While walking back into the locker room at my local gym, I overheard a conversation about the use of steroids amongst two other members. They seemed to agree on how professional sports are beginning to lose their edge and competitiveness because players aren’t as strong as they used to be (i.e “The Steroid Era” in baseball). This led me to think more upon the issue and to come up with my own opinion about steroids and how they can potentially save professional sports from becoming an afterthought to many of us.
Anabolic steroids are used as a performance enhancer to athletes and are a banned substance in American sports. It is believed to give an unfair advantage to a person who perhaps did not train as hard or simply couldn’t. Recently Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor and seven time Tour De France winner, was stripped of those victories because of revelations about his use of steroids to gain an advantage. Many will say that steroids are an unfair advantage and don’t show ones true ability. However, if steroids are regulated and handed out at the professional levels, it equals out the playing field. Think about it, as fans we watch sports to see the peak of physical competitiveness. Also, we want to see others who get paid millions of dollars a year to perform at a level no one else can. Professional sports are supposed to be “the best of the best.” If athletes are not allowed to take performance enhancers they aren’t living up to that description. For college and lower levels of play, steroids should remain a banned substance because these young athletes’ bodies are still developing and would be damaged if they took steroids. Trainers at team facilities will be trained to teach athletes the proper way to inject along with proper dosages.
Anabolic steroids have always been associated with cheating. But if we have all professional athletes taking steroids the playing field will be completely leveled out and we can get back to breaking records and not tarnishing legacies.