Due to stiff competition among athletes, the desire to excel has made steroid abuse a very common occurrence. The strong ambition for instant fame and recognition is the key factor for its prevalent use. Steroids are known to increase body mass and weight thus improving stamina, strength and endurance. They help by improving the performance and potential of the individual.
WHAT ARE STEROIDS?
A steroid is an organic chemical compound which is produced in the body naturally for development, growth and to combat stress. There are a number of steroid hormones produced in the body for various functions. Medically, steroids were discovered to treat a number of hormonal conditions. They are synthetic derivatives of natural human steroids produced in the body. Since they produce effects similar to naturally occurring steroid hormones in our body, they were used initially by body builders and weightlifters to increase body bulk.
The main steroid hormone in the human body is testosterone which is the most powerful androgen hormone, commonly known as masculine hormone, but is present in women also. It promotes growth, increases muscle mass and strength. Testosterone levels can also determine how aggressive a person is.
There are different types of steroids prepared artificially but the ones which athletes use are anabolic steroids which mimic the effects of testosterone. They have an anabolic effect i.e. incremental effect which causes muscle tissue to increase in mass and improve the stamina of an athlete. Anabolic basically means they build up or induce growth in muscles.
ANABOLIC Â STEROIDS AND THEIR EFFFECTS
Anabolic steroids are also known as “juice†or “roidsâ€. Steroids are used medically in approved doses for various medical conditions, but there is no scientific evidence and approval for use by sportsmen. These anabolic steroids are different from the medically used ones as these are taken in large doses which remain in the body for a couple of days to a year.
They are taken either orally or injected directly. There are various methods of taking these anabolic steroids either in a cyclic manner where they take multiple doses for a periodic time or stacking method where two different types of steroids are taken together for an enhanced effect. Another method is taking gradually increased doses to make the body used to the steroid slowly. Though there is no scientific documentation of this.
These performance enhancing drugs improve stamina, thus enabling the athletes to carry out rigorous training and work outs without feeling exhausted for longer. It improves endurance level, and reduces muscle damage. Due to this the athletes are able to perform with renewed vigour. Along with these, there are steroidal supplements also being used. These steroids do not increase the innate skill and ability of an athlete in anyway.
SUMMARY
The desire to win at any cost and the urge for instant fame and recognition result in illicit use of steroids by athletes. These steroids are similar to the hormone steroids produced in our body and they increase muscle mass, weight, strength and endurance. This enables the athletes to carry out longer and harder training sessions and workouts without any fatigue. They are taken in high doses to accelerate physical performance and fitness. The physical harm caused by these steroids is serious and irreversible. It is completely illegal to use these drugs by athletes and strict action is taken if caught. The drugs in no way improve the skill of a sports person.
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