From a policy standpoint, which statement best justifies why anabolic steroids are banned while creatine is permitted in most sports?

• A. Creatine is a performance-neutral placebo that regulatory bodies allow to encourage supplement industry growth, whereas steroids are banned solely for moral reasons unrelated to athlete safety or fairness
• B. Anabolic steroids are cheaper and therefore banned to prevent poor athletes from gaining access, whereas creatine is expensive and limited to elite athletes so it is allowed
• C. Anabolic steroids produce large pharmacologic hormonal changes with major health risks and unfair advantage, leading to bans; creatine has modest benefits, well-documented safety when used properly, and does not induce the same endocrine alterations
• D. Steroids are banned because they are ineffective and provide no ergogenic benefit, while creatine is allowed because it is illegal and unregulated

Answer: (C)