When is the price of something too high?

Do you ever think, oh, its expensive, but I need it so it doesnt matter? I think there is one thing, though, that should never be bought. And that is an unfair advantage, especially when it could cost you your life. Im Adam Erickson and I researched Anabolic Steroids and their effect on modern athletics. Performance Enhancing Drugs. Most performance-enhancing drugs banned by the World Anti Doping Agency's 2004 list of banned substances breaks down into eight categories. Here is a picture of Anabolic Steroids. Peptide Hormones are hormones regularly produced by the body. Human Growth Hormone, better known as HGH, is a natural substance produced by the pituitary gland; it is one of, if not the most important hormones and it a common Peptide Hormone. It stimulates the growth of cells, and it is probably most known for your growth in height. There are many ways to take HGH, including shots from a syringe with artificial HGH, or all natural HGH releaser, which is an oral pill that activates the pituitary gland so that it produces more HGH. Some unusually small children are given HGH as a prescription to grow to be normal size, and older adults can be prescribe this pretty easily to cope with aging related symptoms and diseases, such as diabetes, depression, loss of energy, and loss of muscle mass. Sylvester Stallone used HGH to prepare for his role in the movie Rambo. So youre probably thinking, That doesnt sound bad at all! Well, in a way your right (if you were thinking that). The uses I have mentioned can turn out to be perfectly O.K. It is considered a lot milder than steroids, and one of the more natural and good for you drugs if you really need it, like in the uses I have mentioned. There are even ways to get them legally on the internet, when they are sold with a prescription. Although because it does help grow muscle, it can be easily abused and thus give an Athlete an unfair advantage. It was even one of the main drugs used in the BALCO scandal. It is not 100% safe by any means and does have side effects, so it falls under the umbrella term of Performance enhancers. Stimulants are another Performance Enhancing Drug. Stimulants are a group of drugs that increase alertness and physical activity by increasing heart rate. By acting on the central
nervous system, stimulants can stimulate the body both mentally and physically and help keep the athlete alert and focused. Cocaine and epinephrine are examples of stimulants. Stimulants are only banned in-competition, unless they are illegal substances.

Narcotic Analgesics take the place of pain killers, and help the athlete continue even when it hurts by acting on the brain and spinal cords. Common Analgesics are Morphine and Heroine. Narcotic Analgesics are only banned in-competition, unless they are illegal substances. Cannabinoids are drugs that come from the cannabis plant that help relax the nervous athlete or athlete who has to be perfectly still, like the archer. You probably already have heard of these, common examples are hashish and Marijuana. Cannabinoids are always banned without a prescription, because they are illegal substances. Anabolic Agents are one of the most important banned substances. They are banned all year round, as well as being an illegal substance. They are the most

common drugs used to improve performance. My whole presentation is based on them, so I will briefly describe them here. Anabolic agents are used to increase muscle size and strength while decreasing recovery time between exercise. Beta 2 agonists are drugs commonly used to treat asthma by relaxing the muscles that surround the airway and opening up the air passages. They are taken and abused
for the same reason steroids are, and are banned at all times. An example is reproterol hydrochloride.

Masking agents are another important substance that is banned. They are used to conceal the presence of other performance enhancing drugs, such as steroids. Diuretics are common masking agents, they increase the amount of urine that is expelled to help wash other drugs out of an athletes system. In conventional medicine, glucocortico steroids are used mainly as anti-inflammatory drugs
and to relieve pain. They are commonly used to treat asthma, hay fever, tissue inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis. They help athletes continue to push through pain. An example is prednisone.

What are Anabolic Steroids? Well anabolic means build up and Its the opposite of catabolic. Anabolic steroids, as I mentioned before, are drugs used to build up muscle mass and speed recovery time in between workouts. They were originally invented for burn victims and patients who had extreme muscle wasting. They needed extra muscle manufacturing to stay alive, and thats where steroids came in. Steroids are like artificial testosterone, and helped them gain muscle faster. Once athletes realized Steroids potential they quickly thought of how it could benefit them. Today steroids are widely abused for easier gains in athleticism. Steroids are also used to help people achieve what they think is a more appealing physique; it also boots their self confidence. This is growing more common among teenagers who want to be appealing to the opposite sex. Fitting In is also a big reason teenagers might be driven to try steroids. Bigorexia, or reverse anorexia, is not technically a real disease. It is formed from the word Anorexia, and it is supposed to be the total opposite. Reverse anorexia is when a patient needs to be as big and muscular as they can be, and they dont really care about the side effects or the effect on their overall health. An 18 year-old who wants to be bigger tomorrow is not going to care if he is at higher risk of heart attack at the age of 60 (The man whose arms exploded.) They are always concerned about their appearance and may get aggravated or anxious if they dont like what they see in the mirror. You will see an example of Bigorexia in my video today, when Gregg Valentino is Self Conscious about his bicep. Dangers of Steroids. There are many dangers of steroids. To start off there are the obvious side effects commonly associated with steroids, and where they effect the body. There is acne, headaches, baldness, stokes and blood clotting, aching joints, higher blood pressure, ect. Its also very possible to lose much of the muscle you gained while on steroids when you come off of steroids. There are also many other dangerous steroid scenarios, such as using a tainted or fake substance , needle scarring, stunted growth, liver damage, kidney problems, higher risk of heart attack, arteries clogging, and Roid Rage. Roid rage is when someone who takes anabolic steroids becomes extremely irritable, aggressive and hard to be around. They cant handle the change in their

hormones and they might take it out on others. There have even been reports of suicides and murders linked to roid rage. Roid rage is similar to Bigorexia in that it is a made up term, but defines something real. When sharing needles you are also at the risk of getting HIV or AIDS, especially since this is one of the only ways it can travel. Lastly, while needles may be the most effective way to take steroids they are also the most dangerous. Sharing needles or even using a dirty needle can easily result in an infection. Next we have a video. This video deals with infection is rated PG, but it is not for the squeamish or faint of heart, so if you think this will bother you, you can close your eyes and it should be fine. My mom couldnt watch the video but she can be a pretty big baby. Steroids in Olympics. Marion Jones was a very famous track star who competed in the 2000 Olympics where she won gold in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 1,600-meter relay and bronze in the long jump and 400-meter relay. Although in 2004 the International Olympic committee opened up a case against her for doping, or steroid use. Jones eventually pleads guilty to these charges and publically apologized for her steroid abuse. Ben Johnson was also a famous Olympic name, mostly because the Canadian set the world record for the 100 meter sprint. This was in the 1988 olympics. In the same year it was found that Ben Johnson had used steroids, a seemingly undetectable steroid at that time. The new testing technology had come out in 1985, one year after the last Olympics, so thats why it hadnt been used yet. He was stripped of his medals and records and banned from the sport of athletics (track and field) for 2 years, after which he said he returned A new Ben Johnson. GDR Doping Conspiracy. There was a time when the German Democratic Republic was at the top of the Olympic world. It was during the 1970s and 1980s when State Planning Theme 14.25 was in effect. This was their Olympic doping policy. When this was going on more than ten thousand young amateur athletes were given large doses of anabolic steroids. While the Olympic penalties can be harsh, there are many differences between national and international sports. In baseball the policies are much like in the Olympics, and if someone is caught it is sure to be a legacy killer. The laws pertaining to anabolic steroids are different in every country. In the U.S., anabolic steroids are currently listed as Schedule III controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act, which makes the possession of such

substances without a prescription a federal crime punishable by up to seven years in prison . With tests being beatable and steroids findable, there is a good chance you could do them and get away with it. The question is, Are you ready to pay the ultimate price?