Introductory Paragraph

The pursuit of the perfect physical form and proportions has been a goal that man has pursued for thousands of years. Examples of humankind's pursuit for a perfect physique can be traced back to some of the earliest civilizations with depictions of the human body in sculptures, painting, on ceramic pots, and all kinds of other forms of art. However, this sculpting of the body into its perfect form, also known as bodybuilding, has been difficult to achieve until the advent of science provided us with the means to achieve that ideal with the use of performance enhancing drugs. But when these new tools became available, there were many who disavowed them, pointing out how their use in sports such as bodybuilding was akin to cheating, and limitations and restrictions on steroid use in bodybuilding quickly sprung up. For this research essay i chose to examine the two sides to the argument over steroids found in this community, and asked the question of whether or not steroids should continue to be banned in the sport of bodybuilding.