Final Book Post

After reading the book “Pumped” I have come to many conclusions about the subject. I have learned the serious dangerous of using steroids. For women, men and teenagers all can be at risk if they are using steroids and if done only once, they can still seriously harm their bodies and lead to extreme side effects. From reading about the subject I related it back to my project, and the question of high school students being tested for steroids. As I gained a better knowledge of the danger from using steroids my opinion only got stronger as I believe the test should be put in place. From reading this book I also learned about other drugs and their dangerous effects. By learning about these drugs I began to wonder if high school students should be tested for drugs as well as steroids. The number one goal in all this is to keep the kids safe and if we put steroid and drug test into high schools we can reach this goal. I have also discovered about addiction and tolerance which are two elements that can affect teenagers if they start to use drugs and steroids at a young age. With addiction kids are likely to keep using dangerous drugs and can seriously damage their bodies. Some kids and adults can also develop a tolerance, where they can move to more hazardous drugs because the simple steroid/drug does not satisfy to their needs. All the information I have learned from this book, has made me a bigger believer in testing for steroids and drugs in high school.  

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As I am almost finished with “Pumped” I have learned many things about steroids. As I have read chapters on anabolic steroids I have also learned about other types of steroids that are out there. Another common steroid that is used today is Human Growth Hormone also known as HGH. Human Growth Hormone, which is produced by the pituitary gland and causes rapid skeletal growth and height increase during puberty. The fact that growth hormone is natural lasts only a short time in the body and is virtually impossible to detect with current testing methods has led to it increased use. With steroids out there many people can get addicted or gain tolerance to the drug. Many drugs cause much smaller reactions in the body after they have been taken for a while. At first many weight lifters experience big improvements from taking steroids but then the rate of improvement slows down. The body builders often compensate by taking more but eventually the improvements stops or stays the same and even taking very high doses no linger helps.

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In chapter 6 and 7 the author takes a break from steroids and talks about the dangers of other drugs. Before reading these chapters, I had some knowledge on the dangers of drugs but did not know some of the unknown side effects that can occur. As multiple drugs where explained, I wanted to focus on drugs that are more common to be seen in high school. One drug that is one of the most popular is alcohol.

Alcohol can affect children, adolescents w and maybe even people in their early twenties differently than it does adults. Alcohol is dangerous to teenagers in the aspect of the memory from the brain. Science has discovered that the brain is not fully developed until your mid 20’s and drinking alcohol can affect the memory and functionality. Also by drinking alcohol at a young age kids can gain a tolerance, where they feel the need to drink more alcohol. This habit can be deadly as alcohol poisoning and alcoholism can occur.

From learning the dangerous of alcohol I began to think that if school where testing for steroids to keep kids safe, then should they test for alcohol and other drugs. As steroids may not be as popular as other drugs a test put in place can prohibit students from the dangerous habit.

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I have read a lot of “Pumped” and really enjoy it. I have just finished chapter 5 called “Building Muscle mass and Strength” where the main focus is about the most common steroid, Anabolic. Anabolic steroids are natural hormones produced by the body that help build muscle. Anabolic steroids are known to be the first drugs that athletes of modern era used to enhance athletic performance. Anabolic steroids are very popular in sports because of their ability to increase muscle and cut fat. The steroid can come in a cream base or injection and no doctor is required to get the drug. Anabolic steroids are very dangerous and can cause major damage to the liver, cardiovascular system, and can alter the male’s reproductive system. As the danger of using the drug for the average user (adults) seems bad, teens are at an even high risk.

The rapid rise in testosterone in boys during puberty stimulates bone growth and so increases height but it also will make bones stop growing. Testosterone both stimulates the normal rapid bone growth during puberty and when it is done, triggers the end of this process. When teenage athletes take large doses of anabolic steroids they can end up shorter and can severely damage their growth plates.

Use of anabolic steroids began with elite competitive athletes but today it includes even high school student who are taking anabolic steroids. Most researchers estimate that 3 to 5 percent of high school age athletes and 5 to 15 percent of adult athletes use performance-enhancing drugs. The level of anabolic steroid use among young athletes exceeds use of any drugs other than alcohol nicotine or marijuana.

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I have been reading the book Pumped and I have learned many things about steroids. As I am learning the dangers I began to wonder why athletes are using steroids. After reading the “Bulking up, Sliming Down” I learned that athletes are using performance enhancing drugs for two main reasons. One reason is that they are trying to enhance their body’s response to training.  Steroids like testosterone, are supposed to work with, rather than replace the effect of training. Another reason why people use steroids is to improve performance during competition. Drugs such as stimulants are used to improve endurance in aerobic events. Steroids are also used to alter a body composition, increase body mass, increased strength in particular muscles, achieve faster times in sporting events or to simply Increase weight lifted.  In a society that has accepted the use of chemicals it seems natural to turn to chemical to improve athletic performance. Most people can’t judge whether a chemical will achieve the desired results or whether it will cause harm. But kids and adults are willing to do anything to get that extra edge.

People are also included by media and pop culture, where steroids are relevant. In baseball stars such as Alex Rodgriez, Roger Clemens, and Barry Bonds have all been involved with steroids or have reportly done the drug. Kids who are trying to get an extra edge on completion, or are trying to make it through minor league baseball are the ones using steroids. With stricter rules in professional baseball, the steroids usage has declined. If tests that are used in professional sports can be implemented to high school level, I believe the numbers of steroid use will decrease.

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The book I am reading is called Pumped by Cynthia Kuhn. Cynthia Kuhn is a researcher in pharmacology & psychology at Duke University Medical Center. This book is about steroids and the effects it has on the body. Others doctors’ such as Dr.Scott Swartzwelder, and Dr. Wilkie Wilson give their expert option on the topic. As I have started to read the book I am learning more on the negative side effects steroids can have on a person. The book elaborates on the potential harm risks that can happen to an adult who uses steroids but the dangers of teenagers are even worst. For my topic I chose the issue of testing steroids in high schools. From what I have learned from the book, it has made my opinion even stronger towards testing high school athletes. By being tested the teenagers can be prevented from using steroids and can save themselves from harmful risks. I also have learned potential reasons why people would use steroids and was surprised at how the media and professional sports had a great influence on usage.

                                                                                                          

                                                                                                               

Future

Today I looked in to the future of testing steroids in high school.  I have come to the conclusion that putting steroid testing in high schools is effective, but schools should also educate the students on the potential harm of the drug. As health classes may briefly cover the subject, sports teams should be required to teach the physical and mental dangers of steroids. Also students should be taught not to buy into the media and professional sports where steroids use has occurred.