Steroid Use, Football, and Catastrophic Injuries: The Paradox of Performance-Enhancing Drug Use

Recent evidence suggests that in Canadian football there is widespread performance-enhancing drugs use. In this paper, a paradox of performance-enhancing drug use is explored, which centers on the notion that football players might face greater risks of injury if they use steroids but greater risks of injury if they do not. This study examines media files, Canadian legal case files, semi-directed interviews with football players and administrators across Canada, autobiographies of professional football players, and various institutional texts involved in disciplinary cases in junior, university, and professional football in Canada. Key Words: Performance-Enhancing Drugs; Steroids; Canadian Football; Sport Policy