Essay, Research Paper: Steroids

Most people have the goal and dream to have the perfect body. They believe they will be more popular, or attractive if they achieve the body that they desire. But what lengths will people go to, to get the perfect body. The biggest problem in sports today, as many people know, is steroids. Steroids do wonders for your body, but not only on the positive side, but the negative side as well. We all know they work, clinical studies have concluded what athletes have know for 30 years, anabolic steroids do work.
Today more than ever, steroids are being abused. It is estimated that 99% of all professional bodybuilders are using steroids. Teenagers know that steroids will help them build muscle but they don’t know about the side effects and the long-term effects. Teenagers have a hard time looking ahead to the near future, never mind much later in their lives. But society continues to tell the youths of today that society wants muscular physiques. Pick up any teen or muscle magazine and every body inside will have a perfect sculpted body. There are people that have a hard time working out or no motivation, and they see someone using steroids that hardly lift weights and are getting massive gains in strength, obviously the nonuser is going to be curious of using steroids.
One of the main reasons steroids are being abused is because people don’t understand exactly how they work. Many people curious in steroids think they can take the drug, get a massive body, stop taking the drug, and will still remain huge with little work, but this is not the case at all. Steroids plain and simply bulk up the muscle like balloon, you have strength and size, when the user stops taking a steroid, the balloon deflates, the once huge muscle turns to fat very quickly and the size and strength is no longer there. Therefore, steroid users must continue to take the drug for as long as they plan on being in their physical condition. But, if the athlete is to work hard enough, with intense training, it is possible for the athlete to stop taking steroids but there aren’t too many people that can do this, plus when off the drug, it causes the person to lose self confidence and become dependant on the drug. When a steroid cycle is taken, it should be short on and off sessions, for example, six weeks on steroids, than a six-week period without steroids. But because people want to gain muscle quickly, this tip is usually disregarded and the user will use the steroid for a substantial about of time, thus resulting in short and long-term side effects.
The number one common mistake with steroids is using excessive dosages. More is not always better when is comes to using steroids. Using excessive dosages has become a big problem for teenagers especially. This practice is not only dangerous, but is proven to be ineffective. Mega dosages put undue stress on the liver and kidneys. The body can only use a limited amount of the steroid, so if an athlete uses and excessive amount, the body will turn the left over steroids into estrogen.
Another mistake that commonly occurs is a poor lifestyle. Many people never pay attention to articles that involve healthy eating, mainly because people like eating food that is not good for them, but it really does matter. When on steroids, the user must eat enormous amounts of food that is high in protein and calories. Many athletes do not eat enough food to get steroids to work; of if they do eat enough calories, they often eat too much fat. If a person is going to take steroids they must understand that proper nutrition is part of the program. Another key to achieving the best results, which many people ignore, is getting large amounts of rest. A steroid user should have a minimal 10 hours of sleep a night.
The last mistakes people make when using steroids is the type of steroids they use. Plain and simple, the more effective the steroid, the more side effects that go with it. If a person curious in steroids wants a body builder physique, will be looking for something very effective, but also has to think about the side effects. Strong steroids and very toxic to the liver, kidneys, and heart, and should not be taken for a very long time. The mistake people make is that they look at how powerful the steroid is and don’t look at the side effects. Another problem with steroids is counterfeits. Bogus steroids are being used by thousands of unsuspecting athletes. Many of these drugs have the side effects of real steroids but not the positive effect. Using a fake steroid is like putting poison into your body. The best thing to do is get the steroids from someone you know, or someone you can trust.
If a person is considering steroids they must look at the big picture. Taking steroids is not as simple as people believe; there are many aspects that must be put into consideration before taking the drug. To receive the best results the person should know everything they can about the specific steroid, what they plan on accomplishing, and lastly they should ask them self, Is it really worth it?




Bibliography


Mirsha, Raja. “Steroids and Sports: A Losing Proposition.” FDA Consumer. Sept.
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Steroid Use Still a Concern in Athletics. Dr. Gary Wadler, NYU Professor.
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Steroids. Partnership for a Drug Free America. 1998
http://www.drugfreeamerica.org/steroids.html
Steroids. Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
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Tver, David F, Howard Hunt. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Sports Medicine. 1986.
U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. Anabolic Steroid Abuse. Washington, DC,
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