and alte! se: cha!acte!istics of #en* 7en #ay e:.e!ience !educed
s.e!# count) 2#.otence) 4evelo.#ent of /!easts) sh!in(ing of testicles) and difficulty o! .ain
$hile u!inating =E5N?* "o#en can have facial hai! g!o$th) dee.ened voice) /!east !eduction
and #enst!ual cycle changes* Both se:es often have acne) !a.id $eight gain) clotting diso!de!s)
Evans 3
#ood s$ings and $ea(ened tendons =E5N?* All ste!oids a!e not the sa#eA so#e ste!oids can
stunt the height g!o$th of adolescents) $hile othe!s a!e used to i#.!ove the height of young
teens* te!oids can affect use!s e:te!nally as $ell as inte!nally* Ana/olic ste!oids can lead to
hea!t attac(s) st!o(es) live! tu#o!s) (idney failu!e and se!ious .sychiat!ic .!o/le#s =Ana/olic?*
As stated /efo!e) #ost ste!oid a/use is in 7a'o! 8eague /ase/all* %And if you@!e a fan of
7a'o! 8eague Base/all) 2 thin( it ta!nishes an enti!e e!a) to so#e deg!ee)& 0/a#a said* %And it@s
unfo!tunate) /ecause 2 thin( the!e $e!e a lot of /all.laye!s $ho .layed it st!aight*&=A>!od ad#its?
te!oid a/use /eca#e .o.ula! in the late BC0@s and ca!!ied th!ough the 2000@s in .!ofessional
/ase/all) also !efe!!ed to as %,he te!oid E!a&* Even though ste!oids have /een /anned in 78B
since 1661) the league did not i#.le#ent league>$ide 5E4 testing until 200D* 2n the ea!lie! yea!s
of /ase/all athletes did not use ste!oids as #uch as they do no$*
%2t see#s that you canEt go a day any#o!e $ithout ne$s of anothe! .!ofessional athlete
getting /usted fo! .e!fo!#ance>enhancing d!ugs* =2!onically) studies have sho$n that #any of
the# donEt necessa!ily i#.!ove .e!fo!#ance and #ight actually det!act f!o# ove!all athletic
function in the long !un*? 7ost of these d!ugs actually se!ve legiti#ate functions outside of
athletics and thus a!enEt illegal) /ut theyE!e outla$ed /y va!ious athletic o!gani<ations and a!e
availa/le to the .u/lic only /y .!esc!i.tion >> so#ething #ost athletes donEt have* ,he!e a!e a lot
of !u#o!s of illegal usage /y va!ious athletes) /ut fo! the .u!.oses of this list) $eE!e stic(ing to
those $hoEve eithe! ad#itted using o! have tested .ositive fo! using .e!fo!#ance enhancing
d!ugs*& =,o. 10?
,he!e a!e do<ens of .!ofessional athletes $ho use diffe!ent ty.es of .e!fo!#ance
enhance#ent* o#e even use d!ugs to give the# an ene!gy /oost) !athe! than 'ust use %F>hou!
