Humans are competitive human beings. It is human nature to try to be better than one another, and sometimes this comes by extreme measures. For hundreds of years, one of the most problematic ways that athletes have tried to gain an edge over their competition is through the use of anabolic steroids and blood doping. For those not familiar with them, Merriam-Webster defines anabolic steroids as “drugs that are sometimes used illegally by athletes to help them become stronger and more muscular” (“Anabolic Steroid”). Over the years, their popularity has increased dramatically, even spreading to high school athletes, despite being illegal in nearly even governing body in the sporting world. Should they simply be unbanned by these bodies due to
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Many supporters for the use of steroids in sports cite various reasons as to why they should be allowed. These supporters discussed in “Should Drug Use Be Legalized in Competitive Sports” claim there is little to no real evidence of adverse effects from the use of these drugs. Also, some claim that if the athletes are truly talented, steroids will not make that great of an impact. This statement implies that it is simply the athlete being great, not the use of steroids. In addition, it goes on to question the reader by asking, “If these athletes want to run the health risks of taking these substances to hit home runs and make millions of dollars, why not cut the pretense of public outrage and let them do it (ProCon.org)?” Their use, in fact, comes with many side effects and risks, spanning from increased blood pressure, impaired liver function, liver tumors, male pattern baldness, stretch marks, HIV infection, and depression. Also, one of the scariest statistics attached to steroid use is that professional athletes only account for around one percent of users (Butterworth). This means that the rest of the population is made up of “recreational users”, such as college and high school athletes. These users often do not know how to properly use them, and may not even know what they are injecting themselves
Many supporters for the use of steroids in sports cite various reasons as to why they should be allowed. These supporters discussed in “Should Drug Use Be Legalized in Competitive Sports” claim there is little to no real evidence of adverse effects from the use of these drugs. Also, some claim that if the athletes are truly talented, steroids will not make that great of an impact. This statement implies that it is simply the athlete being great, not the use of steroids. In addition, it goes on to question the reader by asking, “If these athletes want to run the health risks of taking these substances to hit home runs and make millions of dollars, why not cut the pretense of public outrage and let them do it (ProCon.org)?” Their use, in fact, comes with many side effects and risks, spanning from increased blood pressure, impaired liver function, liver tumors, male pattern baldness, stretch marks, HIV infection, and depression. Also, one of the scariest statistics attached to steroid use is that professional athletes only account for around one percent of users (Butterworth). This means that the rest of the population is made up of “recreational users”, such as college and high school athletes. These users often do not know how to properly use them, and may not even know what they are injecting themselves