Anabolic Steroids in Professional Bodybuilding

University Degree Biological Sciences

Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic Steroids in Professional Bodybuilding:

Repayment for Big Bodies

Oleg Martinove

ENG 211

Patrick Spooner

Research Paper

February 14, 2005

At the beginning of 19th century, bodybuilding was an unknown word for “iron” men lifting high waits. The aim of past bodybuilders and reason why they practiced this hard sport was hidden behind brave, power and respect that was most motivating factors for them to practice this hard sport. Nowadays, bodybuilding has much higher standards and priorities in the past. In fact, most people like to see people lifting high weights and huge and enormous maculated person standing in front of them. What is more, at the end of 20thcentury bodybuilding became more popular, interesting and beneficial as well. As a matter fact, majority of professional bodybuilders do bodybuilding because they like it and can earn a huge amount of money that is investing in this interesting sport. People are willing to pay a great amount of money because they want to see big men with their strong muscles. For example, Ronnie Coleman is a professional bodybuilder and became a winner in the 2005 Olympia professional body building competition and won $110,000. In the second place a strong body builder named Jay Cutler won $60 000 (Olympia, 2001).

Most importantly, in today’s professional bodybuilding people are abusing a lot of kinds of anabolic steroids in order to gain big muscles, and improve their physical appearance as much as possible. In fact, no one can gain and build such strong muscles and advance physical appearance as people who abuse anabolic steroid.

First of all, anabolic-androgenic steroid is man-made essence connected with male sex hormone. “Anabolic” means to muscle-building and “androgenic” is to enlarged masculine powerful personality. Steroids belong to the group of prohibited drugs. Steroids are obtainable lawfully only by a prescribed medicine. For example when the body produces unusually low amounts of testosterone, such as serious types of impotence and delayed teenage years. Furthermore, anabolic steroids are approved to cure bodies for patients with AIDS and other illnesses cause loss of muscle mass. All in all, abusing anabolic steroids can make serious health problems (NIDA, 2005). Anabolic steroids should be legalized in professional bodybuilding because most bodybuilders are still using them, know the consequences, they would not have such great muscles without them and help to reduce black market with anabolic steroids.

First of all, anabolic steroids should be legalized in professional body building because majority of all professional bodybuilders are abusing several kinds of anabolic steroids. For example, in the year 2004 the winner of MR. of Olympia became famous and well known bodybuilder called Ronnie Coleman. Ronnie Coleman already won his 7th Olympia. In fact, Ronnie Coleman belongs between the most favorite and poplar bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Frank Zane. Even this great bodybuilder failed because his positive test showed in the past that he used ephedra and pro hormones. (Three Reasons Why Ronnie Coleman is Not My Champion, 2004). Simply, Ronnie Coleman was cheating! What is worse is that not even that great bodybuilder has been cheating. Majority of professional bodybuilders are using different kinds of anabolic steroids and supplements that are forbidden in Olympia. Those smarts ones of them stop using them the short period of time before the Olympia in professional bodybuilding start. In particular, every bodybuilder should know when is the right time to stop taking any substance that is forbidden if he or she wants to compete. For example, Jay Cutler used Lasix and he did not time it well. In fact, the drug was not out of his system before he got tested. Simply he timed it wrong (IFBB pro undercover, 2004). All in all, the fact mentioned before shows that majority of professional bodybuilder use a lot of kinds of anabolic steroids that are forbidden and considered as cheating supplements. Because of this reason, anabolic steroids should by permitted in professional bodybuilding.

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On the other hand, there would be a tendency that most of non- professional bodybuilders would be abusing anabolic steroids. For example, people especially non- professional bodybuilders like kids and teenagers would have tendency abuse anabolic steroids because they would like to have such huge muscles like their idols who are taking anabolic steroids as well. In spite of this fact, legalization of anabolic steroids in professional bodybuilders is the only way to achieve popularity and glory. In fact, no one can enter to professional bodybuilding without taking anabolic steroids and substances that are making this bodybuilding world such interesting and amazing as it is now. Anabolic steroids open the door to professional bodybuilding almost for anyone who is willing to take them. All in all, everything depends on individuals and people weather they will or will not take it, but without them people have no chance to enter to professional bodybuilding.

Another factor why anabolic steroids should be legalized is because majority of professional bodybuilders know the consequences of using anabolic steroids due to experiencing physical and mental side effects. First, anabolic steroids are made from a male sex hormone. People, especially men, who use them, may actually experience a “feminization” effect. Furthermore, there are other possible effect contains reduced sperm count, development of breasts, impotence, shrinking of the testicles, difficulty or pain while urinating. On the other hand, women are usually experienced with “masculinization” effect from using anabolic steroids which is facial hair growth, deepened voice, menstrual cycle changes, and breast reduction. All in all, from anabolic steroids can both sexes experience the following damages: acne, rapid weight gain, clotting disorders, liver damages, weakened tendons, premature heart attacks, and strokes (Anabolic steroids, 2005). Majority of all professional bodybuilders are using anabolic steroids even though they already know the consequences on their physical condition. Because of this fact on anabolic steroids should be permitted in professional bodybuilding because majority of bodybuilders know the consequences of anabolic steroids on their health. To repeat, a professional bodybuilder has to know what enough is. Human body is not a robot on batteries. Therefore people can not use them without mind and non sense. In fact, a professional bodybuilder should know what is best.

