Position Paper: Athletes and Steroids Natalie Edwards Emily Mendoza Ashley Patyk Rian Wilson Introduction to Public Relations Professor Calabrese 9 December 2014
Since the 1960s and in recent years, allegations of the widespread use of performance- enhancing drugs in sports have surfaced due to the number of sports records that have been broken (ProQuest Staff). According to ESPN.com, the most commonly used form of performance- enhancing drugs would be anabolic steroids, which are used by an athlete to improve his or her performance. While each professional sport league may have a different policy on drug testing, no sport is immune. The U.S. Anti- Doping Agency conducts drug testing for all U.S. professional and Olympic sports and all anabolic steroids are banned in all major sports organizations (ProQuest Staff). Many people support the idea that the use of steroids weakens the integrity of sports. However, others believe that athletes should be free to improve their performances as they see fit and that sports would be better served if the drugs were legitimate and safe (ProQuest Staff). Popular and respected athletes such as Lance Armstrong, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, Jose Canseco, and Barry Bonds were all caught using steroids and had to face the consequences. Some of these athletes either had all of their titles revoked or were not allowed into the Hall of Fame of their sport, while others just got a slap on the wrist and had to either pay a fine or sit out for a designated amount of games. Professional athletes should not use steroids because the use of performance- enhancing drugs is unfair to other competitors, can physically harm the user s body, and can damage the integrity and reputation of athletes and their sports. First and foremost, opponents of steroids believe that athletes should not use performance- enhancing drugs because it is unfair to other athletes and competitors. When athletes consume steroids, they have several unfair advantages over their
competition and there is no longer an even playing field. According to CNN Library, anabolic steroids are synthetic substances that stimulate proteins that help build non- fat muscle mass, helping an athlete become stronger and able to train and play for longer periods of time. So, athletes basically possess mainly physical advantages from steroids, such as speed, strength, agility, and stamina. Also, it seems that today s athletes are not happy with themselves and the skills they already possess, causing them to feel the need to cheat and believe that steroids are the answer. Steroids are not the answer though, because it is considered cheating. According to Professor David Fairchild from Indiana University, every professional sports league has rules and regulations against steroids, and if one breaks the rules, they should expect disqualification for violating the constitutive rules of the sport. If an athlete takes steroids, they should expect consequences. Athletes know that steroids are unfair, but they take them anyway because they are obsessed with becoming the best. Besides athletes believing that they have a better advantage over their competition, anabolic steroids can also cause harmful, physical, and psychological side effects to the user s body (ESPN). One of the nation's foremost authorities on steroid use, Dr. Gary Wadler, is part of a concerted effort to educate the public about the dangers of anabolic steroids. Dr. Wadler, a New York University School of Medicine professor and lead author of the book Drugs and the Athlete, serves as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Justice on anabolic- androgenic steroid use (ESPN). Dr. Wadler explained that anabolic- androgenic steroids are the synthetic derivatives of the naturally occurring male anabolic hormone testosterone (ESPN).
In regards to athletes using illegal steroids, Dr. Wadler explained that athletes "take them to primarily increase muscle mass and strength" (ESPN). Steroids can be taken in many forms, including orally or by injections, and both forms have been discovered to be especially worrisome for the liver and other internal parts of the body (ESPN). Some physical side effects for male user s would include reduced sperm count, impotence, development of breasts, shrinking of testicles, and pain when urinating (ESPN). Women user s experience facial hair growth, deepened voice, breast reduction, and menstrual cycle changes (ESPN). Noticeably and ironically, men undergo a feminization transformation and women undergo a masculinization transformation (ESPN). Other side effects for both genders include acne, weight gain, clotting disorders, liver damage, premature heart attacks and strokes, elevated cholesterol levels, and weakened tendons (ESPN). Steroids also have several behavioral side effects, which would include severe mood swings, irritability, depression, invincibility, and aggression or roid rage (ESPN). Most importantly, there is evidence that shows how addictive steroids can be if used over a long period of time. Steroid abusers may experience severe cravings for the drug and may suffer from withdrawals if they stop taking the drug for a small period of time (ESPN). Dr. Wadler explained that athletes have difficulty stopping use even though they know it s bad for them (ESPN). Overall, it has been proven that steroids are not healthy for athlete s to take because performance- enhancing drugs have way more negative side effects that positive ones. Steroids can totally shut down a user s body and can negatively affect their performance.
