Athletes abusing steroids is old news in sports like baseball. There is always a rumor that there is some baseball player using performance enhancing drugs. However, you may be surprised to find out stories of steroid abuse among athletes in sports that do not seem to require performance enhancers.
In tennis, players do not seem to need to pump iron to boost their performance, but former champion John McEnroe said in 2004 that he took steroids without knowing what they are. In skiing, ironically another sport that does not seem to require performance enhancers, a team from Finland tested positive for the drug.
Golf is not spared from news of steroid abuse. Golfing legend Gary Player claimed knowing about some players who took steroids to improve their performance on the green, but this claim was refuted by Tiger Woods. NASCAR driver Ron Hornaday tested positive for steroids in recent years.
Anabolic steroids are hormones that help induce growth through an increased rate in cell division. The use of anabolic steroids is surprisingly popular among the athletes of ancient Greece. Though the practice was forgotten for most of ancient history after the fall of Greece, the use of anabolic steroids was rediscovered accidentally in Germany in the 1930s. Twenty years later, usage of anabolic steroids gained popularity when it was approved by the FDA.
From the 1960s to the 1980s, there were doubts about whether or not there are any benefits to using anabolic steroids. Tests conducted in 1972 showed that people who took anabolic steroids did not really show any significant changes in their bodies. This, however, was disproved in the 1990s through more controlled tests. At the same time, the US Congress put into place the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990, which classified anabolic steroids as a controlled substance. The Act was modified in 2004.
There are a number of horror stories out there about athletes abusing steroids and the health complications that can arise from steroid abuse. Indeed, steroids can be dangerous if used improperly and without the right knowledge.
There are many possible side effects associated with the wrong use of steroids. One common side effect is the natural balance of hormones in the body being inhibited. This can impair some functions of the body and can lead to breast development in men and developing masculine characteristics in women. It can also worsen problems with acne as well as cause sterility in both men and women.
Steroid abuse can also create problems with how the liver breaks down the nutrients that we ingest. It can also play havoc with our body’s cholesterol levels and accelerate hereditary balding. Other side effects associated with steroid abuse include enlarged prostate glands, stunted growth in children and problems with kidney functions.
The FDA has posted a public health advisory warning against use of any supplements that claim to contain steroids or steroid like materials. This report came five days after a raid of American Cellular Labs in California looking for proof that the company sells actual steroids under the guise of supplements. Products that were under investigation are: MASS Xtreme, TREN-Xtreme and six others. Over the last two years five reports have been made related to these drugs and more from other companies citing liver damage. These reports prompted the investigation along with concerns that high school athletes, who are not generally required to undergo steroid testing, may be using them.
Such supplements are readily available in malls and retail outlets across the country which spreads their use and side effects across a wide area of consumers. Steroids and other drugs that are intended to build muscle mass aren’t the only supplements that should require this level of caution. Many supplements make health benefit claims that are simply unfounded and are often outright lies to market the product. Caution should always be used when taking any sort of supplement for health reasons whether it’s for mental or physical results. Discuss the supplements you’re looking into with your doctor before using them, it could lower your risk for side effects and improve your knowledge of the product.
The whole brouhaha about steroids has gone so widespread and over the top that it is difficult to figure out where it started and where it will end. A few posts ago, we were regaled with the baseball community’s call for reformation, but then we ask, is it really time to move on? And more importantly, perhaps, we may need to ask – can we?
Despite all the controversy surrounding it, anabolic steroids, when stripped down to the core, is basically a good thing. They are actually a class of hormones related to testosterone, and can help increase protein production at the cellular level. This, in turn, helps build up cellular tissue, especially in muscles. Medically, it is used as a therapy to speed up bone growth, bring about male puberty, and treat cancer and AIDS.
Ironically, the very properties that make it so helpful and useful for fighting disease and saving lives has placed it in a bad light. The drug that can make miracles happen is now also a temptation to go over to the “bad side”.
See the YouTube video showing ‘how much is too much?’ with steroid use.
Can we really point a finger at who is to blame? Can we really blame the athletes and the professionals who are dangled with the chance to be bigger, better and faster for taking a stab at being great? Are fans and spectators equally to blame for being partial to bigger, better and faster stars for entertainment purposes?
At some level, anyone and everyone have dreams of being the best. We can probably say that this is the ultimate goal of many; but it seems that everyone needs to reevaluate the reasons behind our dreams, as well as how we are to go about achieving them. Maybe we can make out what it is that needs to be done to get rid of what we may already call as the “steroid menace” – and then we can re-tame that good thing that has gone wild.
Michael Phelps, who won a record of eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, made it to the headlines once again when an exclusive photo showing him inhaling from a cannabis (marijuana) pipe was published in News of the World.
While cannabis is not considered a banned substance during out-of-competition testing by the World Anti-Doping Agency, athletes may face suspension when they test positive during competition time. Phelps, who also holds the record for the most number of Olympic gold medals won, has never tested positive for any banned substance. The News of the World also did not specify that Phelps was smoking marijuana, although it confirmed that the glass pipe he was using is for smoking cannabis.
The newspaper also alleged that people from Phelps’ camp offered them “a raft of extraordinary incentives not to run the bong picture”. Of course, we know now that they did not accept the offer as we have seen the photo receive tremendous amount of media attention since the time it was published.
In a statement from Octagon, Phelps’ marketing agency, the 23-year old Sportsman of the Year did not dispute the authenticity of the photo, which was said to be taken in November last year, and instead said that he has “engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment”.
“I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again,” Phelps said.
We truly hope he behaves much better next time and that this may not affect his career. He has been given this rare opportunity to serve as a role model to society. He needs to recognize how amazing this gift is and try to use his fame to make positive changes.
Michael Phelps, who won a record of eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, made it to the headlines once again when an exclusive photo showing him inhaling from a cannabis (marijuana) pipe was published in 
