Steroids and Athletes

Steroids and Athletes

By

William Adams

Steroids and Athletes

There are so many things corrupting American society. One of the most abused substances is drugs. There are a variety of “drugs” coming into the United States today. They are flooding our towns, streets, and neighborhoods. In fact, according to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, “One-third of teens and nearly half of 17-year olds attend house parties where parents are present and teens are drinking, smoking marijuana or using cocaine, ecstasy or prescription drugs” (Duran, 2006).

The focus of this paper however, will be on one of the most dangerous and most commonly used drugs, steroids. I would like to note that although steroids are considered a medical advancement, they can also be a lethal drug to teens and adults alike.

The natural form of steroids is the hormone testosterone, which is produced in males by the testes and adrenal glands and by the adrenal glands in females. The body uses these hormones to combat inflammation, stimulate development of bones and muscle, contributes to the growth of skin and hair and can also influence emotions. Anabolic Steroids, also known as “juice”, are a synthetic version of the hormone testosterone. When taken, either orally or injected, these synthetic steroids fool the body into thinking that testosterone is being produced and therefore the body shuts down functions involving testosterone.

Steroids first came into the United States from Europe. It was used to make cattle stronger and heavier, which in turn made the cattle worth more money. Later it was used on other animals, like horses and dogs, to make them fast. The drug was used to simply out better the other opponent.

Synthesis steroids were developed in the 1930’s to rebuild and prevent the breakdown of body tissue from disease. The first American doctor, “The godfather of steroids was a rough-and-tumble Maryland...