Should The IFBB Crackdown on Illegal Steroid Use

    Natural leagues are vast in existence in the sport of bodybuilding. Such leagues include the ABA, PNBA, and INBA which pave the road to the higher organizations. The competitors in these organizations are often tested for illegal drug use, and if one can not pass the drug screening he/she is ineligible to compete. Although steroid abuse is greatly frowned upon in these organizations, once a bodybuilder receives his pro card and is part of the elite group of bodybuilders in the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilders), drug screening is hardly if not at all performed (Should the IFBB Enforce the Steroid Ban). The IFBB claims that performance enhancing drugs are not allowed to be used by its competitors, but it is not strictly enforced, and many bodybuilders have admitted to taking steroids and pro hormones while training for competitions. 

The controversy that evolves from the banning of steroid use in the IFBB is viewed in many different perspectives. Many people think that if FDA banned substances are completely removed from bodybuilding competitions that the sport’s popularity, and achievements would suffer greatly in effect (Why Bodybuilding Needs Steroids). The spectators that attend these competitions are infatuated with the freakish size and definition of the athletes. So if the bodybuilders become smaller, and less astonishing due to the lack of steroid aid will less people attend the shows? This could cause the bodybuilding industry to suffer greatly. 

On the other hand, could the overall acceptance of the sport of bodybuilding in terms of societies norms increase if these illegal drugs are strictly banned. It is simply unclear, and for that reason the topic remains an unsolved controversy in the sport of bodybuilding. 

Works Cited

"Should the IFBB Enforce the Steroid Ban." Web. 15 March 2011. <http://bodybuilding.com/>. 

"Why Bodybuilding Needs Steroids." Web. 15 March 2011. <http://bodybuilding.com/>.