On the other hand, no all amateurs who want to become professional bodybuilders can achieve or act on Olympia. For example, there is a huge number of people who are interested in this sport and want to became or act as a professional bodybuilder. In fact, no all of them can achieved or enter to Olympia. There are only few people that have luck and got there. The rest of them who did not pass to the professional bodybuilding abused anabolic steroids for nothing. Simply, they did not achieve their goals and abusing anabolic steroids just destroyed health. Because of these consequences, state would have to finance their treatments and cures. In fact, anabolic steroids cause metal and physical illnesses that are very dangerous. Moreover, state would have to finance their treatments which are very financially expensive. Because of this reason, anabolic steroids should be legalized just in professional bodybuilding in order to avoid these bad consequences.

Second, anabolic steroids should be legalized because majority of professional bodybuilders could not build such huge and massive size of their muscles without them. For example, Lyle Alzado who is NFL veteran claimed that he went from 190 pounds to 200 by eating a lot, and then went up by 300 pounds from the steroids (Thorne G., & Embleton P., 1997). This statistic shows that anabolic steroids make human body stronger and vital in few days of regular exercising. On the other hand, most people think that it is possible to gain big high-quality muscles without taking anabolic steroids. In fact, it is true but it just takes longer. To illustrate, bodybuilding is a very hard spot and if people want to became professional have to face and overcome a lot of obstacles that lay in front of them. Anabolic steroids make this sport easier but are considered as a cheating tool to gain muscle mass. For example, a Musclemag international founder and editor Robert Kennedy wrote, majority of people say that they will not take steroids and do not care if it takes five years longer. The reality is that a hard-training bodybuilder who eats a lot and trains regularly and intensively hits a wall after a few years and basically can not get radically bigger without getting fatter. Robert Kennedy knows a lot of bodybuilders who have been exercising regularly for quality training for 10, 15, and 20 years. Five years of regular and intensive training will not give people the gains of three months steroid cycle. This is reality, sad but true (Throne G., & Embleton P., 1997). All these facts show people that there is big percentage of bodybuilders are using anabolic steroids. Majority of them do not have any choice just take anabolic steroids because everyone wants to win the prize on Olympia and be the best. To repeat, anabolic steroids help professional bodybuilders to reach huge muscle proportions and size as well as condition and power that are needed to their maximum muscle growth.

Third, anabolic steroids should be legalized for professional bodybuilders on doctors’ prescriptions. For example, all professional bodybuilders could buy it in a pharmacy on doctor’s prescription. On every cover of anabolic steroids should contain list of steroids’ side effects included on the bottle and the usage. It is a free will of people acting in professional bodybuilding as for people who are, for example, smoking cigarettes. Everybody knows that smoking cigarettes cause cancer, heart attacks, and other serious illnesses as well. To compare, as it is written on every single package of cigarettes that smoking is dangerous, the same system and way of production could be on package of anabolic steroids for professional bodybuilders. All in all, it is a free will of people if they want to take it or not. They would know the consequences of anabolic steroids and it would be their free decision if they want to take them or not.

Moreover, anabolic steroids should be legalized in order to prevent this world form illegal selling anabolic steroids on black market. As majority of professional bodybuilders knows, anabolic steroids can be used only on prescription for people who suffer from very heart illnesses or have very low hormonal production. If anabolic steroids would be legalized, majority of dealers on black market would lose their profit on these anabolic substances and stop selling them. This step could help people, especially professional bodybuilders to buy and use it for cheaper amount money as they buy it on black market. Moreover, this step could be more beneficial for state where the anabolic steroids would be permitted. Simply, dealers with anabolic steroids would lose their jobs because they would be available in pharmacies and state would have one less problem with forbidden drugs that are selling on black market.

To conclude, anabolic steroids should be legalized in professional bodybuilding because most of bodybuilders are still using them, know the consequences. They would not have such great muscles without them and even to help reduce black market with anabolic steroids. If government would make them legal, most of the problems with testing on anabolic steroids would be not so controversial and unclear as they are now. All in all, this legalization would be for only professional bodybuilders. The majority of people knows that most of bodybuilders are using them even it is forbidden. Because of this fact it would be reasonable to legalize it for them. This step would answer the most questions if the bodybuilders are clear or not.

References

Anabolic Steroids, (2005). What Are Anabolic steroids? Retrieved February 11, 2005

from http://espn.go.com/special/s/drugsandsports/steroids.html

IFBB Undercover, (n.d.). Column #1. Retrieved February 12, 2005 from

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/undercover1.htm

NIDA, (n.d.). Steroids (Anabolic- Androgenic). Retrieved February 14, 2005 form

http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/steroids.html

Olympia 2001, (2001). Coleman Edges Cutler for Fourth Mr. Olympia Victory. Retrieved February14,2005fromhttp://www.maxsportsmag.com/ bodybuilding/issue38/38bb1.htm

Three Reasons Why Ronnie Coleman is Not My Champion, (2004). Reason #1.

Retrieved February 10, 2005 from /fun/other4.htm

Throne G., & Embleton P. (1997). Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding: Musclemag

International encyclopedia of bodybuilding. Mississauga, Ontario Canada: Musclemag International.

Throne G., & Embleton P. (1998). Anabolic Primer: An Information- Packed

Reference Guide to Ergogenic Aids for Hardcore Bodybuilders. Mississauga, Ontario Canada: Musclemag International.