Term paper on Steroids

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Steroid Use and Abuse

The Hidden Dangers

Kevin Stanley

Chadron State College

Athletes today must make a choice: to use performance-enhancing drugs (steroids) or face a competition at a disadvantage. While some athletes may not bend to pressure to succeed a large number will. Dr Gabe Mirken did a survey of more than 100 runners asking them the following question: If you could take a pill that would guarantee you'd win an Olympic gold medal, but would kill you within the year, would you take it? The number of positive responses, over 50 percent, is very sobering. (Clark)

Not only are health factors of using steroids dangerous but the repercussions of sporting organizations equally punishable. Athletes in college may lose up to one year of eligibility due to a positive test. A high school student may face the possibility of expulsion, and have to pay the high cost of drug treatment. Professional athletes can face the loss of income due to positive tests, and must face the criticism of public opinion.

Using anabolic steroids can cause life lasting side effects. Anabolic steroids effect the user's body and mind in an extreme matter. Men and women at all ages must be aware of the danger resulting from this performance-enhancing drug. This study will provide insight on the negative effects of anabolic steroids on the cardiovascular, reproductive system, liver and kidney as well as psychological behavior.

Steroids are ingested into body in two different forms oral and injectible. Oral is often preferred because the absence of a needle. Also when taken in oral form a steroid must be filtered through the liver twice. The injectible form of steroids is one of two bases water base or an oil base. Water based steroids are less toxic to the kidneys but do not have the same potency of oil based. Therefore larger amounts of water based steroids are taken for the same effect of an oil based.

Some of the possible health side effects of using anabolic steroids are alterations in liver function, cardiovascular system impairment, hypertension, reproductive process alterations, increased aggression, gynecomastia, virilizing effects, tissue damage, and joint soreness. (Hatfield) Other effects will be discussed later. The use and abuse of steroids depending on the type and dossage, such functions as carbohydrate metabolism, protein metabolism, and lipid metabolism can disrupt liver function. Liver function may not be performed at the level of someone who is not using steroids. Breathing may be affected by different types of steroids along with the blood ability to clot. The metabolism of Glucose, tri-glycerides and cholesterolis is impaired, potentially leading to astherosclerosis. Also resting blood glucose levels and glucose tolerance. Elevated blood pressure over a prolonged period is known to potentiate a host of cardiovascular diseases. Anabolic steroidis quite frequently accompanied by considerable increases in blood pressure. When steroids are administered via oral or injected routes, normally secreted testosterone is no longer needed in the same amounts. With the need not the same the body will shut off the supply of testosterone. When the over-supply is done the body will again begin to produce testosterone, but it has yet to be determined if this level reaches the previous level. Some athletes will use Gonadatropin to speed up the process of testosterone production. This is a substance that is made from pregnant women's urine and causes a natural increase in testosterone. An extremely common effect of steroid use is increased aggressively. Testosterone is known to be a major contributory factor in the higher level of aggressiveness in of men than women are. Men can develop a gynecomastia, which is the development of breasts, the extent of condition depends on the dosage that is taken.

Previous studies have focused on cardiovascular effects of anabolic steroids. Reports of ten fatal cases have been published due to the exceeded doses of anabolic steroids. The deterrence of lung capacity can result in difficulties to breathe, which results in long-term health related issue. Echocardiography studies in bodybuilders using anabolic steroids reported a mild hypertrophy of the lungs with decreased diastolic relaxation (Kuipers 1998). Anabolic steroids also effect the cardiovascular system in the following ways: enlargement of the heart, a precursor to heart failure; high blood pressure; atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, a precursor to coronary disease; elevated cholesterol levels; heart palpitations; heart attack; stroke; anaphylactic and septic shock (Clark 1988).

Another study outlines how the male and female reproductive systems are negatively effected. Anabolic steroids are derivatives of testosterone, which has strong genitotropic effects (Kuipers 1998). In males, excess testosterone is converted...

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