A Discussion of Steroids vs. Natural

There is no doubt that steroids play a large role in professional bodybuilding, and probably many other professional sports as well. Though I am personally against recreational steroid use as well as steroid use in competitive sports including bodybuilding, I will keep this discussion open minded and objective.

To me, bodybuilding is a lifestyle, something I hope to continue doing for the rest of my life. The gains may not be explosive, but they are steady, and enough to keep me motivated. Steroids would definitely accelerate muscular gains, but only for as long as you use them, after that, you're only worse off. So unless you plan on using them for life (and long term use is what usually causes the bad side effects, as well as large doses), or don't mind sabotaging your own testosterone supply, I'd definitely say stay away from them!

Well, quite frankly, whatever your reasons, I'd say stay away from them. That's just my personal opinion, but like I said, I want to discuss more than just my opinion. Even though I am against steroid use, I don't think they should be a banned substance. But more on that later!

I equate steroid use with plastic surgery, it's an easy way out, and may cause complications. Also, you don't have the satisfaction of having achieved something on your own. I would feel embarrassed to show of my surgically enhanced body, and I'd feel the same way if I used steroids to achieve my goals quicker. I have to say, I feel the same way about breast implants: how could you be proud of the body you built if you just had some surgeon do the work?

Don't get me wrong, there are cases where I see such things as being fine (in my opinion) like mastectomy's, and people who have unnaturally low testosterone levels, or people with AIDS who use steroids to prevent muscle wasting. But on a recreational level, I can't justify it.

Why Steroids Should be Banned from Sports

Though I clearly disagree with steroid use for recreational reasons like increased muscularity, I disagree even more strongly with steroid use in competitive sports! Steroid use is a moral decision. Why should competitors who are against steroid use be disadvantaged?

When it comes to competitive sports, everybody should be on the same playing field. Sure, some will have genetic advantages, but that's why they're in the sport. In fact, most, if not all of them have genetic advantages, otherwise they wouldn't have excelled. But if performance enhancing drugs come into play, you get people pushing the limits, taking more and more drugs, trying to get bigger, stronger and faster.

Some competitions are based on freaky size, like the Mr. Olympia. History has shown how dangerous it can be, using drugs to push the envelop, get bigger and leaner. People have died, trying to shed as much water as possible to look as tight as possible (diuretics). And the sport encourages it!!

Banning steroids from this even may not be the answer, but how else are you going to take the danger out of the sport? Could you accurately regulate how much, and which drugs the competitors are using? Not likely.

It'll be interesting to see how the sport of bodybuilding changes as it becomes an Olympic event over the next decade. Unfortunately smarter drugs and drug use will probably allow continued drug enhanced performances. If not, the Olympic bodybuilding competition will go the way of most natural bodybuilding shows, unpublicized, and unpopular when compared with others.

Of all sports, it's saddest to see bodybuilding plagued by steroid abuse. Bodybuilding should be about healthy living, and realizing your genetic potential through smart training and eating. Challenging yourself, setting and reaching goals. Not taking drugs, and seeing how huge you can artificially blow yourself up!

Why steroids should be legal

Like most drugs, making steroids illegal will not make them disappear. It just pushes them underground making them uncontrolled, impure, and just more dangerous. It leads to misinformed use and abuse, and results in wasted resources in trying to enforce the ban.

There is no doubt that steroid abuse has several side effects, some even fatal. Some quick examples are:

Though this seems like a frightening list, most are cause by either high-doses or long-term use, or rather, abuse. Also, many of these side effects will disappear with discontinuing steroid use. And under the supervision of a physician, with proper doses and administration, most, if not all of these side effects could be avoided.

There will always be people looking to use steroids, and there will always be people who sell them, no matter how hard the government tries to fight it. The information available on steroid use is vague, and unreliable, because after all, who would condone use of an illegal substance? By making them legal, and information readily available, most of the dangers of steroid use are eliminated.

If you don't, you get people buying steroids of unknown purity, and administrating uncertain amounts. That's where it gets dangerous! Sure, there would still be people who abuse it, just like the countless people who abuse morphine, Tylenol, glue, paint thinner, and who knows what else!

If you still think steroids are a dangerous drug that should be banned, consider this: over 1000 people die a year from taking aspirin, a drug anybody can buy. Thousands more develop ulcers, and possibly other bad side-effects. Sure steroids can be dangerous, but forcing them underground only compounds the problem.

Oral vs. Injectable

Both oral and injectable steroids are effective, and can lead to the above mentioned side effects. Except liver damage, which only occurs with oral steroids. And injectables carry the same hazards that any injections do.

Oral steroids are usually used first, because they are easy to carry, ingest, and don't carry the stigma of an injection. Also, being detectable in the blood only for a few weeks after last use, oral steroids are often used by athletes to avoid detection. They simply have to stop taking them four to six weeks before competition.

Unfortunately, orals can cause the severe side effect of liver damage, which may encourage switching to injectable steroids. In general, injectable steroids are more easily tolerated by the body. Though not causing the liver damage that oral steroids do, there are plenty of other dangers involved in injecting drugs, like infections and disease. If people chose to use steroids, and could go to a doctor for proper administration, many of the dangers could be reduced.

A Final Word

I have never, and would never used steroids. I would never encourage anyone to do so. I regard steroid use as cheating and dangerous, and have a hard time respecting people who do it, and an even harder time respecting people who do it and deny it.

Not surprisingly, the greatest steroid abuse occurs in teenagers, where it does the most damage. In a time where image is everything, teenagers might find themselves having a hard time putting on muscle since testosterone levels are still low. But they stunt their growth prematurely, and jeopardize their natural testosterone production.

Think twice about using steroids, they'll only do more harm than good in the long run!