Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports
The use of performance-enhancing drugs jeopardizes the spirit of the sport; therefore there should be a law that makes it a criminal act.
Performance-enhancing drugs can be defined as synthetic or natural substances that athletes use to build muscle mass, improve their endurance, or improve their athletic abilities. Performance-enhancing drugs can be legal and illegal, but the one thing that is for sure they all have known side effects. Even though these drugs have been around for many years, lately it has some new found attention. There have been many new scandals surrounding every sport but it seems as the Major League of Baseball has taken the biggest blow.
The spirit of the sport essentially is what we can refer to as staying true to the sport. This is defined by these values; health, ethics, and respect for rules and laws (Mulhall, 2007). There is no doubt that the use and misuse of performance-enhancing drugs pose a danger to the athletes’ health. When athletes take steroids, the ingredient responsible for the building of muscle mass, they are endangering their health as well as those around them. The health risks include, just to name a few; severe acne, liver abnormalities, tumors, psychiatric disorders, drug dependancy, steroid rage, and even death. Another drug that is used widespread by athletes are stimulants, which enhances physical performance and aggressiveness. Side effects for these drugs include; drug tolerance, insomnia, heart palpitations, heart rhythm abnormalities, convulsions, and brain hemorrhaging. Those who are pro-steroids might feel as though the athletes who are using drugs are not hurting anyone but themselves. However, if athletes do not care about their health then that’s their personal problem but the number of young athletes who strive to be like their idols out number pro-athletes.
The American culture is known for glorifying pro-athletes and giving them rewards that...