Marion Jones
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" The fastest woman in the world "
More about steroids
Benefits:
- improves athletic ability
- allows athletes to lose weight
- improves muscular strength and performance
- gives muscles more oxygen
- increases muscle mass
- increase visual appearance
- increases strength ability
* All of the above are temporary *
Loses:
- possible organ damage
- increased chance of liver cancer
- hormonal changes
- greater risks of Hepatitis B and C
- increased risk of tearing tendons
- increased breast size for men
- increased facial hair for women
- if taken at a young age growth is stunted
- can damage veins
- can be suspended from games, and even expelled from the league
Long Term Use Leads To:
- death
- balding and hair loss
- aggression and depression
- vomiting
- high blood pressure
- aching joints
- liver damage
- urinary trouble
- heart disease
- cancer
Other PED's
There are a lot more Performance Enhancement Drugs out there other than Steroids:
Stimulants: Enhances focus, energy and aggression, allowing the body to preform optimally. Some examples include Caffeine, Amphetamine and Methamphetamine.
Painkillers: Lessens pain, sometimes raises blood pressure and increases oxygen supply to muscle cells. Some examples include various Narcotics and NSAID's.
Sedatives and Anxiolytics: Used in sports that require steady hands and good aim, archery for example. Also helps overcome nervousness and discomfort. Common examples are Ethanol, Cannabis, Propranolol, and Diazepam.
Diuretics: This helps athletes loose weight by flushing water out of their body so they can meet weight restrictions, like wrestlers. A few examples are Thiazides, Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and High ceiling/loop diuretics.
Blood Boosters: Increases the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood beyond the natural capacity, these are mostly used in endurance sports like cycling. The most popular Blood Booster are EPOs.
Masking Drugs: This is a drug that basically masks the detection of previously used drugs. The most common drug used for this is Epitestosterone that has no effect, except restoring the Testosterone/Epitestosterone ratio.