American boxer: steroids and other related drugs should be allowed in sports

Anabolic steroids are widely administered around the world. While several persons take these medicines in order to treat several illnesses, others administer them in order to increase muscle mass, add strength, burn fat, etc. Undoubtedly, no one will be ever capable to contest positive effects which can be achieved with the help of these medicines. But it is important to consider that anabolic steroids cause negative results along with benefits. That’s why those who intend to use these preparations should study potential dangers before they begin to use these medicines.
Knowing about potential risks, you can find several methods in order to avoid or reduce them. Those who have ever taken anabolic steroids know that some of them convert into estrogen in the body, leading to such adverse reactions, as water retention, gynecomastia, fat accumulation, etc. Anti-estrogen medications can prevent or at least to reduce severity of these health problems. Anabolic-androgenic steroids also suppress natural production of testosterone. Luckily, there are several remedies which have ability to restore this process.
Besides of medicines, there are also other ways to prevent or reduce unwanted effects. Doses should be reduced; cycles must not be long; suitable stacks should be chosen, etc.
While certain side consequences of anabolic steroids are obvious, others can be detected only with the help of lab tests. So, anabolic steroids may enhance hematrocrit levels. This undesirable result is quite dangerous. Elevated hematocrit levels lead to other severe side reactions. Persons with this problem may face diseases of cardiovascular system and problems connected with blood circulation. Even heart attack and death may be caused by high hematocrit levels. That’s why it is needed to check hematocrit levels while taking steroids.
If a consumer of steroids finds out that he/she has elevated hematocrit levels, this person should consult his/her treating physician. Administration of steroids must be discontinued. Physicians prescribe products for reduction of hematocrit levels. So, hematocrit levels should return to their normal levels. Otherwise, further complications will occur.
Hematocrit levels should be maintained within normal range. There are some simple rules which should be kept by sportspersons for this purpose. Those that train intensively should consume much water. Furthermore, it is recommended consuming grapefruit. It is stated that this fruit contains a compound that is able to reduce elevated hematocrit levels.
In case you desire to avoid having high hematocrit levels, don’t administer steroids!

What should you know about steroid use and hematocrit levels?

The boxer Tony Thompson says that steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs should be permitted in boxing. The sportsman claims that anti-doping laws and gun laws are identical. Who keeps gun laws? Only good guys do it. As a result, good guys are at a disadvantage. Thus, the similar situation is related to anti-doping rules. Only honest athletes don’t use steroids and/or other performance-enhancing drugs. So, they fight with those that have increased their performance with the help of anabolic steroids and other related medicines.
It is stated that anabolic steroids are prohibited in sports because they are dangerous. What would you claim about boxing in itself? Is boxing safe? The answer is evident.
But it is also claimed that it is necessary to ban steroids and other related medicines in order to make boxing safer. Anabolic steroids and other doping products increase performance. The more enhanced performance is, the more dangerous matches are. However it is true, would you prohibit anything which promotes performance of boxers? So, you prohibit steroids because they increase performance. Then prohibit workouts as well since they promote performance too! So, you will reduce performance while reducing possible risks. What do you think about this condition?
Tony Thompson also adds that detection tests are not efficient at all. While numerous sportspersons take forbidden medications, just some of them are caught and sentenced to suspensions. So, dopers have unfair advantage over those who don’t break anti-doping rules. Where is fairness? Where is logic?
Of course, statements expressed by Tony Thompson are reasonable. Anti-doping rules make fights more unfair. Moreover, the prohibition of doping doesn’t make matches safer. Many boxers continue to apply steroids and/or other forbidden products without being detected. They continue to fight and have success with the help of doping, while good guys are at a disadvantage because they keep anti-doping laws.
So, if doping is permitted in boxing, matches will be more honest. Of course, they will remain unsafe. But they will be at least fair.
Tony Thompson has been harshly criticized for his statements pro legalization of doping in boxing.

