Effects of anabolic steroids on teenagers

¶ … Anabolic Steroids on Teenagers

The Effects of Anabolic Steroids on Teenagers: Article Review and Critique

Although many of the current media reports and the increased attention from governing bodies where sports are concerned may seem to imply otherwise, the use of performance-enhancing drugs (generally steroids) by athletes is not really seen to be a new phenomenon, and many of these steroids have very adverse psychological effects on those that take them (Kindlundh, Hagekull, Isacson, & Nyberg, 2001). According to the article by Kindlundh, Hagekull, Isacson, and Nyberg (2001), these effects can include aggressiveness, an increase in sexual desire, and an increase in masculine behaviors, as well as hallucinations, sleep disorders, anxiety, confusion, euphoria, and paranoia.

The study that they performed looked at competitive athletes and how they have looked for some way to have more of an advantage in their desire for a victory, despite the physical and psychological effects that steroids may cause them. The international anxiety that is seen currently regarding steroid use in athletes began as far back as the 1950s. During that time, the chief concern focused on the Soviet athletes and their use of many anabolic steroids during the 1956 World Games, which were held in Moscow (Kindlundh, Hagekull, Isacson, & Nyberg, 2001).

Testing for steroids and other drugs has come under some scrutiny, however. Although there are many protocols that are put in place in order to guard against errors made by the laboratory, many athletes have said that there was an error made in the laboratory when their drug test results have come back positive (Kindlundh, Hagekull, Isacson, & Nyberg, 2001). Because there is a great deal of damage seen in the careers and reputations of student athletes when they have positive drug tests, the idea of receiving inaccurate test results, which could have been caused by substances that were not prohibited or by the error of a human being in the laboratory, is a serious concern. The psychological effect of this can be very strong, and very upsetting to the athlete (Kindlundh, Hagekull, Isacson, & Nyberg, 2001). When this is coupled with the psychological effects that the steroids have already produced in that individual, it is possible that violence or another inappropriate behavior can result (Kindlundh, Hagekull, Isacson, & Nyberg, 2001).

In teenagers, the controversy about steroids is an even more important one, as are the psychological and physical effects that are often seen with steroid use. Those that advocate the use of drug testing for young people say that the health and the safety of all of the athletes and the others around them, the necessity of deterring the use of controlled substances, and the assuring of a fair competition are benefits that cannot be ignored, and therefore the testing is not only important, but necessary. These individuals argue that, not only could the athletes harm others if they take steroids, but that the psychological and physical effects of these steroids could cause long-term damage to the athletes as well.

With teenagers, the effects of steroids are even stronger because the body is still developing. These younger individuals often experience severe bouts of anxiety and depression, uncontrolled anger, and physical problems that can sometimes lead to sexual side-effects as well as heart problems and other serious concerns. Some athletes that die very young are later found to have been taking steroids, and often this steroid use begins in their teenage years (Kindlundh, Hagekull, Isacson, & Nyberg, 2001). This is much of the reason why so many individuals advocate testing for high-school athletes, to stop them from using steroids at a young age and developing dangerous habits.

The critics of the drug testing policies argue, however, that the policies work to unfairly single out specific athletes for close scrutiny, tempts many of these same athletes to find ways to cheat the test (such as the old advice of drinking excessive amounts of water, or even drinking vinegar, so that the system is flushed out and the drug violation will not be found, as the test will come back negative), and that the testing also violates the Constitutional right of privacy that these athletes have, regardless of the fact that the testing policies are basically there to protect the athletes from themselves.

However, in spite of the controversy and the impact of drug testing on these athletes, studies that have been conducted of the athletes' opinions regarding performance-enhancing and recreational drugs, as well as drug testing, are seen to be somewhat rare, and these include studies that examine the psychological effects. Also, studies that have actually been conducted approach the topic of steroid use or other drug use from many different perspectives, with mixed results. As a consequence, there is still very little known regarding these athletes' perceptions of performance-enhancing drug use and the drug testing policies in sports, with even less being known regarding the psychological effects that these athletes experience from the use of performance-enhancing drugs (Kindlundh, Hagekull, Isacson, & Nyberg, 2001).

A large majority of the student-athletes that have been studied and surveyed regarding drug use have been shown to have very negative attitudes toward the use of drugs by athletes, whether these were performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids, or whether they were recreational drugs such as marijuana (Kindlundh, Hagekull, Isacson, & Nyberg, 2001). These student athletes, however, do not generally cite the psychological effects of these drugs as being one of the reasons that they should not be taken, which could indicate that these athletes are not as aware of these psychological effects as they should be. These studied athletes have also expressed many opinions regarding the idea that drug use for performance enhancement by athletes is highly unacceptable, and that these athletes did not need any type of drug to be competitive with others and/or to reach their highest potential as athletes (Kindlundh, Hagekull, Isacson, & Nyberg, 2001).

For these athletes, the idea of using performance-enhancing drugs was obviously negative, and they believed that the use and abuse of these drugs was not only wrong, but was also strictly unnecessary. In studies that have been conducted into this issue, the athletes' attitudes were also assessed through the use of questionnaires.