Performance Enhancer: Steroids

Barry Bonds' Record Setting Home Run Ball

 

Steroids are a major problem among teens, young adults, and some profession athletes. Steroids are detrimental to one’s health and, although can be beneficial to some medical disorders, are best to be taken under a physician’s orders only. Steroids have become a popular drug among athletes, and more so for baseball players. In 2008, Barry Bonds, the San Francisco Giants slugger broke the Major League Baseball record of career home runs by hitting 762 and,  surpassing the likes of Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays. Although a great accomplishment for any profession baseball player, for Barry Bonds it is tainted with an asterisk. The record breaking ball was branded with an asterisk and sent to the Hall of Fame because of Bonds’ alleged steroid use.  

Anabolic steroid is a synthetic substance used in the prevention, diagnosis, alleviation, treatment or cure of a disease in man and has a physiological effect, meaning although it is not illicit, it is a drug.  Steroids are a drug used mainly by athletes and bodybuilders to gain muscle bulk and strength. According to Sports Illustrated, steroids could quicken recovery after workouts, build stamina and add muscle. They could eliminate that slump in August when ball players are worn down due to minor injuries and fatigue of the long season (M. Fainaru-Wada and L. Williams, 2006). Although not physically addicting, steroids can easily become an obsession among young athletes as well as professionals who desire athletic success. 

Long term use of steroids is associated with physical health problems such as liver ailments, tumors, kidney problems, sexual dysfunction, hypertension, and mental health problems such as depression. Steroid uses runs in cycles, and other drugs such as Clomid, Teslac, and Halotestin are used to curb the need for high dosages of steroids, yet carry their own dangerous side effects (L.J. Siegle and B.C. Welsh, 2009). Many users of steroids inject it secretly and it goes unnoticed, quickly becoming a serious problem. Therefore, making it important to detect.  

Anabolic steroids