In 2013, surveys conducted by the Digital Citizens Alliance found that over 75% of young U.S. males felt pressured to use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to stay competitive, and 40% believed PEDs were the only path to professional sports. Only 11.5% felt no pressure at all. Only one in five professional athletes, however, found steroid use to be a problem (Toporek). This data reveals a troubling disconne ct between athletes’ lived experiences and perceptions within professional sports, underscoring how vulnerable adolescents and college athletes are to performance pressures. Performance-enhancing drugs, or anabolic steroids, help build muscle and strength but come with serious risks like liver damage, high blood pressure, and depression (“Learn About the Risks of Performance-enhancing Drugs”). With rising mental health struggles and the increasingly competitive sports environment, many young athletes turn to PEDs under pressure to succeed. The adolescent brain’s plasticity, outside influences, and the addictive nature of steroids further increase this risk. 

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