Introduction
The use of steroids has become a pressing issue in sports today. It has affected the integral part of sports because both the coaches and players are involved in the unethical practice. The use of steroids has been a reality though some people condone this fact. Its consumption in some areas is ignored because the effects are not noticed instantly and are mostly proven after administering test. Some steroids are openly used in gyms for bodybuilding and power fitting but its intended use in sports has generated heated debates. Most of the players use steroids to enhance their performance, therefore increasing the number of winners who did not win fairly but through doping. The results of steroid use have not only affected its users but the whole society. This makes the portrait of sports damaging. It is no longer seen as an enjoyment but as a competition that one must win no matter the means. The steroids usage has a remarkable impact on science and ethics. Scientifically, steroids have changed in order to accommodate to how the body is designed to respond naturally. The body naturally has the capability to adapt easily to different environmental conditions. When a player goes to the gym for bodybuilding, some muscle fibers are torn. Through the immune system, the body is able to repair the muscles and compensate the damage by providing more materials to the torn muscles. The steroids can promote the whole process of bodybuilding artificially and within a short interval. They simply travel through the bloodstream, combine with body proteins, and then get to the cells. The human body is not always ready to contain the rapid changes brought by the usage of steroids. This increases the side effects. Problems related to steroid intake like increased blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases are life threatening. The use of steroids has not only affected the athletic world but also societal ethics.
Use of Steroids and Sports
According to the New York Times, the correlation between the use of steroids and sports, especially baseball, is illustrated. Baseball player Troy Glaus suffered a shoulder injury and decided to take the risk of using steroids so that he could continue playing. He called Ramon Scruggs who sent him some steroids and syringes after taking his blood samples to test the levels of his tester one. In an interview, Glaus showed the connection between its use and the state of the body. “It worked, and I was getting better,” he said after he had been injecting himself once in every four days. Although he and other players use drugs to enhance their performance in competitions, Schruggs an anti-aging doctor contradicts this purpose. He says, “Steroids do not make someone a good athlete or a bad athlete, they make you stronger, but they do not make you a better athlete”. He insists that the players benefit from restoration rather than performance after steroids usage. The use of steroids in sports has been a continuous concern to the league executives and union officials. They have introduced some measures to reduce its usage for enhanced performance, between the year 2000 and 2008. Banning its use and suspending the users have been in practice. For example in 2003, major baseball league players, Troy Glaus and Scott Scheoeneweis were banned after admitting that they continually used steroids.
Effects on Societal Ethics
The societal ethics has been badly affected by steroids; the levels of moral decadence are so prevalent. Some societies are more than willing to accept athletes who use steroids. The population seems to forgive and even vote for the leaders who are known users of steroids. For instance, voters rallied behind McGuire even though his story about use of steroids was highly enhanced. They were willing to vote for him as their leader even if he came forward and accepted that he used steroids. They rejected Bardwell who never failed steroid tests just because he had well-built muscles. He was also shunned away by the electorate. This was very hypocritical blow to ethical standards. The intake of steroids has been such a challenge. This has seen an introduction of learning and training programs to curb the menace it has caused in the lives of adolescents. Training program needs to be incorporated into education systems. Training should be based on all issues revolving around steroids like the risk factors, the benefits of steroids use, the extent on its consumption among peers and the notion that one is not vulnerable to adverse effects. This training should not only be based on the use of steroids but also on alcohol and other illicit drugs among the male adolescent athletes.
Players Perspective
The use of steroids by high profile players has been in arguments. There are cases when players believe that steroids are major contributors to breaking records. Beyond agreeing that steroids usage is a major challenge facing players, the sports critics argue that the leaders have not done enough to address it. Tom Davis, the chairperson of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, remarks a cycle of steroids use exists and it needs to be broken. Emphasis should be placed on the overall impact of steroids rather than how steroids influence a person's performance. A pitcher named Tom Seaver also puts his emphasis on the need to break the vicious cycle around the steroids use, especially in basketball. He remarks that steroids, “throw a dark shadow over the game. It has to be cleaned up. Somebody got to step up and get it done.” A baseman of San Diego Padres emphasizes that steroid usage is a problem that needs to be eradicated completely. He provides some means to achieve this; publicize the positive tests to embarrass the player and suspend the player for 10 games. These arguments and needs to eradicate this problem are lengthily published in the USA Today; (Chris Jenkins) the main cause should be addressed effectively.
Positive Uses of Steroids
The use of steroids should not be disregarded completely. With medical advice, some types of steroids can be used as anti-inflammatory drugs and aid in the quick recovery of the injured player. These would in turn be very useful to team doctors and players. If the use of steroids became necessary, then it would not be done secretly but in an open field where all players, coaches, and doctors participate. There is a contradiction that the coaches and doctors mislead the players on the use of the steroids; it should not alter their natural capabilities but only enhance their performance because of improved health. It should have short-term effects of having an advantage over the other players and lay off the health-related issues. Taking part in sport should not be driven by the urge to compete and win. It has to be based on the enjoyment the participants feel. Players whose test is revealed positive for steroid use should not be banned completely from participation. Suspension and rehabilitation programs will help during recovery. The use of steroids, however, should be condemned as the side effects, which outlaw the health and career achievements. What is more, the usage in severe cases leads to complete endangering of one’s life; the possibility of early retirement is also very high.
