Steroids negative influence on sports
...uralness” in sports. There are a numerous amount of athletes of today who are under suspicion for steroid use. Track stars Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery, boxer Shane Mosley, New York Yankees slugger Jason Giambi and several NFL players testified before a grand jury, suggesting the wide range of athletes who may have been taking steroids. Even though they were offered little immunity in exchange for their testimony, these athletes still could face perjury charges if prosecutors believe they lied about drug use to the grand jury. Mark McGwire is another athlete under scrutiny for steroid use. In 1998, McGwire admitted to using andro after hitting 70 home runs and breaking Roger Maris’ record. John E. Sweeny, from the FDCH, stated that after McGwire’s admission to using andro, sales quadrupled with teenagers making up a large portion of those sales (qtd. in Sweeney 11c). Baseball sluggers Jeremy Giambi and new teammate Gary Sheffield both testified on Dec. 11, 2003 before a grand jury probing the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, a company accused of providing steroids to sports stars. Being subpoenaed did not mean an athlete was a target of the investigation, which was focused on possible drug and tax violations by BALCO. According to Brian Thomas, from Healthcare CustomWire, when Giambi was asked whether he had taken performance-enhancing drugs, Giambi said: “Are you talking about steroids? No.”(2p). A month later, San Francisco prosecutors claimed a local sports fitness trainer dispensed muscle building steroids that are now banned by baseball to some high-profile players, reportedly including home-run king Barry Bonds, who hit 73 home runs in 2001, beating Mark McGwire’s 70. Since Bonds had averaged just one homer for every 15 at-bats in his previous 15 seasons and one for only 6.5 at-bats that year, many were suspicious about his amazing performance—at age 37, when athletes ordinarily slow down. It has yet to be proven if any of these mentioned athletes have used steroids at all. However, it is certain that the sports world has taken another major blow due to the number of its great athletes that are under scrutiny. Steroids over the years have played a major role in the deaths of many athletes. Pro wrestler “The British Bulldog,” Davey Boy Smith, 39, died in 2002 in Canada of an enlarged heart with evidence of scar tissue stemming from steroid use. In the article, “Wrestling Deaths and Steroids,” from USA Today, trainer Bruce Hart stated, “Davey paid the price with steroid cocktails and human-growth hormones (N.A. 4c). Another pro wrestler, Richard “Ravishing Rick Rude: Rood, died from an overdose of mixed steroidal substances as his autopsy shows. In 1994 he testified that he had used anabolic steroids to build muscle mass and relieve joint pain. In 1981, just 5 years after his retirement, Jim White of the Denver Broncos faced death as a result of steroids. He found out he had an extremely rare liver cancer – Hepatocellar carcinoma. Alcoholism, hepatitis, or steroid abuse can only cause it. Jim was not known to be an alcoholic and he never had hepatitis, but he had used steroids for 6 years and he died from it. Doctors also suspect that Lyle Alzad, former player for the Broncos and Raiders also died due to steroid abuse. According to Raja Mishra, from the FDA, Alzad made a public statement about growth hormones as becoming the drug choice for today’s athlete, mainly due to being undetectable in drug tests (qtd. in Raja 4p). Alzad died less than a year later on May 14, 1992 from a rare form of brain cancer, which also attributed to his long-term use of steroids and human growth hormone. Dr. John Zagler was a physician to the Olympic weight lifting team. When he learned of steroids he persuaded the CIBA to develop an even stronger steroid, the result was Dianabol. John Ziegler died from steroids in 1983. Even though steroids may have helped all of these athletes in the short run and put them on the fast lane to stardom, it caused them their lives when it was all said and done. These deaths should serve as a wake up call for athletes who are experimenting with any type of steroids. The side effects from steroids can be very serious and even fatal. Water retention is the most common side effect from steroids. It is a puffiness or swelling in the neck and facial areas. It is rather notable mainly if the person is a known steroid user. Another major steroid side effect is acne. Steroid abuse can give acne to someone who has never had acne, and it can make it worse for others. It also causes acne to appear in newer places for a person such as, the back and neck. Gynecomastia, a non-familiar symptom, is the formation of breasts, or abnormally large glands. The first signs are lumps under the nipples, and then they will gradually grow to fatty tissue and increase in size. Some steroid users seem to like the side effect aggression. The often find that they lift more, and they are more intense during workouts. On the negative side, users find themselves fighting with family, friends, and co-workers with an uptight behavior. Heart palpitations have been reported by a number of athletes on steroids. These may indicate an excited or elevated level of the central nervous system. Some other side effects include enlarged prostate, premature hair loss, sterility, shortness, and head and stomach aches. These side effects may seem like minor discrepancies for an athlete, but not until they start to experience these side effects will they understand the mistake they had made. Even fortune and fame is not worth the pain suffering caused by these side effects. It’s hard to know exactly how many young people use steroids and other substances intended to enhance athletic performance. However, studies have shown that the rates of steroid use in grades 8, 10, and 12 were 2.2 percent, 3.6 percent and 2.5 percent. With girls in the same grades were 1.0 percent, 0.8 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively. But in an article written by Donald Coxe, from Maclean, M.D. Jay Smith stated that if any child in the community is using steroids, it’s a major issue (qtd. in Coxe 1p). Steroids have a reputation for being dangerous to adult athletes, such as bodybuilders and football players. The hazards for teens are even greater than the risks for adults because teens are still growing. Anabolic steroids can stop bone growth and damage the e...