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Othman Albolushi
Dr. Starner
ENG 101 W
5, November 2014
Steroids, Protein Injections and Vitamin Supplements in Sports
Every athlete wishes to perform and win medals Breaking records comes with its own kind of a world and gives the athletes more and more desire to compete and do well. In the current world sports are paying very well with not only thyme consideration of the normal salaries from the teams and the prize money but also generous endors, ement deals with huge corporations some of which go into mega million dollar deals just for playing some ambassadorial roles. Celebrity status is also associated wit athletic a sporting success. This means that there are favors that come ones way in case one becomes a supporting icon. Examples of such include getting TV shows and commercial besides roles in movies. This is what has given a huge temptation to athletes to do anything and everything that it takes to become a success in the sporting arena. Following this, most athletes have resulted to performance enhancers such as steroids, protein injections ands vitamins. While some of these are not illegal, quite a number contain banned substances and 5thus lead to doping cases that at times result to athletes being banned from competing either for life or for some years (McCloskey, et al 278). Cases have even occurred in the past where athletes have been stripped off the medals that they had won while under influence of some substances. While some people find it unsuitable and unacceptable to use performance enhancing supplements and drugs, others find it worth since after all it boosts performance, which is the ultimate goal of every athlete. There have been various scenarios, arguments and counter argumenta about this case with some people and sporting companies even being fined for providing some supplements to their athletes. In as much as the public, sporting bodies and governments argue and counter argues on this topic, the fact remains that behind this there is a bigger idea that has never really been brought to light. Rather may be, because there psycho-philosophical elements which the current economic oriented minds don’t really perceive.
This article begins from understanding what the cited enhancers really are and what they do to athlete’s bodies in enabling them to perform better. Athletes to enhance their performance use all proteins injections, steroids and vitamins in one form or another. Proteins to begin with, are bodybuilding foods. Athletes need bodies that can cope with the strenuous exercises that they do. In as much as carbohydrates /starch provide the required energy to perform, muscles and other body tissues that are actually involved in the exercises either in competition or in training are made of proteins. However, taking proteins in its raw form may take long to assimilate into the body and thus takes long too to form the necessary tissues. This is what necessitates the protein injections; the need to have quickly formed tissues especially the muscles. Mostly the protein injections are I form of anabolic injections that are readily absorbed into the body. Mostly, athletes take these injections after work outs to rebuild their own worn tissues. The rebuilding process helps the\ muscles to build which is essential for their performance. Critiques however argue that the supplements have got quite a number of side effects. One of the arguments is that there is excessive formation of excessive amino acids in the liver, which causes the liver to overwork. This ultimately leads total liver damage with patients requiring liver transplants. Actually some die as a result of this.
On the contrary however, some medics argue that the protein injections are actually safe. Dr. Victor Navarroof Einstein Healthcare’s department of herpetology conceded that liver related deaths as a result of protein supplemen5ts is alarming but still went on to claim that he believes that most of them are safe. From a cultural perspective, protein supplements result in women becoming unfairly competitive. Various individuals site female athletes, although without any proof that they take protein supplements, athletes such as Caster Semenya and the Williams sisters (Serena and Venus Williams, the tennis prodigies) have been met with criticisms and even embarrassing moments for being manlike in women sports events. Shamil Tarpishchev, the immediate former tennis president in Russia and also an IOC member was met with criticism upon calling Serena and Venus Williams as the ‘Williams brothers’ just for their dominance in women tennis and the Williams sisters respond to him then he apologized for them. His implication was that only men can achieve such a fete or rather that are unfairly competitive. In simple terms, the supplements make women athletes to be like men and thus uncompetitive (Buschbacher, 19).
The athletes however are on another ground arguing that it is a reconstructive process for them because they waste a lot of their body masses in burnouts both during training, in the gym and while competing as well.
Vitamins function in the body as metabolic regulators. They therefore influence quite a number of metabolic and physiological processes, which are important for performance in sports. Many of the B complex vitamins are also essential in processing of starch and fats for production of energy, which is of course the most useful component of performance in sports. They are also used in formation of hemoglobin, which is useful in oxygen supply to the cells during aerobic sports where endurance is of essence. Other vitamins act as antioxidants and thus prevent oxidative damage to cellular and subcellular structure and working during exercise and therefore optimize preparation for competition. Therefore deficiencies in sports impair exercise performance. Most sports personalities and coaches find this a great advice for their athletes and advice them to take the vitamins for enhanced performance.
Counterarguments are that when the body is over reliant on supplemented vitamins which are not from natural sources such as fruits, then it can become accustomed to this and thus fail to perform when such supplement are not available. When life is beyond the sporting age, such individuals end up having trouble to re-adjust in the natural way of existence. This is detrimental to their health noting that quite a number retire in their mid thirties. At this age, their bodies’ performance is usually at a downward spiral. There is usually a reduced rate in uptake of foods and physiological processes become less and less active and this may lead to a faster aging. With the vitamin supplements not a part of their routine as had been during their prime sporting years, the bodies’ inability to absorb vitamins cause problems with the antibodies and thus the immune system is extremely weakened making them susceptible to infections. Taking vitamins might also be for the wrong reasons other than enhancing of performance. The misuse of vitamins is in issues such as trying to treat chronic diseases. As mentioned earlier, liver damage resulting from protein injections might make some athletes to take vitamins as a desperate measure resulting to more damage.
