Steroids and HGHThe use of steroids in medicine and sports has increased significantly since the invention of steroids. “The history of anabolic steroids dates back to the 1930s, before the term steroid was even used. In the 1930s, a team of scientists successfully created a synthetic form of testosterone (a male hormone) to help treat men who were unable to produce enough of the hormone for normal growth, development, and sexual functioning. » (Center for Substance Abuse Research, 2013, Internet). Many doctors of the time prescribed steroids to soldiers in order to gain weight and have an overall athletic physique. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay After World War II, steroids found their way into sports during the 1956 Olympics, where they were particularly popular with Russian athletes. When the Russians won those Olympics, it was clear that steroids were having a huge impact on the sport. “After learning that these athletes were using testosterone, an American doctor (Dr. Zeigler) created a more selective form of what we call anabolic steroids” (Center for Substance Abuse Research, 2013, web). Athletes began taking steroids in order to gain an advantage in their sport. The Olympic Committee finally banned steroids in 1975, but that didn't stop athletes from taking them to get ahead in their sport because the penalties weren't that severe. It was not until 1988 that the first major federal regulation of steroids was introduced under the Anti-Drug Act - toughening penalties for the sale and possession of steroids (Center for Substance Abuse Research, 2013, web). There are few ways to take anabolic steroids, but the most common method is to inject the drug. It can be injected directly into the bloodstream, also called intravenous, or directly into the muscle. Either method gets medications into the system the quickest and will produce almost immediate results with exercise. When lifting or training, the muscles of the body experience microtears in the muscles, which causes us pain in the following days. The body naturally produces protein to repair damaged microtears within muscles, but not at an extremely rapid rate (usually within one to two days). When an anabolic steroid is injected, it “travels through the bloodstream to the muscle tissue. It is attracted to the receptor on muscle cells, called the androgen receptor. Once delivered to the muscle cell, the steroid can interact with the cell's DNA and stimulate the protein synthesis process that promotes cell growth” (Peterson, 2009, web). There are benefits to taking steroids, for example, the athlete has a faster recovery time. after working. The above-mentioned process not only allows the body to recover faster, but it also allows muscle tone to build in the body. Once taken, steroids can also allow the body to stay out of the “fatigue zone” for longer periods of time. This is especially important for endurance athletes, as they are able to train and race at a higher intensity for extended periods of time. Another benefit of taking steroids is physical attractiveness. Many bodybuilders take steroidsanabolics to increase the size of their muscles. Most bodybuilders take some form of steroids in order to appear much bigger than their body would be without the drug. Finally, athletes take steroids in the hopes that it will improve their game. Steroids themselves do not actually help improve athletic skills, but they do allow the athlete to get bigger muscles and faster performance. faster recovery. The athlete will still need to train to improve, but there will be added bonuses if they take steroids. Well, there may be some benefits to steroids, but the list of downsides is much longer when taking steroid medication. The drug affects men and women differently. In men, short-term effects include reduced sperm count, heart damage, difficulty urinating, and many other side effects. In women, their short-term effects include breast reduction and excessive hair growth all over the body. , as well as masculinization effects such as a deeper voice, masculine musculature and excessive facial hair. Some common short-term effects of steroids include acne, fluid retention, headaches, swelling of the feet and ankles, insomnia, rapid weight gain and many others. In addition to the short-term effects of steroids, there are more serious long-term effects for both men and women, including difficulty with blood clotting, heart attacks, cardiovascular and liver damage, premature heart attacks, delayed growth in adolescents, as well as mood changes such as depression (Center for Substance Abuse Research, 2013, Web). The long-term effects of steroids can cause premature death in even the most “healthy” athletes. Many steroid-related deaths occur in middle-aged people and almost always come by surprise. Most people who take steroids look very healthy, but their bodies are very unhealthy. Steroids cause plaque buildup in the arteries, leading to an increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Most people don't know they have blocked arteries and end up having a heart attack before realizing it's too late. Besides the physical disadvantages of steroids, there are mental disadvantages to their use. Many steroid users become more aggressive with these drugs, causing them to act abnormally. This happens so much that they call this aggressive behavior “roid rage.” Steroids make an already aggressive person even more aggressive where they act. Aggressive behavior is not the only psychological behavior induced by drugs. Depression is a significant side effect of the medication, especially if someone stops taking it. There have been many deaths by suicide among athletes who used steroids after stopping them. Unfortunately, steroid use is not only found among professional athletes, but also in hundreds of thousands of high schools across the United States. High school aged steroid users attempt to be recruited to play at major college schools or to be on their school's varsity team. This creates major problems because using steroids on a developing brain can have major psychological effects for the future. Taylor Hooton, was a seventeen-year-old pitcher at Plano West High School. Hooton took steroids to excel in his high school baseball career,.