All athletes wish to excel in athletic competitions. All competitions are a platform that allows athletes to showcase their talents against their peers. Athletes not only wish to win and leave an indelible mark in their chosen sports events but also aim to achieve fame and recognition. However this intense competition makes some athletes desirous of winning at all costs. Anabolic steroids in sports have been used for athletes to enhance their performance.

In spite of increasing evidence that steroids can cause irreversible damage to the body the use of anabolic steroids in sports continues. Anabolic steroids are also called juice, pump or roids and are powerful drugs obtained through prescription. These steroids help in building muscle tissue and also increase the body mass. Steroids work effectively because they act like the natural male hormone testosterone within the body. In fact anabolic steroids are chemical derivatives of testosterone.

Anabolic steroids like hydrocortisone and prednisone can be used to treat some medical conditions like inflammation of skin and asthma. These can also be used to treat arthritis, some kinds of sexual dysfunction, cancers and other serious illness. There is no definite proof that these steroids help in improving the skill and agility among athletes. Typically factors like genetics, age, body size and training determines the skill and agility. Even then use of anabolic steroids in sports is consistently observed.

Anabolic steroids are schedule III drugs in United States and can be taken only through a valid prescription by an authorized prescriber. There are a large number of athletes that abuse steroids. In fact the increasing use of anabolic steroids in sports has prompted many sports authorities to ban the use of these steroids. These sports authorities include Olympics, National Collegiate Athletic Association, major league baseball and national football league.

Many of the sports authorities require the players to test for steroids and if they test positive then they have to face suspension for some period. Use of anabolic steroids in sports is seen in specific sporting events such as bodybuilding, weight lifting and track and field events in particular. Steroids are used as many athletes believe these help in increasing aggressiveness and help build muscle mass and reduce weight.

In fact this causes athletes to take multiple steroids thinking that two or more steroids work better and help increase muscle size further. Some athletes start off with low doses and build them up for a period of 6 to 12 weeks following which the steroid dose is again reduced. This is done as athletes believe this will help the body adjust to the steroids. Anabolic steroid use in sports is also prevalent because athletes believe steroids help in faster healing and recovery of the body following injuries.

Use of anabolic steroids in sports can lead to harmful and irreversible problems among the athletes. These problems include high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, nausea and vomiting, headaches, muscle cramps and sleeping problems. Some other side effects of steroids among men include shrinking of testicles and development of breasts. Among women steroids can cause excessive growth of facial hair and enlargement of clitoris.