From competitive bodybuilders to every day gym rats; from baseball players to football players and everything in-between, steroid use is a part of a plan utilized by many. More often than not, steroid use runs rampant in most sporting associations; even as they are often demonized in the public eye steroid use remains high and for good reason; it works. No matter how hard you train, no matter how disciplined you may be the results that stem from steroid use will far surpass results without. Be it a good or bad thing is largely an individualistic thought and opinions vary greatly.
Steroid use as a means of performance enhancing began to really take off in the 1950s and 60s, largely in thanks to the U.S. and Soviet Union Olympic weight lifting teams. During the Cold War era the battle for supremacy was never ceasing and the same drive for supremacy shared by rivaling governments was shared by the respected athletic institutes. Although steroid use as it pertains to performance enhancing owes much of its history to weight lifting and what is often referred to as the Golden Age of bodybuilding do not be misled; steroid use has existed in many sports we know as far back as the 1970s. Even baseball which has in recent years carried the burden of the steroid hunt was ripe with anabolic steroid use as far back as the 1970s. Former MLB pitcher Tom House who pitched for three different teams in the 70s stated he knew without question every team had at least 6 pitchers using anabolic steroids during this time. Thats pitchers alone; this does not include the other 8 positions.
As anabolic steroid laws have tightened their belt the past twenty years steroid use does not seem to be slowing down even slightly. Year after year more professional athletes are called into the public eye as daily crucified victims of steroid use. In the U.S. alone it is estimated over three-million individuals per year use anabolic steroids; this is what we know, this doesnt include those in the shadows.
As anabolic steroid use continues to gain so do the advancements in science surrounding these compounds. Although the evolvement is not what it once was when anabolic steroids were more widely acceptable, year after year progress is still made. From new undetectable agents, to new found pro-hormones that can be sold openly on a supplement store shelf, anabolic steroids continue to thrive.
Steroid use will always exist in some form so as long as we reward performance, this is as it should be; the better man wins. Is it fair; well is it fair Tiger Woods can hit the long ball further than you? It may not be fair but so is life. Until we live in a society where performance is deemed evil and modesty and mediocrity are deemed superior, anabolic steroid use will always exist; hopefully this alternate society will never be.
