Topic Is Who Is To Blame For Steroid Abuse In Baseball The Player Or The Sport?

Introduction

Recently, steroids have been featured in the media for many reasons. One of the main reasons is the use of steroids by many high profile athletes such as Barry Bonds and Shawne Merriman. Steroid use in athletics, such as baseball and track and field, has been growing at an alarming rate, (Verducci, 40) and scientists have been developing stronger performance enhancers that are much harder to detect by standard drug tests. (Drug Information, Steroids, 2006) Many teenagers have now started using steroids after seeing their favorite athlete perform almost superhuman feats such as hitting a baseball over five hundred feet. This trend of steroid use among athletes, and now even teenagers, can cause more harm than many people think. Steroids are a serious danger to athletes and teenagers in America today.

Discussion

Anabolic steroids have many beneficial uses in the medical field. They are very effective in treating delayed puberty in adolescents. This is because steroids, in general, are made up of the male sex hormone, testosterone. Testosterone is the chemical present during puberty that helps the body undergo its complex changes. If puberty is not happening naturally or as scheduled, steroids can be used in order to jump start it by the addition of testosterone. Another common medical use is to treat some forms of impotence. This works under the same basic principle as treating delayed puberty. Testosterone is a key chemical in the production of sperm and in sexual drive.

When testosterone is added to the body it can help to create more sperm or to increase sex drive. ( Fact Sheet, 2007) Steroids are also commonly used to treat the wasting away and decay of bodily tissues such as muscle, bone, and red blood cells. Anabolic steroids are widely known for helping to promote muscle growth. The growth in muscle puts increasing strain on the bones they are attached to. In order for the muscles to continue growth, the bones must strengthen themselves as much as possible or risk cracking or even breaking due to the increased pressure. Steroids can help the body produce more red blood cells because they stimulate the production of bone marrow which is where red blood cells are produced. (Wright, Evan, http://www.powerlibrary.org)

One of the major points expressed by the doubters of teen steroid use is that steroids are not cheap in any form. A standard eight week cycle of anabolics can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on the specific type and dosage. Many say teens would not be able to come up with such large amounts of money to use on steroids. What they do not realize is that, in modern society, many teenagers have part-time jobs to earn income and, since most are still supported financially by their parents, almost all of the money they earn is disposable income. Also, if they really want something they will find a way ...