TORONTO – Performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) are at the forefront of the baseball world following a report that suggests the MLB is investigating more than 20 players for using illegal substances.
With the MLB embroiled in another PED controversy, and the fallout from the Lance Armstrong scandal still unfolding, health experts are warning people about the short and long-term risk factors of using PEDs.
READ MORE: Report rocks baseball with alleged PED scandal
Anabolic steroids and Human Growth Hormones are some of the common forms of PEDs that have appeared in sports like baseball and carry with them significant health risks.
In addition to being linked with cancer, PEDs carry a number of serious immediate health risks.
High blood pressure (hypertension), heart and circulatory problems, prostate gland enlargement and aggressive violent behavior, are all serious side effects of using anabolic steroids according to the Mayo Clinic’s website.
Steroids can also have severe repercussions on reproductive organs, where men may develop prominent breasts, shrunken testicles or impotence. Women may develop an enlarged clitoris or increased body hair.
Other drugs like Erythropoietin (EPO) are common in endurance based sports like cycling and have gained notoriety after an investigation found Lance Armstrong was using EPO during his seven Tour De France wins.
“EPO increases red blood cells, also known as blood doping, and can cause heart attacks because it makes your blood too thick,” said Wells. “All of these drugs that athletes take may improve performance but they also have serious health consequences and it’s important for people to know that.”
With the prevalence of PED use among top athletes, the effect it will have on young, developing athletes could be determined by how drug use can affect an athlete’s legacy.
“If you think about kids and people hearing about this latest massive scandal there’s two potential outcomes. The one potential outcome is that people watching will think ‘if the pros are taking it and it’s helping them I’ll take it as well,’ which is terrifying,” said Wells.
“The other hopefully greater likelihood is that people will watch this and lose respect for the athletes that have chosen to cheat, and as we see it destroy their careers like we have with Lance Armstrong. Hopefully we’ll see there’s a deterrent to taking PEDs.”
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