Sports today are becoming more and more competitive and athletes, especially younger athletes, are finding different ways to enhance their performance. Unfortunately, instead of finding healthy ways to do this, they often turn to ergogenic drugs. These drugs vary from illegal substances, such as anabolic steroids, to over the counter supplements, such as creatine. A study at Brown University School of medicine has found that teens are using performance enhanced drugs that include anabolic-androgenic steroids, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone, growth hormone, nutritional supplements, creatine, and ephedrine. For a complete list of drugs being used and the negative effects of each one, check out http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Sports_supplements/.
If you are to encounter someone that is either taking these performance enhancement drugs or is interested in trying them, you should encourage healthy ways such as proper exercise, good nutrition, and proper weight training. Using these drugs could seriously effect someones performance in negative ways. It could even terminate a person's athletic career early. Try challenging this person to get build their ability using hard work without using these unnecessary, potentially harmful drugs!
I have a 19 year old brother who has started lifting regularly with his friends, and under their influence has started to take different sports enhancing drugs. I try to discourage him as much as possible and encourage healthier alternatives but it is a great idea to educate people on this issue.
ReplyDeleteThis issue is becoming more and more prevalent in our society and it actually more close to home then some people think! Many people want to start going to the gym and get results right away and when they don't see that, it can really bother them and they might think resorting to performance enhancing drugs is the only way out, when it's not. Maybe they just need to add better nutrients to their diets instead of harmful drugs!
ReplyDeleteI think it is extremely important for people to realize how harmful these substances are. I'm sure that if many athletes or exercisers who take these drugs without thinking twice actually knew the consequences, they would find another way to see results!
ReplyDeleteThrough out high school a lot of predominantly male athletes taking pills and lifting weights to really bulk up. Too bad myy high school health class barely touched on this subject, instead they focusedon teen pregnancy for 4 months. this would have been helpful
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