Steroid use in professional sports has been an issue as early as the 1960's. Anabolic steroids work by helping the body's muscle cells produce more protein when athletes work out. This increases the muscles size, strength, improves tissue repair, endurance and allows the athlete to achieve heights heshe more than likely couldn't have reached naturally. There are many cons when it comes to steroid use and even more when we speak of performance enhancing drugs (PED) in professional sports. While I do not fully condone the use of enhancement drugs, I do believe that in certain circumstances the use of steroids is accepted and is a vital need in the entertainment that fans gain from super athletic players. .
Steroid use has been existent in professional sports and the Olympics for several decades. My biggest issue with steroid use is that it provides the athlete with an unfair advantage. In the past, when a majority of professional sports didn't have steroid policies I would not have had such a problem with the use of performance enhancing drugs. If steroids use were then legal, everyone would have the option of using it without fear of punishment thus leveling the playing field. A majority of professional athletes train naturally to maintain agility, stamina, strength and speed. The athlete who is taking PED's will more than likely achieve results at a quicker pace. Not only do steroids increase the athlete's physical abilities but it also increases their mental focus and confidence. Their confidence is increased because they know that they're in better physical shape than they were previously and better equipped for performance. The athletes also know that they now have an advantage over a majority of their competitors and are more likely to succeed which helps them relax, not stress as much and improves mental focus. .
There is tremendous pressure on athletes to perform and live up to the unrealistic expectations.