Health Effects Of Steroids In High School Sports

RESEARCH TOPIC:

THE EFFECTS OF STEROIDS ON STUDENTS THAT PLAY SPORTS AT HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL

1. RESEARCH PROPOSAL

RESEARCH QUESTION

What health effects do steroids have on high school students that play sports?

HYPOTHESIS

Students that use steroids for high school sports have an improved performance but experience negative health effects on their bodies.

2. MOTIVATION OF RESEARCH

This area of research affects all students that partake in sporting activities in high school. Sports competitions are increasingly becoming an important part of a student’s high school profile as students that do well are given preference when it comes to scholarships, university acceptance and job applications. This has led to many students relying on steroids

Initial Literature Review

Although steroids may be used by professional body builders to enhance their physique, however their use is also considered illicit, not only by students but by sporting professionals. This is why non-medical use of anabolic steroids is illegal and banned by most, if not all, major sports organizations. Still, some athletes persist in taking them, causing an unfair advantage. But beyond the issues of popularity or legality is the fact that anabolic steroids may cause serious long term health and psychological side effects. ESPN.com - Special Section, Anabolic steroids, Monday, September 6.

III. Outline of Methodology

A qualitative research shall be done as students will be sampled from different schools/areas. Questionnaires, surveys and interviews will be used to find out what the health effects are.

IV. Possible references and resources

The primary points of references will be a thorough evaluation of the audience it is targeted at – the students that take steroids – as they will be able to provide a first-hand explanation on what the effects are.

Other valid sources would be medical centres or pharmacies which would provide details on the effects that are expected to occur with the consumption of steroids, for non-medicinal & medicinal

Even the young athletes that play sport for different reasons begin to feel threatened by their performance and well developed physique. In most cases this would be another reason why students are taking steroids, because of the pressure they experience from their peers that are taking steroids. Even though the rate of steroid use for females that play sport is just below 10%, the numbers of high school and college athletes that take some sort of supplement with their workouts is still very high as it falls around the 40 to 50% margin (John Whyte, M.D., MPH, 2011).

Other studies have shown that another factor responsible for increasing the numbers of steroid use in students is the readily availability of the drug to anyone. Steroids can be purchased legally or illegally on the street. One study that was published in the Times Leader noted that 44% of 12th grade students found it "very easy" or "fairly easy" to obtain steroids. The use and sale of steroids without a physician’s prescription is a felony. Regardless, this hasn’t stopped teens from abusing the drug, said Rob Garibaldi, 2013 - an All-American outfielder who turned to anabolic steroids at the age of