David Leonard

Ms. Grant
UWRT 1102
April 9, 2015
Inquiry Paper
Steroids have had a major impact on society and athletes across the world.
Steroids when used to enhance performance leave profound effects on the individual.
Barry Bonds was one athlete who played baseball and steroids got the best of him.
Bonds was the key homerun hitter in baseball and someone everyone looked up to.
Every step up to bat, the ball would go soaring into the stands. Bonds won many MVP
and numerous Golden Glove awards (Harris 1). Barry was an exceptional hitter, which
sparked his game to the next level. Barry was then found guilty for using performanceenhancing drugs. Barry was convicted and which changed the way others look at his
ability and performance as an athlete (Harris 1). Barry was a pivotal figure in baseball,
but the use of steroids made his career diminish (Harris 1). Steroids bring about many
questions throughout society and provide great emphasis, especially through sports.
Steroids pose questions such as, why do athletes choose to use them, what are the longterm affects, how easy and reliable is it to test for steroid use, and finally is there a way to
stop steroid abuse. All these questions are looked upon daily and are subtly going in the
right direction. Steroids are something that will continue to be prevalent in sports, but
with the ongoing tests and strategies, will start to fade away. As of recently, steroid abuse
for athletes isnt as prevalent and has gone in the right direction.
When it comes to steroids in sports, the first question is, why do athletes choose
to use steroids? This is a common question among athletes and is an important factor in
sports. Athletes increasingly recognized that using steroids also improved recovery and

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allowed them to work harder presumably due in part to the psychological effects
(Bowers 1). This allows for athletes to fall into the temptation to increase their overall
game. These steroids are used for performance enhancement across the spectrum of
athletes, from the elite to rising young men and women in youth programs and high
school (Bowers 1). Steroids are becoming increasingly more common and need to be
diminished in sports. Steroids are also used to appear more buff and needed for those
who are self-conscious of them-selves(Bowers 1). The most frequently reported
motives were related to anabolic effects (i.e., for a good-looking body, to become
stronger, or to perform better in sports) (Petersson 1). However, some users reported
other motives; for example, to conceal concomitant drug use, to alleviate insecurity or
low self-esteem, to become brave, or in preparation of committing a crime (Petersson 1).
Steroids are common among many different individuals and for various reasons. All these
reasons are a pivotal motive, which allow athletes or individuals to get hooked and make
steroid use increase.
Steroids are something that many athletes and individuals are tempted into
without knowing all the affects. Steroids do indeed have many affects and lead to another
question, what are the long-term effects on the athletes? This question is something that
should be emphasized more and looked upon greater. Steroid use affects the mood and
emotions of the user. They make the individual have violent behavior, irritability,
increased sexual drive, depression and many more (Petersson 1). If athletes choose to
engage in this drug, they should be aware of the affects it could have on their health.
Steroids can also have long term affects, such as excessive erythrocytosis, fluid retention
with leg edema, and probable unmasking of prostate cancer (Bowers 1). This needs to be

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stressed throughout sports as athletes continue to be involved in the sport. Steroids can
also lead to roid rage and make the individual perform out of control (Bowers 1). This
also needs to be stressed worldwide, which will allow individuals to understand the
negative effects they have. Steroids can also be detrimental to the lives of athletes and
individuals. They can have direct cardiovascular affects and can affect cholesterol levels
greatly (Bowers 1). Steroids can even lead to major mood disorders that can even lead to
suicide (Bowers 1). Steroids are indeed very harmful and should be expressed greatly
with concern, in order to be stopped. The word needs to get out and allow people to see
steroids do matter and are something that can harm many people.
Steroids are indeed very harmful and leads to the questioning, how easy is it to
test for steroids? This question is very important, which will show the process of testing
steroids and put an emphasis on making it harder to get away with. Steroids are normally
tested at random times, in order to deter athletes from the overall temptation of getting
caught up in them (Croswell 1). According to TestCountry.org, drug tests for drugs like
steroids number more than 100,000 every year, with the total costs exceeding $30
million (Croswell 1). This amount of money should get the attention of many
individuals and lead to solutions stopping steroid use. Urine test is one of the main testing
for steroids (Croswell 1). This is because of the shire easiness of the test and the results
found through the test are very reliable (Croswell 1). Being able to test through urine is a
great benefit and could lead to athletes straying away from steroids. In addition to the
urine test, they also can test through hair follicles or blood samples (Croswell 1). This test
looks for the presence of synthetic substances and since steroids are designed to have
longer life than testosterone, they can see if the individual took some recently (Croswell

