Steroids in Sport
The fear of failure, the desire for the competitive edge, the little extra bit of power and endurance which can make the difference between winning and losing are some of the factors which lead to use of steroids in sports. Whether it is a high school student, a university jock or an amateur or pro sportsman, the temptation to use steroids is very high. There is pressure from peers, from parents, from coaches and in the case of international games, sometimes even from countries to perform and bring the trophy home.
Coupled with the easy availability of steroids and prohormones, it becomes a temptation which is not easy to resist. And when taking small amounts of steroids produces a better body, more strength and greater endurance, it stands to reason that the sportsperson will then take the maximum permissible dose to do even better. Before you know the steroid use has turned into steroid abuse.
Do steroids win medals?
Sports people take steroid drugs to build their bodies, to be fitter, to be able to perform better, for more endurance and to win at whatever sports they are part of. By taking steroid drugs, they can increase their abilities. The performance enhancing capabilities of steroids does enable them to achieve their goals and win medals.
Since most professional bodies test for doping and steroids, the athletes are sooner or later caught and stripped of their medals. So what do they gain? The answer is simple. They get their fame, they get their endorsements and deals and make a great deal of money. If later they have to live with the disgrace, they do so, knowing that they have milked the opportunity to make a mark for their own material wealth.
They simply don’t care that they are serving as bad role models or that they are cheating their country, their fans and the public.
Famous sports athletes who were caught doping
Marion Jones-Thompson, champion track and field athlete, who won five medals at the 2000 Olympics later admitted to taking performance enhancing drugs (steroids) and was later stripped of the medals.
Ben Johnson, sprinter and record holder was also stripped of his records when he admitted to using anabolic steroids.
Floyd Landis, American cyclist, won the Tour de France in 2006. However, he was stripped of his title when his urine tested positive for testosterone.
David Ortiz, whose rise to fame in baseball was amazing, used steroids.
Another famous baseball player whose image was tarnished for using steroids was Barry Bonds.
Tim Montgomery, Olympic athlete and a former partner of Marion Jones, was also implicated in steroid use.
There are many others in all kinds of sports – public figures who should have served as role models, but instead fell from grace.
Endgame
Unfortunately steroid use and abuse causes a great deal of physical harm to the body. It also goes against the concept of fair play in sports. A major reason for this is large amounts of money which have made their way into the sporting arena. It is also partly due to the reason that nobody really remembers who came second – it is always the winner takes all.