Running head: CAN JUICING REALLY HURT ME?

Can Juicing Really Hurt Me?

Nick Stoddard
Salt Lake Community College
English 2010-020
07/12/2016
Richard Branscomb

CAN JUICING REALLY HURT ME?

Can Juicing Really Hurt Me?

When an athlete sets his mind upon sports, there is not much a person can do or say to
persuade him not to do all that he can to be the very best that he can be. To be the very best, one
has to put in the time and effort to achieve such a high standard.In todays society, the
economic and intangible rewards for extraordinary athletic achievements and winning
performances are substantial. Therefore, there is a significant incentive for athletes to maximize
their on-field performance, which is the paramount objective of sports competition (Mitten,
2005, p. 60). Now, in the world of sports, there are many things that can help an athlete achieve
the highest performance from their bodies. They are learning new ways to push themselves. All
of this hard work and dedication can take a player a long way. But what if athletes started taking
supplements to hurry the process along, or help make them stronger, bigger and faster? Would
you think that they are cheating because they are seeking a competitive advantage? Would you
worry for their safety and health? There have been many arguments made on the morals of the
issue and where they stand. Now I want to broaden the horizon on the health issue for the
athletes that are involved.
Pilar Quezzaire and Nancy Sprague write an article that helps us better understand the
medical uses for steroids and also the situation of how athletes have abused steroids to get a
competitive edge over their opponents. In the medical sense, there are also side effects for the
users. They receive an alleviation of their pain for a time and accept the side effects that will
occur. Now for the athletes; Despite well-documented evidence that steroid abuse is dangerous,
athletes are willing to risk their bodies, and perhaps their lives, for a competitive edge
(Quezzaire & Sprague, 2016, p. 1).

CAN JUICING REALLY HURT ME?

There are many studies that support the theory that steroid abuse is dangerous. Marifel
Mitzi F. Fernandez, MD and Robert G. Hosey, MD have done a great deal of research on the
effects of said misuse. Adverse effects include injection site pain, acne, baldness, gynecomastia,
testicular atrophy, sexual dysfunction, and psychological disturbances (also known as "roid
rage"). Increases in liver enzymes with the oral forms of AAS (anabolic androgenic steroids)
have also been noted. In the prepubertal athlete, premature physeal closure may occur, resulting
in permanent short stature. Women who take AAS may have virilization effects, menstrual
irregularities, and early menopause. The cardiovascular risks of AAS use are substantial. Highdose and long-term AAS use bas been linked to cardiomyopatby and sudden death (Fernandez
& Hosey, 2009, p. 17). As we can see from this statement there are many consequences that can
come from abusing PEDs and from not being well informed.
Oxford University professor, Julian Savulescu, seems to have a different outlook on the
whole anti-doping argument. He first starts out about how strict the WADAs (World AntiDoping Agency) tests are. They try to pick up even one testosterone molecule that is irregular,
that is virtually impossible. They need to be more focused on testing for the molecules that are in
excess and can really do damage if not handled immediately. Savulescu then shifts his argument
to Lance Armstrong. He says that people are dying from getting hit by a car and here is Lance
as strong as a trout (Adrian, 2013, p. 33). Savulescu thinks that if players are given the chance
to use PEDs under the right supervision then the organized crime, or the black market, will
not play as big of a role as it is now in the sports world.
On the website Partnership for Drug Free Kids, they list a few of the side effects that
have been known to be caused by PEDs. In the long term, PEDs can cause impotence,
worsening acne, balding and steroid rage. PEDs can also stunt growth in adolescents, the

CAN JUICING REALLY HURT ME?

article notes. More serious effects include heart and liver damage, and an increased risk of blood
clots (n.a. August 7th, 2016, web). These are just a few of the effects that have been screened and
known to be caused by taking PEDs. These effects have everything to do with the health of the
professional sports players and also anyone that is taking these drugs. The U.S. Anti-Doping
Agency goes into even more depth and detail on this issue on their website. They break it down
into effects that will result from taking PEDs and Steroids, but they also put it into categories
that are gender specific. Acne,male pattern baldness,liver damage,premature closure of the
growth centers of long bones (in adolescents) which may result in stunted growth*,stunted
growth and disruption of puberty in children (USADA, n.d. web). Here are a few that are gone
over in the earlier stated study, but this one ads male pattern baldness and also liver damage. For
the females that take these drugs, they will have side effects that make them have characteristics
of a male. They may even grow facial hair. The female body is not supposed to have that much
testosterone running through her veins. When that does happen, the body is altered and these side
effects occur.
In conclusion, I would just like to reiterate the effects of performance enhancing drugs
and also steroids on the human body. It is not something to take lightly. A person cannot take
these drugs on a regular basis over an extended period of time without having some type of side
effect. Some effects are not as serious and complex as other but they will take their toll on you
for the rest of your life. It would be the best to just steer clear of these drugs completely and not
even have to worry about if, and when, these effects are going to start taking their toll on you.

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5
References

Adrian, P. (2013, February 17). Legalise PEDs and well prosper, says ethicist. Sun-Herald, The
(Sydney). p. 33.
Fernandez, M. F., & Hosey, R. G. (2009). Performance-enhancing drugs snare nonathletes, too.
Journal Of Family Practice, 58(1), 16-23.
Mitten, M. J. (2005, November) "Is Drug Testing of Athletes Necessary?" USA Today
(Farmingdale) 134(2726). 60-62.
Quezzaire, P., & Sprague, N. (2016). Steroids: An Overview. Points Of View: Steroids, 1.
Partnership for Drug Free Kids. (August 7th, 2016). Performance-Enhancing Drugs Can Have
Severe Long-Term Impact on Health: Expert. Partnership for Drug Free Kids. Retrieved
from http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/performance-enhancing-drugs-can-havesevere-long-term-impact-on-health-expert/
USADA. (n.d.). Effects of PEDs. U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Retrieved from:
http://www.usada.org/substances/effects-of-performance-enhancing-drugs/