As PEDs emerged into the United States, many people were ceasing the opportunity to get these drugs easily to promote dog racing and horse racing. With the use of PEDs, these animals can run faster and run farther than any other animal ("Performance"). PEDs are simply used to get an edge over the competition. When PEDs got into the hands of humans, athletes started using them as a way to get stronger or to obtain that perfect body. PEDs are a family of synthetic compounds used to work a different way. The father of anabolic steroids in the United States was John Benjamin Ziegler, a physician for the U.S. weightlifting team during the mid-20th century ("Performance"). An anabolic steroid is a substance that is related to male sex hormones, known as testosterone. The word "anabolic" means muscle building and the word "steroid" is just referred to as a drug name or a class of drugs ("Anabolic"). Anabolic steroids work by helping the body's muscle cells produce more protein, which as long as the athletes work out, leads to increased muscle size and strength. At the same time, it also allows the body to produce more adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the "fuel" that muscles need to function ("Performance"). The next drug becoming highly popular is testosterone (HGH). Anabolic steroids came into use in the sporting arena by Russian weightlifters in the 1940's and 1950's. HGH is harvested from humans as a natural substance in the body, which is produced in the pituitary gland and is responsible for cell growth and regeneration. HGH helps with growing muscle more rapidly and efficiently ("Performance"). By taking any of these substances, athletes start developing muscles that they wouldn't normally have, which gives athletes an unfair advantage over the competition. .
PED's are not the only drugs being used in the sporting world, recreational drugs are being used as well.
