DEFINING PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUGS by Tamara Moreland
Trainers and governing bodies differ on impact and results
Sports establish a framework of objectives and rules in which people compete to be the best. This framework has been established with the knowledge that most people would struggle to hit a 90 mph ball over 400 feet, or that it is difficult to run 40-yard dash in under 4.5 seconds. When these things happen, it is exciting, because everyone knows how difficult it is to do and yet it was done.
Performance-enhancing drugs redefine what is difficult. The single-season homerun record used to be a number as unobtainable as the speed of light, until players started “doping”. This lessens the excitement of a homerun and the game loses its charm.
Many people do not know that drugs and substance use in sports has a long history, which dates back long before the Steroid Era. Athletes have taken a wide variety of everyday and exotic substances over the years, and the substance use has never been limited to elite athletes. The past few years has brought plenty of evidence that “doping” is widespread. Speedily designed tests, some applied retrospectively to old urine samples, showed that use of tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), an undetectable steroid had been widespread among top athletes. The drug was allegedly made by BALCO (the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative), in California, as a “nutritional supplement”. BALCO’s clients included many top sports stars, such as Tim Montgomery, world champion in the 100m sprint; his partner, Marion Jones, the reigning women’s Olympic 100m champion; Shane Mosley, a former boxing world champion; several members of the Oakland Raiders football team; and Barry Bonds, who now holds baseball’s record for the most career home runs.
Defining performance-enhancing substances is difficult. They can include anything from aspirin to heroin; they may be legal or illegal, harmless or dangerous, natural or synthetic. Many people believe that the name “performance-enhancing drugs” is unfair, and in principle, equivalent to calling all "enhancers" immoral.
Sean Fowler, a personal athletic trainer and former college athlete in Houston, Texas shares his views about these substances. "I feel that if performance enhancing drugs are unfair, then modern nutrition, weight-lifting, mini-camps, summer leagues, etc., all have to be unfair as well. They do, after all, enhance performance! I don’t think performance enhancing drugs are some "magic" that make humans into Clark Kents," he claims. "Athletes, as well as anyone still have to work out, maintain a proper diet and they still have to put in great effort at the gym for the drugs to even work--they aren’t magic muscles."
According to the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), steroid use appears to be relatively low among high school athletes and young adult athletes. Steroid abuse among high school students has risen overall since the early 1990s but now may be declining. NDIC 2005 data indicate that rates of past year use among high school students are highest among twelfth graders (2.5%), followed by tenth graders (1.5%), and eighth graders (1.1%).
Many might argue that condoning the use of performance enhancers might put professional players in the precarious position of being forced to start shooting up in order to remain in the pro ranks. It has been an even bigger concern that young athletes are being pressured into trying steroids, in order to make it to the pro level. While this concern is valid, pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable has been the nature of sports for centuries.
"I am not in favor of ’leveling the playing field’ in major league sports (NBA, MLB, NFL, etc), but I think athletes must respect and follow the rules that are already in place, whether they are rules of the league or laws of our country. When I watch a sporting event, I am rooting for the players who are good athletes to win, not for the steroids the players took to win", Fowler adds.
Success in sports takes talent, skill, practice and hard work. Performance-enhancing drugs are a form of cheating and dangerous to your health. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there are many healthy ways to increase your strength or improve your appearance. If you are serious about your sport and your health, keep the following tips in mind: Train safely without using drugs; Eat a healthy diet; Get plenty of rest; Set realistic goals and be proud of yourself when you reach them; Seek out training supervision, coaching, and advice from a reliable professional; Avoid injuries by playing safely and using protective gear; and Talk to your pediatrician about nutrition, your health, preventing injury, and safe ways to gain strength.
Male and female symptoms and consequences of steroid use
For males, one of the more disturbing effects of steroid use for males is that the body begins to produce less of its own testosterone. As a result, the testicles may begin to shrink. Some of the other effects of steroid use for males include impotence, increase in nipple and breast size (gynecomastia) and enlarged prostate.
Since steroids act as a male hormone, females may experience the following side effects: reduced breast size, increase in facial and body hair, deepened voice and menstrual problems.
Steroids also can have the following effects on the mind and behavior: "Roid rage" - severe, aggressive behavior that may result in violence, such as fighting or destroying property; Severe mood swings; Hallucinations - seeing or hearing things that are not really there; Paranoia - extreme feelings of mistrust and fear; Anxiety and panic attacks; Depression and thoughts of suicide; An angry, hostile, or irritable mood.
Tamara Moreland is a graduate student at University of Houston. She maybe reached at tmoreland02@yahoo.com
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Trainers and governing bodies differ on impact and results