Evans 4
ene!gy& o! so#e othe! ene!gy d!in(* Athletes use And!ostenedione) 1u#an Cho!ionic
Gonadot!o.in =91CG9?) 1u#an G!o$th 1o!#one =91G1)9 o#atot!o.in?) A#.heta#ines)
,et!ahyd!ogest!inone =9,1G)9 9the Clea!9?) E.hed!ine =E.hed!a) 7a 1uang?) tano<olol
="inst!ol?) Cocaine =9Co(e9?) ,estoste!one and Nand!olone =4eca>du!a/olin? to give the# so#e
ty.e of /oost so that they can .lay /ette! )longe!) o! ha!de! =,o. 10?* Athletes such as 8a$!ence
,aylo!) 4a!!yl t!a$/e!!y) 7ichael 2!vin) 4iego 7a!adona) 7a!tina 1ingis) ,ho#as 1ende!son
and 4$ight Gooden use cocaine fo! ene!gy /oost and self>confidence) it can c!eate aid in sho!t>
te!# athletic activity =,o. 10?* A#.heta#ines and E.hed!ine a!e also used fo! ene!gy and
focus* 7ost of these d!ugs a!e fo! g!o$ing #uscle #ass) !educing /ody fat and aiding in .hysical
!ecove!y f!o# $o!(outs* 1G1 and ,1G a!e the #ost co##only used d!ug in .!ofessional
s.o!ts* 1G1 is a ho!#one .!oduced /y the .ituita!y gland that .!o#otes /ody g!o$th* "he!eas
ana/olic ste!oids .!i#a!ily affect #uscles) 1G1 st!engthens /ones and tendons as $ell* ,1G is
a 9designe!9 ana/olic ste!oid =a ste!oid that acts as the ho!#one testoste!one?) c!eated at the Bay
A!ea 8a/o!ato!y Co>o.e!ative =BA8C0? to /e undetecta/le /y d!ug tests =,o. 10?* Used in
co#/ination $ith a testoste!one oint#ent called 9the c!ea#9 to avoid detection* Unli(e 1G1)
$hich is #edically used to t!eat child g!o$th diso!de!s and adult g!o$th ho!#one deficiency and
so#eti#es used to co#/at aging) ,1G has no #edical use* Nota/le use!s a!e Jason Gia#/i)
Andy 5ettitte) Bill +o#ano$s(i) Ba!!y Bonds) 7a!ion Jones) hane 7osley and Ga!y heffield*
Jason Gia#/i and Bill +o#ano$s(i have tested .ositive fo! /oth ,G1 and 1G1 =,o. 10?* ,he
side effects fo! these d!ugs consists of 'oint .ain) ca!.al tunnel synd!o#e) a/no!#al /one
thic(ening) dia/etes) high /lood .!essu!e) inc!eased !is( fo! colon and .!ostate cance!*
Evans 5
"hen athletes a!e fi!st accused of using ste!oids o! so#e othe! ty.e of illegal d!ug they
deny it o! ta(e it as a 'o(e /ut then $hen they a!e ta(en to cou!t they ad#it to it* ,hen they #a(e
a .u/lic a.ology to thei! fans and su..o!te!s*
2n conclusion) no/ody should use ste!oids unless they a!e given to you /y a docto!) no
#atte! $hat you! !easoning is fo! ta(ing the#* ,he lite!atu!e suggests that these d!ugs a!e only
safe $hen they a!e /eing used in a clinical .lace* 0the!$ise) you a!e going to /e effected the
#ost* te!oids is no diffe!ent f!o# any othe! #edication) it co#es $ith a handful of un$anted
side effects* 4ue to the det!i#ental effects of ste!oids on the hu#an /ody) athletes should !ef!ain
f!o# ste!oid use*
Evans 6
Naquan Evans
Boyd
ENG 111
17 July 2014
WORKS CITED
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Ghtt.HIIes.n*go*co#Is.ecialIsId!ugsands.o!tsIste!oids*ht#lJ*
9A>+od ad#its ta(ing 5E4s du!ing D>yea! .e!iod*9 E5N*co#* N*.*) n*d* "e/* 17 July 2014*
Ghtt.HIIs.o!ts*es.n*go*co#I#l/Ine$sIsto!yKidLDC64C47J*
9Ana/olic te!oid A/use*9 8ette! -!o# the 4i!ecto!* N*.*) n*d* "e/* 17 July 2014*
Ghtt.HII$$$*d!uga/use*govI.u/licationsI!esea!ch>!e.o!tsIana/olic>ste!oid>a/useIlette!>
di!ecto!J*
9,he te!oids E!a*9 E5N* E5N 2nte!net 3entu!es) n*d* "e/* 17 July 2014*
Ghtt.HIIes.n*go*co#I#l/Ito.icsIMI.ageIthe>ste!oids>e!aJ*
9,o. 10 5e!fo!#ance>Boosting 4!ugs =And Athletes "ho ,oo( EE#?*9 5ha!#acy ,echnician*
N*.*) n*d* "e/* 17 July 2014* Ghtt.HII$$$*.ha!#acytechs*netI/logIto.>10>.e!fo!#ance>
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Evans 7