Term Papers on Steroids

Term Paper Title	Steroids
# of Words	1022
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	4.09

Steroids

These are two hypothetical questions from a 1995 poll of 198 U.S. Olympians or aspiring Olympians:
"‘You are offered a banned performance-enhancing substance, with two guarantees: 1) You will not be
caught.  2) You will win.  Would you take the substance?’  One hundred and ninety-five athletes said yes;
three said no.  Scenario II: ‘You are offered a banned performance-enhancing substance that comes with
two guarantees: 1) You will not be caught.  2) You will win every competition you enter for the next five
years, and then you will die from the side effects of the substance.  Would you take it?’  More than half of
the athletes said yes."    Although these questions are "hypothetical," there is a substance that comes quite
close to fulfilling all four guarantees.  This substance causes rapid muscle growth, is extremely difficult to
detect, and has several potentially fatal side effects.  The substance is called steroids.
The word "steroid" actually refers to a group of structurally similar chemicals.  The first group of steroids
are called "corticosteroids."  They are found in creams and ointments that control itching and rashes.  The
second group of steroids are forms of the female sex hormone.  Medically, they are known as estrogens and
cause development of secondary sexual characteristics and maintain the female reproductive system.  The
third group of steroids are forms of the male sex hormone testosterone.  They are known medically as
androgens.  Of the three classes of steroids, only the androgens are identified as being addictive.
Androgens have been proven to enhance muscle growth. "Anabolic" means growing or building and
"androgenic" means "masculinizing" or generating male sexual characteristics.  Androgens are also known
as anabolic steroids, and throughout this paper the word "steroid" will be used in reference to this class of
steroids.
Anabolic steroids were discovered in the 1940’s by German scientists.  When tested experimentally on
their troops during World War II, the drugs were found to stimulate tissue growth and protein synthesis.  It
was believed that the drug might be beneficial in the treatment of burn victims and other war injuries.
However, the drug never became popular because other drugs were discovered that had fewer side effects.
Steroids have many side effects, ranging from merely annoying to potentially life-threatening.  Males run
the risk of "shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, impotence, baldness, difficulty or pain in
urinating, development of breasts, and an enlarged prostate."  Women may experience masculinization,
which includes "growth of facial hair, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle, enlargement of the
clitoris, deepened voice, and breast reduction."  Both sexes run the risk of "acne, jaundice, trembling,
swelling of feet or ankles, bad breath, high blood pressure, liver damage and cancers, aching joints, and an
increased chance of injury to tendons, ligaments, and muscle."
     Anabolic steroids alone will not increase muscle mass.  Steroids act on the balance between the
anabolic processes and the catabolic processes in the body.  Anabolic processes are the constructive
processes by which the simple subst...

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