Youssef Haggag
Prof. Brian Altano
WRT-101-098WB
January 14, 2016

Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports
Have you ever considered the pros and cons of Performance Enhancing Drugs?! Nowadays Performance Enhancing Drugs are so popular in athlete's life and athletics have a big temptation about it and its effect however its forbidden in the united states unless it is used for specific treatment. Decades ago the facts of performance enhancers have shown us a lot about what these drugs can do to our bodies and how badly does it affect the body. Since they discovered These stimuli they tried it at the beginning on animals for example the racing dogs and horses then athletes started to use it after seeing its crazy effect on the performance and the shape of the body.

In the first place, according to researches and surveys about the advantages and disadvantages of Performance Enhancing Drugs on health some people think that “If each of us ought to be free to assume risks that we think are worth taking, shouldn't athletes have the same freedom as anyone else? In particular, if athletes prefer the gains in performance allegedly provided by the use of steroids, along with the increased risk of harm to the alternative of less risk and worse performance, what gives anyone the right to interfere with their choice? After all, if we should not forbid smokers from risking their health by smoking, why should we prohibit track stars or weightlifters from taking risks with their health in pursuit of their goals” but, “Performance enhancers, like steroids and other forms of doping, have a negative effect on long-term health. For then users of these enhancers are hurting themselves in the long run without on the average improving their short-term rewards from athletic competition, as long as competitors also use harmful enhancers. This is the main rationale for trying to ban steroids and other forms of doping from athletic competitions."

In addition to, the vast majority of people think that athletes gain an Unfair Advantage by Using Performance Enhancing Drugs use of performance enhancers is cheating because it violates constitutive rules of the activity. Since such use is cheating, it is wrong and we should expect the disqualification of competitors who are caught doping. This conclusion is established through a simple and straightforward argument. Cheating is the deliberate, knowing, and voluntary violation of certain constitutive rules in order to gain a competitive advantage. Since the violation is knowing, the attempt to gain an advantage is illegitimate and unethical, and the advantage sought is thus unfair. The knowing and voluntary use of proscribed substances is an attempt to gain such an unfair advantage. Some specified performance enhancers, anabolic steroids for example, are listed as proscribed substances in certain sports. The deliberate use of steroids is thus an illegitimate attempt to gain an unfair advantage. We conclude that their use is cheating." Nonetheless, "There is no difference between elevating your blood count by altitude training, by using a hypoxic air machine, or by taking erythropoietin. But the last is illegal. Some competitors have high packed cell volumes and an advantage by luck. Some can afford hypoxic air machines. Is this fair? Nature is not fair. Ian Thorpe has enormous feet which give him an advantage that no other swimmer can get, no matter how much they exercise. Some gymnasts are more flexible, and some basketball players are seven feet tall. By allowing everyone to take performance enhancing drugs, we level the playing field. We remove the effects of genetic inequality. Far from being unfair, allowing performance enhancement promotes equality."

Furthermore, the first recorded attempt for athletes to increase their performance was during the 8th century BC Greek Olympics. During that time, it was documented that Greek Olympians ate sheep testicles. This act gave athletes a boost in energy to compete. Later, scientists have said that this strange feast was a good source for a testosterone boost in early Olympic games. Also in 1904 Thomas Hicks won the marathon at the St. Louis Olympics and collapsed at the finish of the race. It was later found that he had mixed brandy with Strychnine to get his gold medal. Not to mention the fact that in 1988 Olympics marked the first time an athlete was stripped of his gold medal. This occurred when sprinter Ben Johnson tested positive for anabolic steroids His gold medal was given to silver medal winner Carl Lewis who, ironically, was later found to also using enhancers during his Olympic career.

Perhaps the most significant downfall of American athletes occurred in July of 2005 when the California's Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative pleaded guilty to steroid distribution and money laundering. The list of athletes on the Co-Operative was even more damning than the guilty plea. These athletes included Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, and several members of the Oakland Raiders. There are many different performance enhancers that are taken for various reasons by athletes. According to what Craig Freudenrich said about PEDs, his PHD was about "How Performance Enhancing Drugs Work” here are just a few examples such as; Stimulants, building muscle and, Relaxants, reduce weight, Increase oxygen delivery, last but not least to mask pain, finally to mask drug use. With all that these different substances can do for an athlete, the overall objective is to increase one's physical performance. Along the same lines, the overall result is deadly.

