Mountaineer Minutes

Steroids

By: Brandon Patraw

In today’s world, there is so more going on in high school sports than wins and losses. Lives are being changed and some are even lost due to performance enhancing substances that have made their way on the playing fields of high school sports.


According to the USA today, in March, 2010, the parents of Rob Garibaldi and Taylor Hooton told Congress that steroids ultimately led to the death of their sons, each of whom was not only seeking to bulk up, but to do it in a way that would get them to the professional levels. Congress went on to hear from commissioners of the major sports, pro athletes and medical specialists, and the number one problem talked about was steroids by young athletes.

Sports Weekly then went on to study to use of steroids by young athletes. They went around the Washington DC area and found throughout their discussion with the high school athletes that, the use of performance enhancing drugs takes place openly in the locker rooms, weight rooms and cafeterias on public and private high schools. They also found out through their research and discussions that coaches, as well as athletes know what’s going on but feel as if they have no power or guts to stop the performance enhancers.


Sports in our society is becoming so competitive that athletes feel they have no other choice but to use steroids in order to reach the next level. The pressure to win in high school sports in enormous. The pressure extends to athletes who are competing for college scholarships, coaches and administrators. Athletes in high school are often highly supported by their town and friends. The pressure is so high, that if they lose, they feel like they’re letting down their school and sometimes their entire town.


Although the majority of high school athletes said they consider steroids cheating, and know some of the health risks, many remain willing to sacrifice long-term health for short-term benefits.


According to a Survey put together by the Center of Disease and Control and Prevention, steroid use among high school students had doubled between 1991 and 2003. The results included that more than 6 percent of the 15,000 students surveyed admitted to trying some type of performance enhancing drug either through pills or injections. At the time this survey was conducted, less than 4 percent of high schools in the nation were testing for steroids. These are high school students, and the competition isn’t nearly as competitive as the NCAA sports, which leaves us to wonder, how many college athletes are secretively taking performance enhancing drugs in the off season.


A survey that took place among Florida’s high school athletes show that of the 215,000 athletes, 4,000 of them are at risk of using steroids. Steward said, “It’s kind of scary to think that possibly 4,000 students are at risk out there,” and “We don’t want to see any youngster’s life at risk out there.” Steward also mentioned that a study of not only football players and weight lifters, but girls at the age of 9-11 are using them to increase their build. Steward said, “That’s scary because it means parents are buying them for kids. And it’s a scary thing that society is dictating to kids that it’s OK to put your health at risk to have a body type that seems so critically important.”


A study by Texas A&M University showed that up to 42,000 Texas high school students were using some type of steroid.


A Sports Illustrated article named “Bigger, Stronger, Faster” tells the reader not to be fooled: “Athletes of all kinds are still using drugs to improve performance- and they’re getting away with it.” Sports Illustrated created a survey of 198 sprinters, swimmers, powerlifters and other assorted athletes. One of the questions in the survey asked; you are offered a banned- performance-enhancing substance, with two guarantees: 1) You will not be caught. 2.) You will win. Would you take the substance?


More than half of the athletes said yes.


Another question asked, 1.) You will win an Olympic medal. 2.) You will die in 5 years


Still, more than half said yes.


Many athletes feel that they need performance enhancing drugs to even compete in high level sports. It happens very often in high school sports. Now think about how often it is used in the Olympics, where it is so competitive that only the few best athletes in the world get to compete in.


Dr. Robert Voy, the director of drug testing for the U.S. Olympic Committee said, “I’ve had American athletes tell me that they were doing performance- enhancing drugs, most of these athletes didn’t really want to do drugs. But they would say, ‘Unless you stop the drug abuse in sport, I have to do drugs. I’m not going to spend the next two years of training-- away from my family, missing my college education-- to be an Olympian and then be cheated out of a medal by some guy from Europe or Asia who is on drugs.’ ”


Michael Mooney, a california bodybuilder said, “I would say nearly every top-level athlete is on something.” Mooney is an authority on steroids who used to be there for athletes who had questions on how to properly use steroids.


Needless to say steroids are becoming a microcosm in the sport world today. It is becoming a huge problem, in middle school, high school, college and the pros. The real question today is, why aren’t these athletes getting caught? Of course, avoiding detection does require an effort. But in the past people used to be able to sneak other peoples urine in the test, however, those days are over. As pathetic as this might sound, it is mandatory that a monitor must watch the athlete urinate in the test cup. Although people still try and beat the system. There have been cases reported of an athlete catheterizing themselves and using the equivalent of turkey baster to squeeze someone else’s urine into their bladder. Also, testing for steroids costs a lot of money so tests are not given that often. Also in professional sports, athletes often have huge endorsements and there is a lot of money involved with individual players. If those athletes are caught with performance enhancing drugs, the leagues won’t be able to make as much money off them, therefore tests are often avoided. There has also been different types of steroids created so they won’t show up on drug tests. These steroids cost as much as 3,000 dollars per month. People are always trying to beat the system, and many have. Once a different type of Steroid is found and there are drugs tests for them, a new one is created. It makes you think, how many athletes out there are a step ahead of the game and are taking steroids and not being caught?


Also, testers can’t catch users of EPO and Human Growth Hormone. This is one reason why so many athletes inject this into their bodies at a cost of $1,500 per month. EPO stimulates the red blood cells, which carries oxygen to the muscles, which then creates better endurance for athletes. This is commonly used by cyclists and distance runners. There has been an ongoing effort to test for EPO and Human Growth Hormone in urine tests but they have yet to be successful. There are blood tests that can easily detect steroids, however, they require a doctor, a lab, and it is a lot more money to test for steroids this way. It is also more convenient to test through urine samples.


Steroids do have side affects, Most steroid research has been based on long term steroid use. It has been found to have a range of effects, from acne to cardiovascular disease. There also are indications that it creates changes in mental/emotional behavior. Such as the person becoming overly aggressive, exhibiting uncontrolled anger, and so forth. Also, long term use of steroids can actually cause slight shrinkage of your scrotum, decreased sex drive as well as change in your normal behavioral pattern.


As of now, there are no effective testing programs that can guarantee the 100 percent truth of catching performance enhancers. Penalties for "doping" in todays society are pitiful. Therefore people aren’t afraid to take them. If people push this issue and if professional sport athletes, coaches and owners stop obstructing the testing process, there may be a way out of so many people using steroids today. If more professional athletes get busted and are banned from participation in their sport, we can make a giant stride towards drug-free competitions. If not, society in sport will continue to be corrupt and thousands of athletes will continue to use this devastating drug. We need to take a serious action towards steroids in sport, and we need to do it fast. What parent would want to find their kid laying dead in his/her bed because they were taking performance enhancing substances?