Athletes may feel pushed to use performance enhancers to succeed.
There is little doubt that regular exercise does wonders for maintaining and improving health. However, sports have a competitive nature, and people sometimes want to push themselves physically to the extreme. As a result, individuals sometimes opt to use performance enhancers. Performance enhancers are any substance that artificially boosts physical ability. Anabolic steroids are the most notorious performance enhancers. All performance enhancers hold consequences---both on a personal and civic level.
Health Risks
Performance enhancers have a physiological impact on the body. Even though the drug does help build muscle or improve factors such as agility, it can have negative physical side effects. The Mayo Clinic reports that performance enhancers can cause symptoms such as infertility, baldness, heart arrhythmia, cramps, nausea and vomiting, kidney and liver damage and dizziness. In the most serious cases, performance enhancers may cause side effects that result in the death of the user. The health risks associated with performance enhancers is a major reason why many of them are illegal and banned from sports activities.
Sports Bans
When an athlete is found to have used a performance enhancer, they may face a temporary or permanent ban from participating in sporting events and competitions. Aside from physical risks to the participant, sports facilitators ban individuals who use performance enhancers because the enhancer provides an unfair advantage to the athlete. In addition, athletes who are banned often face media and public scrutiny and face great embarrassment.
Fines
Athletes who take performance enhancers may be required to pay fines by legal authorities and sports agencies. The amount of the fine will depend on whether or not the athlete has been found guilty of using performance enhancers in the past and the type of performance enhancer used.
Criminal Charges
According to Cheryl Edwards, Ayan Rubin and Michael Rubin of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, both state and federal laws prohibit the use or distribution of performance enhancers. Those who use or distribute performance enhancers without a valid medical prescription may face seizure of property related to the use or distribution of such drugs, criminal charges as well as time in prison.
Loss of Respect
Because people know that performance enhancers pose risks to athletes' health, the public may view those who abuse performance enhancers with less respect. This is especially true if the athlete had previously been in a position of working with children who consider him a role model. Moreover, the loss of respect could jeopardize the athlete's ability to make money through endorsements and performance contracts, even if he is still technically allowed to compete.
Tags: performance enhancers, performance enhancers, enhancers cause, performance enhancer, performance enhancers, performance enhancers cause