Should anabolic steroids be allowed in professional sports? Or should all athletes be tested and denied from playing based on its use?
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MasterChief
Posted on 03. Nov 2009, 10:14 AM
I think steroids get a bad reputation. Even though there has been no conclusive evidence to suggest that anabolic steroids has any psychological effects, people still think that roid rage is as common as apple pie. Many will quote the health risks of overusing steroids as a reason to ban them. But that's just stupid. Any substance no matter what it is, in large quantities can kill you or greatly affect your health. Hell you could kill yourself by over drinking water! Does that mean we're going to make water illegal now? And just like it's our right to try to drink a gallon of milk and puke our brains out, it is also our right to be able to use steroids as long as we don't violate someone else's rights in the process.
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One of the biggest questions sports fans have been asking themselves these days is, "Should performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) be allowed in professional sports?" There are many supplements and drugs that can be considered in the category of PEDs but none with as high a reputation and attention as anabolic steroids.
Anabolic steroids, or anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), are a class of steroid hormones related to the hormone testosterone. They increase protein synthesis within cells, which results in the buildup of cellular tissue (anabolism), especially in muscles. Anabolic steroids also have androgenic and virilizing properties, including the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics such as the growth of the vocal cords and body hair.
There are numerous effects of steroids, positive and negative. The most notable of the positive effects is increases in lean muscle mass thereby increasing the person's strength. This is the main reasons professional athletes seek out and secretly use steroids.
On the other side is the adverse effects such as elevated blood pressure, harmful changes in cholesterol levels, increase risk of cardiovascular disease, acne, and premature baldness. In males temporary testicular atrophy can occur caused by the suppression of natural testosterone levels which inhibits production of sperm. There are those that will also claim psychological effects such as the famous "roid rage" which throws athletes and body builders completely out of control. Though, this has not been scientifically concluded or studied. In fact most negative side effects of steroids have really no conclusive scientific study to back them up.
A lot of the evidence comes from single cases and anecdotal evidence which would be outliers in the population. You could virtually take any food, say peanuts, and in the wrong hands cause anaphylaxis. Does that mean that peanuts are dangerous? Also any food/drug in high enough doses can kill anyone. Too much alcohol? Dead. Too much water? Dead. It is always important to consider doses when concluding the dangers of any particular substance.
This being said, what are the ramifications of allowing professional athletes to use steroids in competition? Why should steroid use be banned, or allowed in sports? "Allowed" being a loaded term as steroids are illegal in the US, but by not testing for it, they would in effect be allowing its use.
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