Before trying to prove that steroids serve no positive role in sport, it would be beneficial to outline the history of the drug used in sports. In the early 1950's, athletes in eastern European were already using crude forms of testosterone injections to increas

Often steroid users are seeking self-empowerment and personal growth to satisfy the public. It is this group of people who are most likely to abuse steroids. In this way, steroid use appears to be a normal behavior caused by an abnormal society. Society subconsciously places demands on our athletes to consistently give outstanding performances. When an athlete falls into a slump, the media often turns its back on him or her, often resulting in society's disapproval of the athlete. This desire to constantly be the center of attention and the fear of falling behind, frequently leads to steroid use in athletes. Posters, billboards, magazines and movies set the standard for what is 'ideal' in terms of physical beauty and appearance in society.

Athletes such as Ben Johnson and Mark Maguire were caught using steroids and other illegal performance-enhancing drugs. They now face the shame, which our society places upon them. Ben Johnson drew considerable negative attention to himself, as well as to Canada, as a sports competitor when he was tested positive for using anabolic steroids following a win in the 100 m race at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. The medal was revoked and Johnson's reputation was destroyed. As a result, he later received a lifetime ban from track and field (Nash 2002).

The same shame was put on baseball all-star, Mark Maguire, in 1998. He recently broke Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs in a season by hitting 70 of his own homeruns. During an interview that he was giving next to his locker, a reporter noticed a bottle of androstenedione on the top shelf. Androstenedione, also known as Andro, is a legal dietary supplement that is a testosterone- producing drug that helps the body repair itself between workouts. Andro turns into steroids after ingested in your system (Egan 2002). Maguire was immediately discriminated against by many members of the media and sporting community as being a drug user and not deserving of the record. Maguire then commented that he cautions people under the age of 18, that they should not follow his example. To date, studies have shown that andro consumption can lead to stifle bone growth, lead to testicular shrinkage, liver tumors, and development of male breasts (Egan 2002).

Athletes who are caught using steroids are likely to be exposed through the media and receive negative feedback by the sporting community. Athletes have expectations made by society to become successful in their sport and therefore face a predicament: he or she is pressured to produce superhuman performance, yet must remain ethically human while preparing for their sport. The risks in speeding up the process of attaining strength are harmful and damaging. In spite of these risks, athletes will still abuse steroids and other enhancing drugs because of the pressure that is put upon them.

In addition to the negative impact of cheating in sports, the side effects of anabolic/androgenic steroids and the high risks involved p

Some topics in this essay:
Androstenedione Andro, John Ziegler, Sports Illustrated, , Information NCADI, Anabolic Steroids, Roger Maris', Ben Johnson, Olympics Seoul, Mark Maguire, anabolic steroids, leshner 2002, physiological effects, using steroids, egan 2002, sports organizations, withdrawal symptoms, pressure athletes, enhance performance, forms human excellence, sporting community, caught using steroids, drugs enhance performance,