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1). As steroid developers become better at creating substances that can pass drug tests
without detection, science has been forced to develop other methods of detection
(Croswell 1) Athletes will commonly look for ways to get around the testing and be able
to test negative. As of now, steroids are almost impossible to get around after discovering
testing of androgen receptors in the body. These receptors will give away steroid use,
even when using steroids that are designed to disappear when entering the body
(Croswell). Steroid testing is taking a giant leap and eliminating athletes who want to
abuse them. This ultimately leads to the first step of abolishing steroid abuse and making
sports natural.
Steroids are indeed becoming less prevalent, but what could be done to prevent
steroid abuse? When it comes to schools regulating steroids, it has been determined that
nine percent of secondary school use some sort of drug testing (MedicineNet 1).
Although, it has also been discovered, that only four percent of the nations high schools
test their athletes (MedicineNet 1). Steroids abuse is something that needs to be discussed
frequently, in order to possibly resolve the problem. Research has also shown that, just
teaching students about steroids adverse affects does not convince adolescents that they
can be adversely affected (MedicineNet 1). While closely related instruction is
important, it does not completely discourage athletes from taking steroids (MedicineNet
1). Athletes need to hear about both the risks and benefits of steroid use, which make
them see a more balanced approach and will find more credible (MedicineNet 1). Steroid
abuse needs to be drilled into athletes mind starting at a young age. This could be very
beneficial to the starting point of limiting the amount of steroid abusers. Other than being
educated, athletes if caught, should carry bans from the sport. After the first offense, there

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should be a one-year ban, second offense a three-year ban, and finally a third offense that
leads to a lifetime ban from the sport (Granat 1). This policy should allow athletes to be
very cautious and lean towards not being involved in using steroids at all. Applying this
policy to all sports at every level will help sports move to being drug free and cheating
free (Granat 1).
Steroids do indeed need to look upon greatly when it comes to abusing them in
sports. Sports are intended to be natural and allow the sport to flourish with true talent.
Athletes nowadays are producing large amounts of strength in order to excel in their
sport. This leads to homeruns in baseball, concussions and injuries in football, and
unrealistic advantages in all other sports. Steroids in sports are diminishing and becoming
something athletes look at twice before getting involved. The next step to reducing
steroid abuse is going through with putting great emphasis on the positive and negative
effects of them. Steroids need to be drilled into the minds of athletes and allow them to
discover there is more risk than benefit. Many sport leagues have made great alters to the
use of steroids and the banning of any type of drug abuse (Croswell 1). This will make
the leagues be more confident in having a more healthy, drug free atmosphere. All in all,
steroid abuse is moving towards the downside in sports and will reap the benefits to
flourish naturally.

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Works Cited
Petersson, A, J Bengtsson, A Voltaire-Carlsson, and I Thiblin. "Substance Abusers'
Motives for Using Anabolic Androgenic Steroids." Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 111
(2010): 170-172. Print.
Bowers, LD, RV Clark, and CH Shackleton. "A Half-Century of Anabolic
Steroids in Sport." Steroids. 74.3 (2009): 285-7. Print.
Harris, Jaimie C. "Barry Bonds Continues to Play Hardball on the Steroids Issue."
New York Amsterdam News. 96.9 (2005). Print.
Croswell, Jonathan. "How Do They Test for Steroids?" LIVESTRONG.COM.
LIVESTRONG.COM, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. Print.
Steroid Abuse Symptoms, Causes, Treatment - Are Anabolic Steroids Addictive? MedicineNet." MedicineNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. Print.
Granat, Jay P. "How to Stop PED Use, Steroid Use and Doping in Every Sport."
NorthJersey.com. N.p., 26 Sept. 2013. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. Print.