The Use of Steroids by Young Athletes

Steroids
The Use of Steroids by Young Athletes
In our society sports play an important role in our culture. However several pro athletes are not giving a good example to young athletes. As we can see in the news everyday allegations that pro athletes are been accused or inducted for using steroids. Consequently many young athletes believed that the use of steroids is acceptable.
Anabolic steroids are a group of powerful compounds closely related to the male sex hormone testosterone. Drugs commonly referred as "steroids" are classified as anabolic or corticosteroids. Corticosteroids, such as cortisone, are drugs that doctors typically prescribe to help control inflammation in the body… Anabolic steroids are synthetic hormones that can boost the body's ability to produce muscle and prevent muscle breakdown. (Dowshen, 2009).   The use of anabolic steroids helps the body to be stronger, and ability to train longer and harder, anabolic steroids helps the body metabolize ingested proteins and facilitate the production of lean muscle. They also delay fatigue and may create a feeling of euphoria.
Today there more than 100 different types of anabolic steroids that have been developed and each require a prescription to be used legally in the United States.
      Steroid use among high school students more than doubled between 1991 and 2003. More than 6% of 15,000 students surveyed admitted trying steroid pills or injections. At the same time, less than 4% of the nation's high schools were testing for steroids (Livingstone, 2005).Steroid use has trickled down to younger athletes too, who face fierce pressure to be stronger and faster.
            Numerous health risks of short-term effects are reversible. The major effects of anabolic steroid use include liver tumors, fluid retention, and high blood pressure. Additional side effects include the following: for men shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts; for women...