Steroids

D

dreco

Registered
I was watchin Sportscenter recently and thought it might make for an interesting discussion here with the reemergence of the issue of steroids/performance enhancing drugs in baseball/sports. I'm sort of split on the issue, from what I understand steroids are mainly used to improve recovery time from weight training, but the user still has to train/exercise, steroids don't improve hand-eye coordination and the guy still has to go out there and hit the ball or do whatever. The main advantage is that the user can train more frequently and improve their muscle mass in less time but they still have to lift the weights and do the work. But, they are an illegal substance unless prescribed by a doctor but then again there are legal substances that probably do more harm to people such as alcohol and cigarettes/tobacco. But, steroids are illegal and they can be harmful and from the congress hearings you find out that kids are dying (directly and indirectly) from steroid use.

So here go the questions, firstly, if there were some sort of performance enhancing drug or steroid that could improve your pool game would you be "shooting up" or do you think alot of players would be? If you found out someone in your pool league was takin "pool steroids" or someone in a tournament you played in or say the next winner of the US Open took stroke steroids, would you care?

For me I don't think I would bother trying anything like that to give me a better chance at winning theres not enough money at stake as in baseball, football, etc and it probably wouldn't be worth any side effects but I think there are alot of guys that probably would to get an advantage in money matches probably and as far as the second question I probably wouldn't care either but I would like to see what the rest of you think about it.

I was also trying to think of some real-world drug/supplement that might help with pool play but the only thing I could think of was ritalin maybe because it could increase the player's focus. I don't know of anything that can increase hand eye coordination and I don't know how much increasing muscle mass could help but you can use your imaginations as to what sort of pool performance enhancing drugs there could be.
 
Josh Palmer

Josh Palmer

I'll take the 6 :)
Silver Member
I am not split on the issue. I like to work out at the gym, and enjoy weight training. I haven't played pool for a long time, and bulking up is terrible for your game. But in other sports, it is the deciding factor. I don't believe in steroids because, as any other drug, they may have benefits for some time- but after that, you are left with the side effects. I have had friends from football turn into blobs of fat, when they were once ripped while taking steroids. I don't think it is a coincidence. On the other hand, I sometimes do take something before my match, and it's to counteract something I do while playing pool. I sometimes drink a protein shake a little while before a match. It gives me the energy I need to play for a while, and also seems to help my constantly shaky body when playing. I don't know why I shake, but this helps to some degree.
 
SlimShafty

SlimShafty

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I take nothing but water, and natural foods, I never get nervous or tired, or loose concentration, I can stay up for 2 days straight playing pool no problem so I can't see the need for anything myself, but I know others need a beer, smoke, caffeine or something to smooth them out, clear the mind, calm them down, whatever they call it, I really can't say I have a problem with casual use of beer, wine, caffeine, light smoke..I don't think it's needed but to each his own.

But just about any drug you can think of has been used by someone in pool, the harder drugs or other pharmaceuticals will destroy them at some point, health wise, personally, or financially. I have a problem with that, I have seen it up close and it's not pretty.

As for other sports give me Babe Ruth, drinking and eating and belt'en home runs, he was amazing, not these roid taken monsters today....not one of them could do what he did in his condition, Go out til 4 in the morning drinking and eating like an animal then come to the park and hit 3 home runs, now that's an accomplishment :D
 
J

JustPlay

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cocaine, Marijuana, beer/alcohol, speed & crack are performance enhancing drugs used by alot of pool players to enhance their game. Is all this allowed to play pool in tournaments-yes it is, just not allow by the law...
 
mjantti

mjantti

Enjoying life
Silver Member
I'm probably opening a can of worms here, but letting the pool subject aside, I think North American pro leagues have the worst doping control anywhere. NFL, NHL, baseball league etc. don't really do squat to catch the steroid, growth hormone etc. users. The pressure is so high in pro sports, that the fact that you need take steroids to keep up with the rest of the guys is terrible. And if you get caught, you're going to be banned for a couple of days, maybe a couple of weeks if you've been very naughty. If you get caught here in Europe, you're going to face a 2 year ban.

Looking at some top baseball and NFL stars make me sick. Just steroid-pumped up muscle with atrophied brain and nuts plus all the other side-effects of steroids... sigh. But the fame, glory and money seems to be worth sacrificing your own health. Good example of peer pressure is one Finnish hockey player, a really good one but won't mention his name here. He went to NHL and during the first half year of his stay he gained more than 25 pounds of muscle mass without any extra physical effort. Now where did that came from ? :rolleyes: When he was seen on Finnish tv after 6 months, his shoulders were suddenly much wider as with his neck and his jaw was much stronger = all sure signs of growth hormone usage. I understand him taking the shit to keep him with his teammates but it's really sad to live on the edge and playing with your health.

The BALCO lab scandal in athletics is also terrible. It's a science to make hormones and doping which cannot be detected in tests. And the countries with most effort in design doping research will reap the fruits of success in international sports events. Seems like the situation is in USA the same like it was in DDR couple of decades ago. Female athletes are eventually forced to get sex change operations because they were given so much male hormones that they became men against their own will.

What a post. Well, let's see who I have offended here... ;)
 
sniper

sniper

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It is beyond me why a baseball player or any athlete for that matter would take steroids :confused: Most sports now have stricter testing policies and if you juice up there is a good chance your going to get caught, and just look at everything an athlete is risking. Most importantly is their health, is it worth getting ahead if it means you might be dead a couple years down the road? Is it worth crippling your reputation in the eyes of your fans and peers?

Look at Rafael Palmero, he earned his spot in the hall of fame (3,000 hits) and then two weeks later he may have earned his spot out just like that. I've met Palmero on a few occasions and was shocked when he tested positive, now instead of going down as a great player and a hall of famer his career will forever be tainted with steroid use. It's just not worth it when the risk is so much greater than the reward.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top