Essay About Performance-Enhancing Drugs And Medical Use

Performance-Enhancing Drugs
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“It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has
prospered” (Д†schylus, n.d., Д†schylus Quotes, ¶ 15). Д†schylus spoke this 500 years
before the birth of Christ, and these words still hold true even to this day. There are many
reasons why men would try to gain an upper hand in competition with one another.
However, there are very few solutions that men use to their advantage. The one solution
that is raising eyebrows and causing concern within the population are performance-
enhancing drugs. Sports in general are a competition in itself. However, some forms of
competition are important enough to actually use performance-enhancing drugs to gain
an advantage. With the severe increase of media coverage these days pertaining to
performance- enhancing drugs, our society; and especially our children, are getting a
first-hand glimpse of these unfortunate substances. It is in my opinion, that performance-
enhancing drugs are a danger to any athlete that decides to take them.
Performance-enhancing drugs, in any form, are harmful to both the mind, and to
the body (Saltzman, 2006). Performance-enhancing drugs are classified as any substance
that is used to increase performance in a given activity (Saltzman, 2006). There are some
drugs that you can obtain over the counter, some through a prescription, and others that
are simply illegal. Depending on the type of drug that is used, the positive effects of using
these drugs include helping the user relax, increase the users oxygen supply, or building
muscle mass (Saltzman, 2006). Performance-enhancing drugs that are legal in this
country are as simple as caffeine, protein drinks, or even nutritional supplements like
vitamins or fat-burners (Saltzman, 2006). In terms of media coverage, these are mostly
used by professional athletes in professional sports.
These drugs are also being used in schools, and even for medical use (Saltzman, 2006).The biggest drug that is being used
today; especially in professional sports is without a doubt anabolic steroids.
Even though there are many short term benefits to using performance-enhancing
drugs as I previously listed, there are also many negative effects of using these drugs.
Using performance-enhancing drugs can create extra cholesterol, which can in turn bring
the user closer to heart disease (Saltzman, 2006) Prolonged use of performance-
enhancing drugs can include damage to the users liver, heart, and kidneys
(Saltzman, 2006). When and if these drugs reach the brain in the case of anabolic
steroids, they affect the hypothalamus and the limbic system (Saltzman, 2006). Steroids
can severely lower the testosterone level in males and even disrupt the menstrual cycle in
women (Saltzman, 2006). The limbic system, which pertains to memory and mood, is
also affected. Anabolic steroids are especially dangerous if younger people use it, as
these drugs can stunt important growth of bones and general body development
(Saltzman, 2006).
Although there are many negative effects of using performance-enhancing drugs,
there are actually some positive effects that they have on the body when used in the
correct manner. When used in lighter amounts than what is used by professional athletes,
anabolic steroids can be used to treat kidney problems and also anemia problems. Severe
burn victims also benefit from the light use of anabolic steroids. Even some forms of
breast cancer are fought with minimal amounts of anabolic steroids (Saltzman, 2006).
Some experts say that the physical dangers of steroids are overblown. Sidney Gendin is a
professor of philosophy at Eastern Michigan University, and stated the following about
the overreaction of performance-enhancing drugs.
The fact that they are illegal is truly unfortunate since they are not any more
unnatural than any of dozens of other means to success, and the dangers of their
use have been vastly exaggerated. Popular condemnation ignores the fact that
there are dozens of different steroids, varying greatly in their effectiveness and
safety. Most of the significant risks accompany the use of oral steroids, not
injectables. Even the lesser risks are probably exaggerated but since steroids are
Schedule III drugs, it is not legal to test them for their purely enhancement-
performing effects. Thus there are no research trials establishing real statistical
data about them. All reports about their side effects