Steroids will be never replaced in sports

Anabolic steroids are permanently used by sportspeople, bodybuilders and by ordinary persons. Since these medications are forbidden in sports, doping scandals are reported day by day. Other remedies are taken along with anabolic steroids. A lot of athletes are inclined to apply heroin. You would probably wonder why heroin is applied in sports. It is believed that heroin is applied by sportspersons for relief of pain.
Studying history of doping in sports, you can see that sportspersons are ready to utilize many strange things, if these remedies are able to promote muscle growth, ban fat, add strength, speed recovery from injuries and kill pains. Gorgets and pickle juice are only several remedies which are used along with anabolic steroids.
Doping is not a new issue in sports. Sportspersons dope from ancient times. They put efforts to elaborate new remedies which can help them to achieve several goals through enhancement of performance. It is often claimed that sports are good for health. Sportspersons and bodybuilders are usually seen as healthy individuals. But it is a wrong opinion. Sports are associated with some dangers for health. Sportspersons push their bodies till limits. They take some dangerous remedies that promote their succeeding, obtaining awards and earning money. However some athletes reach brilliant results related to prizes, they ruin their health essentially. Several sportspersons and bodybuilders even take such drugs that threaten to life. They do it in the name of physical performance and success in sports.
However new remedies for enhancement of performance appear, you possibly see that the most of scandals are linked with steroids and growth hormones. While some medicines appear and disappear quickly, anabolic steroids are unlikely to disappear. Although anti-doping officials try to eradicate administration of anabolic steroids from sports, their efforts turn out to be unsuccessful. While anti-doping agencies elaborate more efficient tests for detection of steroids and other related products, athletes and bodybuilders find more sophisticated ways to dope and avoid detection. So, numerous athletes dope while not being caught by anti-doping officials. No one can contest that anabolic steroids and certain other performance-enhancing drugs are widely used in the world of sports and bodybuilding. Application of steroids is unlikely to be eradicated from sports.

Olympic athlete acknowledged that he had killed his girlfriend

Oscar Pistorius acknowledged that he had murdered his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. But the athlete stated that he had murdered her because he had mistaken her for a thief.
Police officers try to define why the sportsman really murdered his girlfriend. They discovered steroids at the athlete’s home.
Since anabolic steroids have been found in Oscar’s bedroom, it would be probably argued that steroids caused uncontrolled aggression in the athlete. Steroids would be blamed for the murder.
Actually, you should recognize that it is quite hardly to claim that anabolic steroids are responsible for aggression and violent behavior. Researches linked with this issue are quite limited. According to results of some researches, steroid users are predisposed to aggression, paranoia, jealousy, etc. It is stated that those who take steroids are more likely to be involved in crimes than those that have nothing to do with these preparations. But it is important to take into account that steroids may only contribute to aggression. Just these preparations alone can’t cause aggression. They turn out to be only contributive factors. Other factors should be also present in order to cause aggression. Circumstances play great role in such situations. So, it is even impossible to determine whether steroids cause aggression or several circumstances. Cases should be viewed as a complex of steroid use and circumstances.
It is also claimed by scientists that enhanced testosterone levels are associated with aggression in certain persons. So, it is important to underline here that while certain individuals with elevated levels of testosterone suffer from aggression, others with enhanced levels of testosterone are not predisposed to uncontrolled aggression. This condition differs from one individual to another.
You can note that the link between application of steroids and violence is a complicated issue. Scientists have not studied this condition well enough to implicate it. Thus, if defense lawyers of the Olympic athlete want to argue that anabolic steroids have made their client to kill his girlfriend, they should recognize that they are going to use controversial affirmations.

Why do pharmaceutical companies cooperate with anti-doping agencies?

Today a lot of drug manufacturers are ready to collaborate with anti-doping officials in their fight against usage of forbidden medicines in sports. It sounds strange but it is the reality. In fact, if you look at the fate of EPO, you can understand why drug manufacturers agree to support efforts of anti-doping officials. EPO is actually an efficient remedy for treatment of anemia. A lot of individuals with anemia that have administered EPO have been treated. But what do you think while hearing about this preparation? Almost every individual associates this remedy just with doping in sports. This drug has been abused by the seven-time winner Lance Armstrong that has cheated the whole world. Thus, EPO is associated only with lying, disgrace, etc. Looking at this condition, drug manufacturers try to “defend” their products from the similar fate. That’s why they work together with anti-doping agencies.
Although some pharmaceutical companies began to collaborate with anti-doping agencies earlier, sometimes there were certain problems between them. Anti-doping officers criticized several pharmaceutical companies for their links to doping.
Today relations between anti-doping officers and pharmaceutical companies are better. Pharmaceutical companies share detailed information about new preparations with anti-doping officials. It is valuable information for development of detection tests for these products. While anti-doping officials find out how medications are manufactured, how they pass into body, how they work in the body, they can elaborate more effective tests for these drugs.
For example, the company Roche that developed the drug CERA helped anti-doping officers to develop a detection test for it. Later other pharmaceutical companies followed the example of Roche. The pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline went so far, as it sponsored an anti-doping lab during London Olympics.
While relations between anti-doping agencies and huge drug manufacturers become stronger, smaller drug manufacturers begin to collaborate with anti-doping agencies too. While earlier pharmaceutical companies haven’t desired to discuss about their relations with anti-doping officials openly, now they don’t fear to announce about this condition.

