Steroids, Olympics and Doping
With the most awaited quadrennial sports extravaganza in progress, Rio de Janeiro has been the center of attraction for sports lovers from around the world. And whenever Olympics is underway, one cannot avoid the buzz around steroids and doping. It is now notoriously linked to the games because of a handful of athletes who had a dubious association with steroids in the past, the most sensational being the Ben Johnson episode in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
Many renowned athletes have fallen from grace over the years due to their dalliance with steroids. In the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Russian athletes were barred after they tested positive dope tests. Only time will tell how things unfurl during the 2016 Olympics.
Doping in Olympics is not new. Its existence can be traced to as early as 100 A.D. when Greek athletes were known to use hallucinogens and stimulants to excel in the original Olympics. Doping has even proved to be fatal for some. In 1960, Danish cyclist Knut Jensen became the first Olympian to die in the summer Olympics in Rome. He supposedly used an amphetamine called Ronical.
Steroids, used by sportspersons, can be addictive like any illicit substance. Prolonged use of steroids can lead to development of steroid addiction and an onset of many health issues, says the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Sportspersons either inject or take steroids in the form of pills. Many side effects are associated with steroids. It can cause infertility in men. In women, its use results in deeper voice, body hair growth and baldness.
Apart from steroids, which is the most popular synthetic version of testosterone, there are many other substances — both illegal and prescription — that aid athletes in enhancing their performances. Some of them include androstenedione, erythropoietin, human growth hormone, creatine, diuretics, and stimulants.
Olympic stars who tarnished their images with steroid use
Ben Johnson: When the Canadian track and field star was stripped of his medals in Seoul Olympics in 1988, it became a highly publicized event in the Games’ history. It baffled sports enthusiasts because Johnson had emerged the fastest man on the earth after running neck and neck with his closest competitor Carl Lewis.
Kostas Kenteris: A star of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Kenteris was a Greek sprinter who was expected to shine in front of the home crowd in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. However, she did not turn up for the mandatory drug test before the commencement of the games, which made it obvious why. She along with her coach allegedly staged a car accident to avoid attending the dope test. Later, she withdrew from the games and speculations were rife that she had abused performance enhancing drugs.
Marion Jones: She was another Olympian who tested positive in dope tests. Jones, the track and field star from the United States, fared badly in her personal lives with run-ins with the law. She never showed up again on the tracks.
Whatever drugs these sportspersons had allegedly used to boost their performances, they were vulnerable to trigger the onset of an addiction. Even steroids are addictive and people may grow dependent on them.
Recovery roadmap
Addiction is a scourge which can derail a person from the track of life. It affects not only the addict, but also his family members and close associates. But being an addict does not mean the person is treading a road with a dead end, because available treatments can help addicts go sober.
If a loved one is addicted to any substance, you need not fret. Contact the Texas Substance Abuse Helpline for immediate assistance. Our experts can guide you to the best substance abuse treatment centers in Texas. You may call at our 24/7 helpline number 866–971–2658 to reach out to one of the most successful substance abuse treatment clinics in Texas.