Vitamins thus are an issue that most athletes and people in general have a lot of misconceptions about. They enhance performance through boosting of body processes and also act as immunity boosters. However, they do not have medical powers to be curative to chronic diseases (Bagchi, 207).
Of all the sports supplements that have existed, none have been as controversial and as abused as steroids. Very many instances can be mentioned in this group and arguments and counter arguments have been traded without pushes and regulations in various bodies involved in governing of various types of sports formulating very strict guidelines and policies on use of steroids alongside other banned substances. Doping instances have also been in great supply with the majority falling in line with steroid use. Anabolic steroids increase the muscle mass and strength of the body which most coaches struggle to push their athletes to have. It means steroids promote the formation of testosterone, which is the main hormone that they enhance its production. Besides enabling the muscle formation, Testosterone too is responsible for other masculine features such as a deep voice and facial hair. Pro - steroid use individuals site quite a number of benefits to athletes who take them. Just like protein injections, they not only make the muscles bigger but also help athletes to recover from strenuous and hard workouts faster through reduction of muscle damage, which occurs during training, working out and in competitions.
For other medical uses, steroids are legal. However, when they are used in sports, this is usually illegal and is referred to as doping. The most obvious undesired negative impact is the fact that the athletes who take them become uncompetitive more through unfair means. Most athletes however endanger themselves more by taking more than the amounts prescribed for medical reasons. Out of this men may develop prominent breasts, impotence, infertility and shrunken testicles among other complications. On the other hand woman may develop masculine traits such as large clitoris, deep voices, infrequent periods or no periods at all, body hair etc. Both men and women can suffer common conditions such as high blood pressure, psychiatric conditions like depression, aggressive behavior, general heart diseases, inhibited growth and development especially for younger individuals etc. Lance Armstrong is the latest big culprit of be stripped off his seven tour de France titles which had a great effect on his charity work which deals with combating cancer.
Various athletes have been stripped off their medals and fined for use of banned substances with steroids being included. Marion Jones as well was stripped off her five medals when she tested positive for doping, was banned from participating in the Beijing games in 2008 besides serving 6 months in prison and 2 years probation period.
Several deaths have also occurred in professional sports arising from use of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. Vince McMahon, the Chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (Formerly World Wrestling Federation) has had quite a number of legal issues surrounding his professional wrestlers using steroids. Although he has severally denied making it possible for his athletes to access steroids, various deaths have occurred in the industry and especially in WWE alone with the death of Chris Benoit and the ultimate proof that he had been on steroids resulting into a revolution that sought to shape up the wrestling industry (Lau, 179).
All these instances and facts that have characterized and sometimes plagued the sporting arena have been looked at from an economic perspective and thus the desire to win. However, the idea is really misplaced. Contrary to many, use of supplements seems to be definitely right. The spectators often called fans usually idolize with particular athletes and get disappointed when they fail to perform. Actually, at times they face open criticism, which is quite disheartening. The celebrity status placed on the successful athletes still is more pressure, which often pushes them to the limit. Well, the idea of doping has always been thought to be monetary rewards that come along with success in sports. However, I beg to differ and argue that the psychological pressure placed on those athletes leads to them being extremely committed to their duties such that they burn out. To reduce instances of burn out and maintain the same performance of them the result to these supplement with no alternatives.
Athletes need protein primarily to repair and rebuild muscle that is broken down during exercise and to help optimizes carbohydrate storage in the form of glycogen. Protein isn’t an ideal source of fuel for exercise, but can be used when the diet lacks adequate carbohydrate. This is detrimental, though, because if used for fuel, there isn’t enough available to repair and rebuild body tissues, including muscle. Each athletes need to fill his body with proteins to get some power while training. It is globally known that every sport field needs the athletes to do their best to be number one in every thing. Though it could be harmful to get supplements and steroids athletes don’t care, all they care about is being physically fit. The main purpose for them to take supplements is to build muscles and to help them throughout their training. On the other hand some of them take steroids so they stay in a good shape, but they eventually get harmed and most of them dies from an overdose. They think that it’s a faster way to build muscles but end up with getting major issues.
Works Cited
Buschbacher, Ralph M. Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation: A Sport-specific Approach. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009. Print.
Lau, Doretta. Steroids. New York: Rosen Central, 2008. Print.
McCloskey, John, and Julian E. Bailes. When Winning Costs Too Much: Steroids, Supplements, and Scandal in Today's Sports. Lanham, MD: Taylor Trade Pub. :, 2005. Print.
"Tennis: Serena Slams Russian Chief for "Sexist" Slur." Times of Oman (Muscat, Oman) 19 Oct. 2014. Web. 5 Nov. 2014. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-386503539.html?>.