Dopers should not be sentenced to ban

It is not needed to subject sportspeople to tests for performance-enhancing substances. Numerous cases display that tests for forbidden drugs aren’t efficacious. In addition to this factor, it is important to realize that application of tests by anti-doping officers is illogical at Olympics. The main purpose of Olympic sportspersons is following: to become faster, stronger and to be at the highest level. So, why should you keep athletes far from medications that could help them to reach this result?
As you know, anabolic steroids and other related medicines increase performance. So, sportspersons should be allowed to take these remedies in order to enhance physical performance.
Many persons claim that anabolic steroids and other doping products make competitions unfair. Is this point of view true? No, it wrong. You should realize that tests for anabolic steroids and other related drugs make competitions unfair. Many sportspersons apply doping products while avoiding detection. Thus, several athletes apply anabolic steroids; others don’t break anti-doping laws. As a result, users of doping products have unfair advantage over non-dopers. It’s unfair. Let all athletes have similar access to doping products. Thus, competitions will be fairer.
But debating about unfairness in sports, you should remember about other conditions which have more serious impact of fairness/unfairness than anabolic steroids and other related drugs. Certain sportspersons live in developed countries; others are in less developed countries. Some sportspersons have money to get necessary equipment; others can’t afford it. Several countries can sponsor athletes, coaches, sport doctors and managers; others are not able to do it. So, unfairness should be discussed here.
Olympic athletes spend much time while training. They sacrifice time, money, etc. That’s why it is illogical to suspend those who are caught administering anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.
While athletes are sentenced to suspensions for usage of anabolic steroids and some other chemical substances, they are never banned for application of herbs and certain potions. It is claimed that steroids and other chemical substances are banned in sports because they can enhance athletic performance. But what is for herbs and potions? They are also able to add strength. Nevertheless, these remedies are not prohibited in sports.  Chinese sportspersons use herbal remedies and win.
Of course, you may argue that anabolic steroids and certain other products may lead to severe negative reactions. Undoubtedly, certain forbidden products may cause serious health problems. But those that plan to administer these medicines do own research. They are aware of probable dangers. Let athletes decide whether it is worthy to apply such drugs. If they are ready to ruin health, let them do it because they are masters upon own bodies.

All raw materials for steroids are shipped from China

David Howman, the director general of the WADA, considers that China is the main source of raw materials used by underground labs for manufacture of steroids, HGH and other related products. Raw powders are sent from this country. Then underground labs manufacture illegal products which are sold by dealers at gyms and on the streets.
The black market of steroids controls sales of illegal medications on the white market. The black market is the source of products which are getable on the white market. It is stated that almost all products that are sold have been primarily obtained from underground labs that have used raw materials from China.
Elite sportspersons are often criticized for intake of steroids and other related drugs. Since steroid scandals appear daily, thousands persons consider that steroids and other doping products are mainly applied by top athletes. But it is important to note that this a wrong conception. Some specialists have determined that anabolic steroids and other doping products are more widely administered by high school students and aged individuals who try to improve their appearance. While students desire to increase muscle mass with the help of steroids and several other illegal medicines, aged persons try to add strength and reduce fat deposits with the help of these medications.
Unfortunately, legal supplements frequently contain steroidal compounds. Companies add such ingredients intentionally. As a result, those that apply only nutritional and/or sport supplements turn out to be steroid users. According to the WADA director David Howman, it is necessary to control supplement industry in order to prevent appearing of supplements which contain illegal ingredients.