Unfortunately, Performance enhancers give you wonderful looking ads, lean legs, and tough muscles. Your outward appearance may impress you in the mirror; but the internal battle isn't seen or felt until it is too late but, all that is only used for sales commercials and zero benefit for the consumer. Women who choose to take steroids or performance enhancers are in for a big change when it comes to their appearance. Immediate results may be rewarding, but later most women will begin to grow facial hair. The voice begins to deepen. Other symptoms include breast reduction and a significant change in the menstrual cycle. Men will become visibly stronger; but really become less of a man when his sperm count is greatly reduced. They will also develop breasts, testicles will shrink, and impotence may occur along with pain while urinating. Trying so hard to look tough takes away a significant amount of dignity of being a man.

There are some common symptoms between both sexes. Those that choose to take steroids orally or injected also suffer with symptoms that affect your appearance such as acne, bloated appearance, rapid weight gain, and clotting disorders. Generally, such a rapid change to the body causes strokes and heart attacks. Another serious concern for intravenous drug abuse is the possibility of getting HIV/AIDS. These are very unfortunate results that people will risk having in order to get the ultimate body. However, beauty is only skin deep, in which the users are destroying every time a new substance is introduced to make them the "great athlete". The more research I have done, the more revolting the evidence gets. The more serious side effects are kidney failure, liver failure, depression, aggression pathological manic state, and paranoia. Recent evidence suggests that long time users and steroid abusers may experience the characteristics of addiction; which makes the cravings difficult to stop the use of steroids. Most have to deal with withdrawal symptoms like a heroin addict. After all these damaged effects, who would be stupid enough to use these enhancers? According to espn.go.com, the hormones anabolic steroids effect help the body retain dietary protein, which helps the development of muscles as well as forming a muscular body in less time. So, in other words, a quick fix for someone that does not have patience to let their body "enhance" naturally.
You can naturally get quick results depending on your metabolism, along with a healthy thirty-minute workout each day and eating sensibly. Having a sensible diet and a steady exercise schedule can enhance your body naturally; without the risks of possibly losing your life. Throughout my research, I have noticed how simple it is to purchase steroids on the internet. Sites only ask for your name, age, and credit card information. Most of the sellers have it set up like a pizza delivery service; you pay cash or credit at the door, sit down, and enjoy.
The people that stand to lose the most in this dark world are young athletes. All children have their heroes; and most look up to a certain sports star. Whether an adolescent want to be a wrestler, football or baseball player; they have to work hard to meet up to a professional standard of the sport they choose. Most adolescents do not know the side effects; nor do some care. Again, it's a quick fix to be the best. What child ever thinks about the consequences of their actions. Adolescents are most at risk with the aftermath of using enhancers since they are still developing physically. They are at risk for all the same as symptoms as an adult abuser; but can also stunt their growth, loose bone mass, and develop severe cases of acne.
Nancy Clark M.S.R.D., author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, believes it is "simply not wise to take steroids/performance enhancers". We definitely need to wise up before it is too late. My opinion is that people who take performance enhancers are a bunch of lazy people who would rather sit on the couch than be in the gym for the forty-five or thirty-minute workout each day, and that is the only way you will get your body in shape along with keeping your body healthy.

It seems to me that taking any kind of PEDs or take any drug with so many hazardous side effects are considered suicide because regarding the researches its totally harmful and have zero benefit to the human body. There are reasons why people do what they do, but after researching performance enhancing drugs, I would not think it’s worth to use such a drug with so many ill side effects. The quick gain and cheating may give an athlete their immediate goals to be great; but the side effects will definitely back track you later in life. But, how much satisfaction can you enjoy by cheating when you're dead?

Work citied

http://www.usada.org/substances/effects-of-performance-enhancing-drugs/?lang=en https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance-enhancing_drugs http://sportsanddrugs.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002352 http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/38/6/666.full http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicoftheweek143.htm