Ever since the beginning of sports competition, athletes have always looked for some way to out do their competitors. They will do whatever it takes to be at the top of their game including taking supplements to make them bigger, stronger, and faster. Steroid use is probably one of the most common drug misuses in sports competition. Athletes found that anabolic steroids could make them a better athlete much faster. In 1975 performance-enhancing drugs were first banned from Olympic competition because of the health risks. Shortly after, the rest of the sports world banned anabolic steroids as well. Once this happened, athletes began to look for other alternatives to help make them better athletes. Now the use of two substances called creatine and androstenedione are on …show more content…
Athletes will always be looking for an advantage or something that will give them an edge on competition without showing up on a drug test. One author contends, "What is surprising is that 25 years after the introduction of supposedly rigorous drug testing of Olympic athletes, the use of banned performance-enhancing substances has apparently become more widespread, and effective, than ever" (Bamberger, Yaeger). Some high school athletes believe without the use of performance enhancing supplements they cannot keep up with competition. This popularity of performance enhancers is due the highly competitive atmosphere of athletics. Athletes associate producing more muscle mass as being a better athlete; this is why they start using steroids. Steroids are one of the best-known drugs to be abused in sports. Anabolic steroids were first developed during World War II for medical purposes. Anabolic steroids are a concentrated form of testosterone. The anabolic effect helps the body retain protein, which aids in the development of