There has been a lot of controversy over steroids in baseball.
Does it improve performance and what are the side effects? Are
records the result of the steroids today. And they are athletes harmonizing
themselves.
First of all, we need to understand what a steroid is. And why do players use it? Anabolic steroids are a synthetic version of the male hormone testosterone. Testosterone in its normal state promotes and increases muscle development and growth. When supplemented with steroids, it increases muscle mass, reduces body fat, and improves endurance. Athletes use it to try to get an edge over the competition. It is believed that using a steroid in baseball will cause you to hit the ball further. and longer
What are some of the side effects? They range from the psychological to the physical. From a psychological point of view, they can range from a feeling of well-being to depression. Humor changes. And even anger. Sometimes called ‘roid rage’. Other adverse psychological effects can include intense aggression and violence.
From a physical point of view, you can have all kinds of changes. You will have increased muscle mass and increased stamina, but the side effects can include a host of problems. The worst is liver damage and cancer. You may have acne, excessive growth, or hair loss. Testicular atrophy (shrinkage), etc.
What is the reward vs. risk? The reward is a fast track to increase muscle mass, increase performance and increase endurance. A feeling of invincibility. The risk is ongoing physical morbidity and psychotic episodes that include aggression, violence, and rapid mood swings. Also feelings of depression and suicide. Is it worth the reward? Absolutely not! However, today’s athletes abuse it to quickly gain fortune and fame. It is believed that the use of steroids in baseball will lead you down the path of fortune and fame.
There has been a lot of controversy over whether Mark McGwire or Barry Bonds or Gary Sheffield and others have ever used a steroid in baseball. There’s the infamous BALCO incident where there are allegations that Barry’s old friend Greg Anderson was supplying Barry with an untraceable steroid, sometimes called “the cream” or “the white.” Which raised a lot of questions in the baseball world. Did they use a steroid in baseball and is there evidence that it improved their game? From this we can draw several conclusions.
First of all, is there any proof that a steroid in baseball has improved the record book with unfair records? Currently not. We have to remember a couple of things before we try to point fingers etc. Barry Bonds went on to have an amazing season setting a single-season home run record that will probably never be surpassed in my mind. This happened to a guy who usually averaged around 35 home runs a season. Can you explain the sudden jump in home runs? Probably not. But you can assume that he has matured to the top of his game and that he had a dream season.
Now, let’s take a look at Roger Maris. When Roger hit 61 home runs of a guy he usually never hit that many. Has everyone in the world suddenly started saying there must be a steroid in baseball that he’s using? Or he must be doing something to improve his game. No they did not. They assumed that he had just had a magical season that only shows up once in a while. Can we draw the same conclusions about Barry and about Mark? If we can. Could it be that they had magical seasons? Absolutely.
Until the evidence comes out, we don’t know what any athlete is doing. What I do know as a former Major League player is how difficult it is to perform at such a high level day in and day out. In my opinion, whether they’re using steroids or not, you still have to hit the ball over the fence. You still have to make solid contact consistently. You still have to have great fundamentals. I think what has happened on the baseball field has been remarkable and we are lucky to be able to witness these great athletes perform daily.
Steroids in my mind take the game away. Although they provide a quick burst of muscle mass and stamina, they will hurt you in the long run. They will cause psychotic events and physical damage that will last a lifetime. The conclusion is simple. Play the game the way it was meant to be played. Play with honor, pride and dignity. And above all, leave the steroids out of it, using a steroid in baseball just isn’t worth it.