This document discusses the issue of steroid use in sports. It notes that steroids have been prevalent in many professional sports and some younger athletes now use them to gain competitive advantages. However, steroids come with many health risks, such as liver damage, heart disease, psychiatric issues, and stunted growth in teenagers. While steroids may help athletic performance, they are illegal without a prescription and have long-term negative effects. The document advocates for educating young athletes on the dangers of steroid use through positive role models, testing programs in schools, and conversations with parents and coaches.

1. Steroids are a big topic in the headlines of the sports world. Whether it’s in the game of baseball where it’s most commonly heard or Olympians like track star Marion Jones to athletes as famous as Lance Armstrong being accused of using steroids. Steroids have mostly been brought up throughout professional sports, but with sports becoming so competitive these days, some younger athletes have resorted to steroids to make it to the next level. Every athlete wants to be faster and stronger to be the best, steroids are a shortcut to get there, but with some consequences. <br /> Steroids are currently in the news these days with the Barry Bonds case. Bonds was currently on trial for lying to the court and lying about his usage of illegal drugs or performance enhancing drugs. Steroids have always been a question in the back of people’s minds when it comes to Barry Bonds and his legacy. Bonds is the all-time homerun leader (762) and also holds the single season homerun record (73). Bonds is also a seven time MVP and fourteen time all-star. Bonds was found guilty on the obstruction of justice count, but was acquitted from three counts about lying about using steroids, HGH (human growth hormone) and getting an injection from someone other than his doctor. Bonds is facing up to 10 years in prison, but federal guidelines are saying more like 15-21 months. Bonds’ legacy will always be tarnished by steroids and how people view him not only as an athlete, but also as a person. Experts say that what happened to Barry Bonds is more than likely to happen to seven time all-star pitcher Roger Clemens. <br />Drugs that are referred to as “steroids” are classified as anabolic (anabolic-androgenic). Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids (AAS) are a synthetic male hormone that resembles the male sex hormone testosterone. Many athletes and bodybuilders use steroids to build muscle and prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue. When steroids are introduced to the body they increase the testosterone levels in the blood. These increased levels of testosterone stimulate muscle tissues and fibers making them grow bigger and stronger. Although steroids can help make an athlete stronger and faster, they do have so unwanted and lethal side effects. Some of the side effects that can occur in men are infertility, shrinking of the testicles, and severe acne. In women side effects include deeper voice, excessive body hair growth and also severe acne. Some other effects of steroids can be delayed growth in teens, rupture tendons, high blood pressure, heart attack, and cancer to name a few. Also, the use of steroids is illegal without a prescription from a doctor for a medical purpose. <br />AAS can do some serious damage to all parts of your body. For instance, your liver is an amazing organ that rids toxins and unwanted metals from your body. Steroids can cause blood sacs to form on the liver which could cause internal bleeding which may be fatal. Oral steroids are hard for the liver to breakdown; this causes your liver to raise your bad cholesterol (LDL) and decrease your good cholesterol (HDL). Another serious risk is the formation of heart disease. Steroids can cause blockage in your arteries that can block the blood flow to your heart or brain which can be fatal. The blockage gets worse as time goes on and eventually the user will have a heart attack or stroke. <br />Steroids can also have reversible and irreversible effects on the body. One effect is reduced sperm count and shrinking of the testicles. Having an excessive amount of testosterone in your system can cause you to have acne breakouts, enlarged prostates and balding. Extra testosterone can also be converted to the female hormone estrogen that can cause breast development.<br />Another serious effect from using steroids is your psychiatric state of mind. Symptoms include mood swings, anger, sadness, fatigue, increased aggression, and depression. Another thing steroid users suffer from mentally is the fear of losing their gains from lifting. This can psychologically affect the user making them take more and more making them become an addict. Many steroid abusers due to their symptoms of depression and anger often commit suicide. The biggest reason teens take steroids is to enhance their athletic performance. However, teen girls may take steroids to look thinner. Teenage girls these days live in a sexual environment where there is a lot of advertisement about looking like a supermodel. This puts a lot of pressure on the teen girls that usually are already self-consensus about the way they look and may turn to extreme measures to look thin and fit. <br />Steroids can stunt the vertical growth of adolescent users. The Epiphysis plates located on each end of the long bones is where vertical growth takes place. At the time of maturity these plates fuse, thus definitively ending the vertical growth process. Too much additional testosterone in an adolescent user’s body can cause hormones to send false maturity messages resulting in the premature fusion of growth plates and reduction in overall height. <br />Teens would most likely have a hard time getting the material to sterilely injecting steroids. Poor injecting techniques can lead to bacterial infections under the skin such as abscesses, cellulitis, gangrene, and excessive the formation of scar tissue. The hazardous practice of sharing needles can present a risk of transmitting AIDS, HIV and Hepatitis B or C.<br />Steroids are commonly taken by pills or injection directly into the muscles. People who continuously take steroids are called abusers. Some research has shown that abusers use ten times the amount of steroids than a prescription from a doctor for medical reasons. Some street names for steroids include gym candy, roids, stackers, and juice. <br />Professional sports are trying to regulate and get rid of steroid use in their leagues. A good place to start would be with teens in high school and college playing sports. Many young athletes look up to their idols in professional sports, and if they see them doing something such as steroids so will the teen. This is why we need professional athletes to be positive role models and warn teens about the dangers of steroids. In some states it’s mandatory to be tested by the school for steroids. These states include Maryland, Texas, California, and Florida. Some schools in California are even making their athletes sign pledges to not use them. If they don’t attend the meeting they can’t play. Educating young athletes is the best way to help prevent them from using steroids. In recent studies, a study of eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades, the percentages of teens using steroids has been on the decline. They reached their highest percentage in 2003. Since then they have been slowly declining. I believe the numbers has fallen because teens are becoming more educated about steroids and the risks and negative effects they bring with them. I also think that teens are staying away from steroids because colleges and professional leagues are cracking down on enforcing and testing for steroid users. <br />Teens need to stay away from steroids not only because they are bad for you, but for the way people begin to look at you. People begin to label you as a cheater, fake, and much more. Using steroids also demonstrates poor sportsmanship. It’s better to lose with integrity that you win knowing you had help. It’s not worth it to me to damage my body over a gold medal or to hit a few more homeruns. Sure this will make a name for you, but when you get caught, all your records and medals will be taken away from you. Then when you hear that athlete’s name you don’t think about that medal or record, you think about them being a cheater, and basically a thief for stealing something that they didn’t work for to win. <br />Parents and coaches are a huge influence in most young athletes. Parents need to talk to their athletes about the dangers about steroids and to stay away from them. Coaches need to warn their players about the trouble they can get in if they are caught with steroids and make the athletes realize that it’s not worth it. <br />Every athlete from the time they start playing a sport develops a competitive edge to win. No matter how hard an athlete pushes to win, but might fail or lose, steroids are not the answer or key to get over the hump. Young athletes need to know about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and staying away from the dangers of steroids. Growing up, athletes must learn that real success comes from hard work and practice, not a pill or syringe.<br />