Sports and Drugs Shouldn't Mix: Is There a Solution?

I've been thinking about the topic of performance-enhancing drugs recently, mainly due to the recent Lance Armstrong events and also after watching the ESPN Documentary '9.79*' about Ben Johnson. The use of steroids has grown rampant in the last few years, both in sports and social aspects, and I struggle to come to terms with the motives behind it. But after thorough research and objectively considering different arguments, I have managed to dive rather deep into the World of Steroids and Performance-Enhancing Drugs.

What are steroids?
I'm no scientist/doctor/physiotherapist, so here is what the BBC says:

Anabolic steroids are a group of hormones found naturally in our bodies. They are involved in growth, physical development and the function of the reproductive organs.

The drugs are manmade versions of the same or similar hormones. They come as pills or capsules. They are usually taken by mouth, but can be injected. Their medical use is limited to boosting red blood cell numbers in anaemic patients.

Bodybuilders, sports fanatics and athletes use them to increase the rate and amount of muscle growth.

What are the health effects?

Anabolic steroids can stunt growth in young people. Heavy, regular use could shrink your testicles, raise your blood pressure and damage your liver, kidneys and heart. Girls can end up with more body hair, smaller breasts and a deeper voice. 
 
Despite this, there are legitimate medical uses of steroids, such as the treatment of AIDS patients lacking body weight, as well as boosting red blood cell numbers in patients with anaemia, as mentioned above. 

In South Africa, I am aware of boys from as young as 14 who just want to look 'big'. This is because of so many reasons, the main two being girls, and male ego. I don't want to generalise, but the problem is triggered in a similar way to anorexia amongst girls: just like teenage girls see stunning, skinny models in magazines and on TV and get burning desires to be like them, guys see built-up, muscly men in magazines with attractive women and generate a similar want to be the same. So, the commercialising of athletes and sportsmen and the glorification of their bodies is a major factor in this problem, but how do magazines such as Men's Health deal with it? Meanwhile, a survey was done in Australia of over 22,000 high school students and showed that 2% of 12- to 17-year-olds had used steroids “without a doctor’s prescription” in an attempt to make them “better at sport, to increase muscle size or to improve your general appearance”. And these statistics only represent one 'sample' in the world as a whole, showing that steroid use in young people is growing. It's a cycle that becomes extremely dangerous, especially in high school environments where trends and rumours are spread like wild fire. Of course there will be one senior student who "every guy wants to be and every girl wants to be with"; As soon as he reveals his secret to his chick-scoring, sculpture-like abs, and toned biceps, every other guy will want to jump on the bandwagon.

This does not end at high school. If anything, it gets worse as one enters the world of professional sports, where pressure, publicity and expectations to perform mounts. Anabolic steroids is a banned substance across all major sports committees, the FIFA and MLB to name a few, yet athletes persist on using them in belief it will give them a competitive advantage. And just like in high school, the steroid trend will inevitably spread. One of the most commonly known incidences occurred in the world of cycling, where Lance Armstrong became one of the biggest disappointments in sporting history.

Armstrong started off as a young cyclist with promising talent, going on to embark on a rocky journey that saw him get diagnosed with testicular cancer as well as win seven Tour de France titles. On top of that, he was the face of the cancer charity 'Livestrong,' that raised millions of dollars towards the fight against cancer. This was all very
good at the time, and was the sporting world's greatest legend that thousands looked up to, until it was revealed that he was the instigator of a doping ring with the U.S Postal Service racing team, as well as being a user of performance-enhancing drugs himself. Lance Armstrong was the key element in the cycling world being riddled with doping conspiracies. His bullying of other cyclists into doping and excessive commitment to winning all the time soon caught up with him when the US Anti-Doping Agency released evidence that included confessions from his fellow cyclists confirming Armstrong's use of steroids throughout his cycling career. He was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, given a life ban from cycling, and lost all eight of his sponsors: probably the biggest fall from grace sports fans have ever seen.

Armstrong's unhealthy addiction to winning rightfully came back to haunt him, similarly with professional sprinter and Olympic Gold Winner Ben Johnson.Although he wasn't the only athlete to commit the crime, he was the face of a much larger doping conspiracy, just like Armstrong. And just like Armstrong, his story shook the world. Johnson won the 100m gold medal at the 1988 Olympics held in Seoul, and was immediately stripped of it when he was found guilty of doping.

The 100m final race in Seoul is known to be one of the dirtiest races in sporting history. Only two out of the eight athletes that competed were never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, yet Johnson was the face of it all. This week marks 25 years since Johnson's fall.

"I was nailed on a cross, and 25 years later I'm still being punished. Rapists and murderers get sent to prison, but even they get out eventually. I know what I did was wrong. Rules are rules. But the rules should be the same for all," explains Johnson.

As you can see, steroids is nothing new, and will continue to grow if measures are not taken. However, why do some people think that steroids should not be banned in professional sports? I have seen numerous polls and articles that are in favour of the legalisation of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports, simply because it may be the only way to 'level the playing field.' Is it the only way to make sports completely fair, where no one is at an advantage? Steroids in sports may raise the bar in terms of performance and entertainment, but athletic performance would no longer be natural. Talent will no longer be raw. Surely, any Tom, Dick, and Harry could become a professional athlete if they were allowed to use performance-enhancing drugs? And wouldn't the health consequences put the entire world of sport at risk?

If this were to happen, sports as we know them will plummet into the ground and a whole new era of 'competitive sports' will emerge. The Lionel Messi and Usain Bolt sporting idols of today will no longer exist, nor will the integrity of playing professional sport. Sport will become more of a business, a trading market, and an opportunity to show off, than it is a platform for aspiring sportspeople with talent worth admiring.

This was a tough article to write, but I am interested to hear other peoples' points of view on the topic. Doping in sports will continue, regardless of the consequences athletes such as Armstrong and Johnson faced, but should the role of performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports be reviewed?

All for now,
Gabi 


Links:

"I was nailed on a cross, and 25 years later I'm still being punished. Rapists and murderers get sent to prison, but even they get out eventually. I know what I did was wrong. Rules are rules. But the rules should be the same for all."
Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/athletics/sport/story/241555.html#0psgg6BxiDesT6Gz.99Links:

BBC - Advice - Anabolic Steroids.
Increasing steroid use in young people: do they know the harm?
Why It's Time To Legalise Steroids in Professional Sports