Jerry Brainum explains how legalizing steroids mixed with monitoring bodybuilding can lead to a safer sport.
While there is always a risk in choosing to use steroids for athletic endeavors, the deepest dangers come from obtaining those drugs via the underground markets. Much like any illegal drug, it’s impossible to know the standards of what actually go into the substance an individual puts in their body. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Jerry Brainum explains how legalizing steroids would actually making bodybuilding safer.
Currently, recreational steroids used for performance enhancing in sports is illegal. Unless a doctor prescribes a person to use steroids for medical reasons, it cannot be obtained for any recreational or sporting endeavor. And yet steroids certainly exist in nearly all major sports. Much like any battle on dangerous drugs, making them illegal or banned creates a vacuum that gets filled up by black markets. Suddenly, the same people are getting steroids. Except now they are obtaining them through less trustworthy sources.
This opens a pandoras box of possible dangers. There are no regulations or standards on underground drug labs. Due to this, anything could be used in those substances. Some things might end up causing serious health issues.
That’s why Jerry Brainum thinks that bodybuilding as a whole would be safer if steroids became illegal. This of course would require a caveat – the bodybuilding leagues would have to require all athletes to be medically monitored regularly. This way, bodybuilders can be prescribed regulated and healthier substances. They can also be medically checked for early warning signs of health problems.
In Jerry Brainum’s opinion, this would help avoid tragic deaths in bodybuilding and help athletes remain healthier in their older age after they retire. By creating full transparency of drug use in sports, there would be less reason to hide anything. That allows doctors and experts to do their job better and keep people healthy.
During our discussion with Jerry Brainum about the legality of steroids – the conversation also shifted over to natural bodybuilding. What about drug testing? Can that help make the sport safer without these drugs becoming legal? Jerry gives his full thoughts on natural bodybuilding and whether or not it’s easy to beat drug tests as well. You can learn even more about natural bodybuilding by watching our latest documentary – Generation Iron: Natty 4 Life. Available right here.
You can check out Jerry Brainum’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
