Imagine, just for one minute that you were at the peak of you career, in a competition that would determines whether you sink of swim. You have the choice to go out all natural, or to give yourself a little boost, so it is definite that you will swim. What would you do? Would you run the risk of getting caught? The athletes that stoop to this level are cheats. They are afraid of losing. And as the old saying goes, “cheaters never prosper”. They are putting so many things at risk in their lives. They face being suspended and completely thrown out of their sport, they put their lives at risk, no to mention giving sport a bad name.
Testosterone can build muscle and strength, reduce fatigue and improve recovery time after exercise. To many athletes this sounds better than sliced bread. But in reality they are running a huge risk to them selves and their country. Athletes can be tempted to boost the naturally occurring levels of the steroid to enhance their performance – but there are side effects. High levels of steroids can cause jaundice, liver damage, acne, heart problems, euphoria, mood swings, depression and paranoia. The normal testosterone to epitestosterone in urine varies between individuals, but on average is one to one. The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority says the ratio does not vary significantly within an individual unless there has been a replacement of it from an unknown source. Naturally occurring ratios of 6:1 are rare. Any athlete who returns a urine test of 4:1 are said to have committed an offence unless there are biological evidence to prove other wise. They are taking high doses of naturally occurring hormones, and other banned substances to enhance their performance.
This is cheating. Ever since we were 5 we knew that it was wrong. When ever some one cheated in a game, you would kick up a stink to try making it fair, because you were cheated. And no one likes a cheater. These athletes deserve more than just a wrap on the knuckles...