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English Topic Steroid. I Specific Details Topic

Last reviewed: December 4, 2011 ~15 min read

¶ … english topic Steroid. I specific details topic Steroid Use Sports. steroid ? famous types steroid sport function type. good bad effective steroid athletes steroid ? steroid affect short-term long-term.

Steroids: are they a necessary evil?

Society traditionally encouraged people to experience progress in any field that they possibly could and this made it difficult for some to keep up with the fact that the world was constantly changing. In their struggle to keep up and even to be recognized for their contributions, some individuals have turned to using controversial methods. Athletes are provided with difficult choices as they feel the need to satisfy the needs of their fans. Society is indirectly responsible for the fact that some athletes use steroids because of the pressure that it puts on their shoulders. Many athletes today use steroids at the expense of their own health because they know that this is one of the most effective methods to achieve success in an environment where cheating is not necessarily something immoral.

The twentieth century saw significant evolution when concerning the world of sports, as athletes were concentrating on doing everything in their power in order to break previously set records. With some being unable to do so as a result of their inferior physical power or simply because they were reluctant to train for large periods of time in order to reach their goal, steroids seemed like the best solution for people who wanted to thrive in the field. In spite of the fact that many substances are no longer allowed in sports, many notable individuals involved in the world of sports continue to use steroids with the purpose of improving their performances.

Competition is virtually one of the primary reasons for which people turn to unconventional means of improving their abilities. By using steroids, athletes are not only likely to perform better during a competition, as they also have lesser chances to repair injuries or even to prevent them from occurring. Many athletes use steroids because this makes it possible for them to have longer careers. When looking at the general context from their point-of-view, steroids seem less harmful and it appears that they are actually responsible for preventing athletes from experiencing stress as a consequence of the pressure that society puts on them. These people practically go through all this trouble in order to have the masses express interest in their performances.

People are accountable for the fact that other individuals are suffering, considering that their expectations influence athletes in turning to unorthodox methods with the purpose of becoming better. Fans frequently watch athletes performing because of their ability to put on a show. When the masses find that a certain athlete has consumed steroids, they are likely to express criticism in regard to this particular individual, even if they previously supported him or her. People simply want things to say hidden, as this would make them feel better. However, they are unaware that their cheering and their support can actually have harmful effects on their favorite athletes. These respective athletes would feel that the weight of the world is pressing on their shoulders and that their only option is to win, regardless of the competition. They can turn to using steroids as a consequence, given that these substances are likely to assist them in overcoming difficult moments, both from a psychological and from a physical point-of-view.

The first official use of steroids goes back in 1952, when the Soviet weightlifting team was provided with synthetic testosterone and managed to get a large number of medals as a result. This event lit the fuse to a trend that became more and more common in the second half of the twentieth century. While the synthesis of testosterone made it possible for anabolic steroids to be introduced in sports, people have a history in attempting to use anabolic substances with the purpose of enhancing their physical abilities. Ancient Greek athletes were accustomed to consuming meat for large periods of time before a contest because they observed that doing so made it possible for them to perform better as they were involved in Olympic Games. While the sources for this are unconfirmed, it appears that athletes in Nazi Germany had also been injected with testosterone in an attempt to have the general public acknowledge the superiority of the German race.

As the world saw the positive effects that steroids had on athletes, people started to express more interest in using these substances in order to improve their physical image. This is thus a vicious relationship, as people put pressure on athletes and influence them in using steroids and as the masses are impressed with the way that these substances enhance one's power and ability to cope in stressful situations and want to use them themselves. Steroids are a divisive matter, as even though most people are likely to consider that it is wrong to use such substances, they are unhesitant about supporting athletes in giving their best during a competition, even if they are likely to be harmed as a result of doing this.

The fact that society is particularly interested in sports influences people in expressing little concern in an athlete's background as long as he or she acts in accordance with their expectations. Considering the fact that Soviet Russia initially wanted to emphasis its superiority through injecting testosterone in members of the weightlifting team supports this belief. Soviet leaders and the Soviet public in general did not care about the side effects of steroids as they were simply interested in having these athletes defeat other contestants.

Athletes do not simply act on their own behalf, as they have to impress their countries, their parents, their coaches, and virtually anyone who is associated with them in some way. Parents are especially accountable for the fact that some athletes tend to work themselves to exhaustion during training or during contests. Their expectations reflect in the way that their children act, as they are unwilling to disappoint those who trusted and supported them and thus feel that it is essential for them to be better. While parents should normally be interested in their children's well-being, some are captivated by the world of sports and gain a false image regarding sports as a whole.

Young athletes are exposed to society's pressures and have difficulty differentiating between right and wrong because their age makes them generally inclined to put across extremist behavior. Considering that they take on a series of harmful activities when they are young, steroids come to be no different from alcohol, cigarettes, or similar substances. People virtually believe that this is just a phase in their lives and that taking steroids at one point is not going to be harmful for them. Whether they do this because they feel pressured, weak, or unpopular, they are likely to continue to do it in the future whenever they feel that they lack the time or the resources to train sufficiently in order to achieve positive results in the upcoming competition.

