Steroids in bodybuilding

> Is it legal? Should it be?

Davie Wong Sports Editor

Ws all seen and heard about steroid use in the world of body- building. In fact, it’s so rampant that the first thing that often comes to mind when observing bodybuilders is, “what kind of steroids are they on?” But other than knowing that steroids are “bad for you” due to media advertising, there

is actually very little that the general population knows about steroids and steroid use, especially in the sport of bodybuilding.

First of all, steroid use in the world of competitive bodybuilding is illegal. At the highest levels of the sport, and sometimes even at the lowest, a stan- dard has been implemented banning the use of steroids. This is all moder- ated by the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB). Although they manage to moderate the higher echelons of the sport, it is still a common occurrence to see steroids be- ing used outside of testing periods, and nearly everywhere at the lower levels.

But why?

To answer that, we need to under- stand what steroids are. Steroids are essentially extra chemicals that your body already produces. Bodybuilders will try to increase the amount of posi- tive chemicals that are in the body and available to the bodybuilder during a

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workout.

The most commonly used steroids are anabolic ones that increase the muscle’s ability to absorb protein. Then there are the androgen steroids, which aid the time it takes for proteins to synthesize with muscles. Lastly, there’s

UFV makes for a Funky visit

> Royals women’s volleyball take on the UFV Cascades

Davie Wong Sports Editor

he opening of the PACWEST’s sea-

son second split for volleyball saw the Royals taking on the visiting UFV Cascades. Returning to the Royals as a foe rather than a friend was former first-string setter, Jessica Funk. Funk played two years in a Royals jersey be- fore making the move to the Cascades to play with her sister, Rachel Funk. As the director for the team’s attacks and ace server, Jessica is a dangerous asset for the Cascades.

That definitely showed in the first set, though the Royals were ready for their old teammate. They handed the Cascades well during a tough first set, taking it with a score of 25-16.The Cas- cades would not stay down, however, striking back to take the next set 25-19.

A decisive third set was a major factor to the game, and both teams went the distance. It was tooth and nail, but the Royals were the ones to come out on top, winning 25-22 to take the 2-1 lead. However, the Cascades are far from a team that takes it lying down. They swung a set right back at the Royals to tie it at two apiece, and sent the game into a fifth and final set.

With the building on the edge of its

seat, the Royals danced back and forth with the Cascades, trading point for point. Down 14-13 with the game on the line, it would come down to a massive serve by Royals captain Juliana Penner, and a huge block from Georgia Hurry to secure the win. From the brink, the Royals managed to emerge victorious.

As satisfying as the win was, the team knew they had to do it all over again the next day. However, things didn’t go as smooth for the team as it did the night before. The first set went completely unhinged as the Cascades rolled their way to a 25-12 set win.

A regrouped Royals made their stand in the second, but couldn't hold off the UFV team, as they dropped the set 25-18. After much emphasis from the coach, the team snapped back into form with a 25-20 effort that earned them a third set win., which forced a fourth set in the game, and the Cascades were not happy about it. They charged into the fourth set, determined to make it their last, taking the set 25-19, and the game 341.

The split weekend puts the Roy- als at 10-4 on the season, which is good enough for second place in the PACWEST Conference. They sit one game behind the league leading VIU Mariners, and one game ahead of the 8-5 Capilano Blues.

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insulin, which allows the body to use more of the carbs that are being tak- en in. Those are the big three when it comes to steroids use. While it all sounds fine and dan- dy, there are many cons, dangers, and reasons why people shouldn't be using

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Illustration by Ed Appleby

steroids. This is just a shortened list.

First off, you could overdose on any steroid you put into your body. If you take too much of one steroid, and do not take in enough nutrients to balance it, it really takes a toll on your body, to the point that it could be lethal. But if that doesn’t scare you, other side effects include a decreased libido, and a harder time controlling bodily functions.

Obviously steroids are used at the risk of the user, but the question isn’t why bodybuilders are using steroids, it’s whether or not it should be legal. One of the main reasons that the IFBB bans the use of steroids at the highest levels of bodybuilding is because they hope to push the sport into the Olympics. They claim it is due to steroids being against “ethics, fair play, and honesty.” This means that athletes who use steroids are given an unfair advantage due to their use.

Using chemical enhancements that give a competitor an advantage is against the concept of fair play. But one could also compare it to the former NFL controversy on glove usage. Gloves gave competitors an advantage over players who didn’t use them. Now everyone uses gloves. What if a player decides to not use gloves, and complained about the advantage other glove users have. Do the glove users have to lose their gloves to accommodate the non-glove users?

I'll leave that up to you.

Image by Analyn Cuarto