Lastly, athletes should not use steroids because if caught using, it can ruin their reputation and damage the integrity of their sport. One example of how steroids could ruin one s reputation is shown with professional cyclist Lance Armstrong, who is among the few recognized athletes who abused performance- enhancing drugs while being active in his sport. According to Jacque Wilson from CNN, Armstrong was known for winning the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times between 1999 and 2005. But in 2012, he was banned from competitive racing for life because he was charged with having used illicit performance- enhancing drugs, which was investigated by the Union Cycliste Internationale and the United States Anti- Doping Agency (Wilson). Therefore, he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and other titles that he had won during his career. Being banned from his sport because of steroid use also resulted in the collapse of his Livestrong foundation, his sponsorship and endorsement deals with Nike, and even caused his marriage to fail. Over the years he had denied ever using steroids, but after he was caught and banned, he admitted to doping on the Oprah Winfrey Show, saying that he did not feel bad about doing what he did (Wilson). Overall, it can be understood that Lance Armstrong s situation exemplifies why athletes should not use steroids. Using steroids is especially risky and embarrassing because getting caught will ruin your reputation and goodwill. The integrity of the sport is also at stake by how everyone involved within a sport will be questioned. Also, athletes who are caught using steroids prove to be poor role models for those who look up to them.
In opposition, there are many people who feel that athletes should be allowed to use steroids to improve their performance, enhance the game, and simply because it has become a mainstream thing in sports. According to Chris Smith s article from Forbes entitled Why It s Time to Legalize Steroids in Professional Sports, proponents believe that steroids should be made legal because performance enhancing drugs have become the biggest scourge of professional sports leagues in recent years. Various professional sports leagues have attempted to set a level playing field by testing for drug use and suspending those found guilty, but it s clearly not working (Smith). Stiff punishments have done little to reduce the number of athletes caught cheating every year (Smith). So, legalizing performance enhancers will create a level playing field and will help all athletes become even better and stronger. Steroids and doping will help pitchers throw harder, home runs to go further, cyclists to charge for longer, and sprinters to test the very limits of human speed (Smith). With steroids, the game will definitely become more exciting and competitive, from both an athlete and fan perspective. Most importantly, opponents of steroids will argue that steroids can pose health risks to the athletes involved, but in reality, athletes undertake serious health risks by simply walking onto the field or straddling a bike (Smith). Proponents of steroids believe that performance- enhancing drugs are not harmful and would benefit an athlete and their performance. In conclusion, there are many reasons why professional athletes should not use steroids. Athletes should not take steroids because it is unfair to other athletes and competitors. When an athlete uses steroids, there is no longer a level playing
field because they have several physical advantages over others, including strength and energy. Also, professional athletes should not take steroids because it is harmful to their bodies. They might not focus on the physical side effects of the drug, but it can cause severe damage to one s health. Lastly, steroids should not be utilized in professional sports because it will most likely damage an athlete s reputation and will taint the integrity of the sport. Once a great athlete has been caught doping, their lives and reputation will never be the same. Overall, steroid use among the professional sports world is a touchy subject, but every athlete should realize that drugs are not the answer. If an athlete wants to be great, they have to become great the hard way by using the skills they already have to enhance the game.
Works Cited "Anabolic Steroids." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2014. CNN Library. "Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 21 Nov. 2014. Fairchild, David. "Do Athletes Gain an Unfair Advantage by Using Performance Enhancing Drugs? - Drug Use in Sports - ProCon.org."ProConorg Headlines. ProCon.org, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2014. ProQuest Staff. "At Issue: Doping in Sports." ProQuest LLC. 2014: n.pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. Smith, Chris. "Why It's Time To Legalize Steroids In Professional Sports." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 24 Aug. 2012. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. Wilson, Jacque. "Lance Armstrong's Doping Drugs." CNN. Cable News Network, 18 Jan. 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2014.