People tend to ignore the negative effects that steroids have on individuals using them. According to Michael Dilingham, "the use of anabolic steroids increases the athlete's chance of getting liver cancer. Heavy or prolonged use can cause psychological and emotional problems -- so-called "steroid rage" (2004). Hormone balance is likely to be disrupted as a result of using steroids, leaving men with problems such as testicular atrophy and women with unusual periods. Steroids are much more harmful than people typically consider they are, as "there is absolutely no anabolic-androgenic steroid that affects an athlete anabolically without also affecting him or her androgenically" (Verroken 44).

Considering that some people perform activities that are not natural consequent to using steroids, their tendons, muscles, and bone structure are likely to suffer in the future. Athletes have trouble refraining from using steroids because they know that they can become bigger, faster, and stronger after using these substances. Some of them criticize anyone who expresses any criticism regarding steroid use through claiming that they are not hurting anyone through using these substances. However, the truth is that they can actually hurt others through using steroids. Athletes who train for long periods of time and are unable to compete against individuals who use steroids experience difficulty concentrating on the actual purpose of sports and come to believe that the only chance for them to have success is to use these substances, especially given that the world as a whole seems to express little to no disproval in regard to the fact that some individuals shamelessly make use of a diverse range of immoral techniques meant to improve one's abilities.

An athlete is risking harmful hormonal side-effects at the moment when he or she decides to use steroids. There are many cases involving females experiencing masculinization processes after using steroids or men displaying physical characteristics that are abnormal consequent to using substances. One of the best methods of making steroids safe when concerning their androgenic properties would be to separate them from the anabolic effects associated with increased muscle mass and a feeling of well-being. However, this process is not possible and athletes who want to use steroids simply need to accept that it is probable for them to be negatively affected consequent to consuming substances enhancing their abilities.

Steroid use is essentially a form of cheating when considering athletes who use them. Because of their effectiveness, steroids create an inequitable advantage for individuals using them and virtually come against one of the most important rule in sports -- the one relating to how contests need to be fair. This made it possible for many athletes today to turn to steroids because they have trouble keeping up with contestants using artificial substances in order to improve their abilities. Cheating is normally considered to be wrong, but when considering the fact that many individuals today cheat because society allows and even encourages this behavior, it seems that athletes are simply following society's laws. Morality is unlikely to assist one in experiencing progress and the respective person is likely to gradually express interest cheating because he or she acknowledges that this is one of the only chances that he or she has to thrive. Society has "law enforcement personnel who lie, business leaders who fix the books, academics who plagiarize, doctors who fabricate bills, and journalists who make up stories" (Sterngass, 78). Taking all of these behaviors into account, it seems even more difficult for a person to refrain from engaging in immoral activities.

It is very difficult to provide an accurate definition of the term sport, as people are likely to associate numerous activities with it and they are also likely to have trouble providing an explanation regarding the purpose of sport. It is thus even more difficult for society to come up with arguments motivating their lack of support in regard to sports.

Most sports associations are unsupportive in regard to the use of steroids and this influences many athletes in being secretive about their position concerning these substances. "Among weight lifters and body builders, however, experts believe as many as 90% use steroids"(Hecht). While some athletes procure drugs from their doctors, others do so by turning to the black market. What is even more concerning about this matter is that many athletes use large quantities of steroids in an attempt to get in shape as fast as possible. In addition to the fact that some of them irreparably damage their bodies through doing this, some steroids are believed to be ineffective, as they simply induce a placebo feeling into the individual. Thus, many athletes have come to harm themselves without actually reaping the benefits related to using steroids. Individuals involved in the steroid black market have access to fewer steroids in comparison to doctors. Many of these substances "are contaminated and may play a part in observed physiological reactions to the drug" (Sender).

It all comes down to the risks that an athlete is willing to take in order to improve his or her strength and endurance. If he or she feels that health is not necessarily important when it comes to achieving positive results, he or she will feel less hesitant about consuming these substances. It is difficult to evaluate such behavior, as one would first have to understand conditions from the point-of-view of the athlete who consumes steroids in order to understand more regarding the matter. Nonetheless, the fact that steroid use is likely to influence other athletes in turning to artificial products meant to improve their abilities makes it possible for people to understand why it is wrong to use steroids. People using steroids virtually exploit their resources and are even probable to develop psychological addiction. They can feel good when they use steroids and they can feel depressed when they are not under the influence of such substances (Sterngass, 33).

The use of steroids in sports is a divisive matter, as many individuals prefer to encourage it and do everything in their power in order to influence athletes in having an opened mind regarding these substances. Young athletes are most vulnerable to the negative effects of steroids, considering that it is harder for them to successfully integrate into a demanding world of sports in the beginning and as they feel the need to compensate using whatever means they have available. In contrast to professional athletes, however, beginners have no access to medical supervision when they use steroids. Most of these people are not familiar with the harmful effects of steroids and are unable to detect symptoms when they appear. As a result, it is sometimes too late to act when conditions worsen and athletes are even likely to die as a result of abusing steroids.

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PaperDue. (2011). English Topic Steroid. I Specific Details Topic. PaperDue. https://www.paperdue.com/essay/english-topic-steroid-i-specific-details-53202

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