Anabolic Steroid Use in Sports Summary
Anabolic Steroid use in Sports The competitive drive to win at all cost is fierce among athletes. Winning at all cost often includes using one of many performance enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids. Many athletes use performance enhancing drugs, like steroids, to achieve higher goals and set higher records than other drug-free successful athletes. Although athletes are performing at higher levels when using such drugs, what is the cost? Finally anabolic steroids should remain banned from sports because their use results in many harmful side effects; because their use violates sports regulations, and because their use can cause death. Anabolic steroids should remain banned from sports because of the many harmful side effects that are a result of their use. Many athletes take anabolic steroids at a much higher dose than prescribed for medical purposes in order to achieve at higher levels of performance. When used at much higher doses then prescribed, the use of anabolic steroids has harmful short and long-term side effects. Some of the harmful short-term side effects for male athletes who use anabolic steroids may include prominent breasts; a higher voice or, infertility. Female athletes who use anabolic steroid may also experience some short-term side effects; which may include increased appetite, baldness, or a deeper voice. The long-term side effect for both male and female athletes may include liver disorder, risk of HIV, heart damage, or stroke. Most short-term side effects are reversible if the user stops taking the drugs, but some side effects are permanent. Both the long and short-term side effects have not been studied fully to determine all the harmful effects caused by the use of anabolic steroids. Until further research has been conducted to better understand all side effects; anabolic drugs should remain banned from all sporting organizations. Although some forms of performance enhancing drugs are legal, using
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