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Vol. 38, No. 18 |
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1-9-2008 Ask the Expert, 1/10/08
I would prefer to say that we should be skeptical of such statements. While I am not advocating the use of performance-enhancing drugs, I think we need to understand the culture of professional sports from a psychosocial perspective. While lucrative salaries and endorsement deals are quite attractive, the desire to win at all costs is just as intoxicating to these athletes. When you step back and look at the various pressures to succeed in addition to the potential to provide financial stability for their families, I think you have to believe that most athletes are tempted to use performance enhancing drugs like HGH and steroids.
Why don’t we hear more about athletes dying or becoming seriously ill from steroids? Athletes are far savvier today than they were in the days of Brian Bosworth’s admitted use at the University of Oklahoma. Quite frankly, in the ’80s athletes had less guidance from the “gurus” on determining doses. The early steroid culture tended to believe, “if X amount worked, then 2X will be doubly effective.” Athletes today are taking doses based upon more proven methods. They combine steroids with HGH; they combine different types of steroids to get different effects. They are employing more nutritionally sound practices. They are more aware of the ill effects of drinking and smoking. All of this collectively has decreased the reported number of life threatening side effects.
Should athletes be villified for taking drugs? Steroids are illegal to use without a physician’s prescription. As long as these drugs are considered controlled substances, they should not be promoted or advocated outside of physician use.
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Should the public believe it when athletes say they only took HGH or steroids ‘once or twice?’