STEROIDS SHOULD BE USED ONLY FOR RECOVERY OF INJURIES
by admin ~ April 16th, 2009.
Some people wonder what motivates some MLB players to take steroids. Baseball can be played and won without having performance-enhancing drugs. But there are those who take them to, in the perspective of outsiders, to cheat, to improve their performance so they get the coveted titles bestowed upon them if they have played exceptionally during the season.
However, in a report released by the New York Times recovery from injuries is the number one reason why they take steroids. Could this be a form of cheating? It could be, depending on whose perspective. For an MLB player, he needs the steroids for his muscles to heal faster. He couldn’t afford to sit it out for the rest of the season just because he has an injury on his shoulder, or he would not be able to perform because his body was aching all over with his muscles all worn out. For the anti-doping agency, this would be cheating because steroids improve performance by giving a boost in energy and even increased tolerance for pain.
From MLB.com:
Select Major League players turned to steroids earlier this decade as a means of overcoming injuries, and even after MLB instituted random testing in 2003, considered the benefits of continued use to outweigh the risks, according to a new published report.
Furthermore, as alleged in a New York Times story, agents and in one case even a team doctor assisted players in obtaining and administering the substance banned in baseball since 1991.
The Times examined the steroids experiences of four former and current big leaguers — third baseman Troy Glaus and pitcher Scott Schoeneweis, and former catcher Todd Greene and pitcher Ismael Valdez.
The central person in The Times report is Glaus, a four-time All-Star who in 2003 turned to steroids in his ongoing battle with right-shoulder injuries. Following Scruggs’ instructions, starting in November 2003, Glaus reportedly injected himself every four days with the steroids nandrolone and testosterone.
The primary reason for steroid use is to aid in the therapy of sport related injuries. But once these drugs are used beyond its medical purpose, it could be merited as cheating.
Category: Anabolic Steroids | Tags: baseball, injuries, MLB, Ramon Scruggs, steroids, The New York Times