Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay

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Doping is defined as the infringement of the World Anti Doping Agency regulations. 1 It is said that most sportsmen and women have been using steroids and even stars like former American sprinter Marion Jones pleaded guilty of using these drugs. Some stars who do not use steroids claim that those who use them break the rules in the sporting industry.

They create unfair advantage. These athletes are putting their lives and health at risk and they are encouraging youngsters to do the same in a bid to be stars. It would be wrong to think that it is good to let players use steroids. This does not portray a sensible message to the American youth who look up to these sports figures as their role models or icons.

Steroids are harmful to the health as they cause bodily harm; probably not early enough but during the late stages of life, one tends to feel the effects of these drugs. An example is Arnold Schwarzenegger who had a heart operation at his later age and this was as an effect of the steroids he took when he was in the sporting industry as a professional body builder. Steroids are also said to be a major cause of a wide range of emotions; the most common being depression which has led to many users of these steroids committing suicide.

Steroids when used correctly are not bad or harmful to the health. The only problem is that they are highly addictive. Thinking that one can use these drugs to enhance performance is in itself a shallow decision and lack of self-discipline.

Clearly, this shows that the person does not believe in himself or herself. All forms of sports need to be regulated and it is the respective governing bodies’ responsibility to decide what should be regulated and the substances that should be used as well as those that should not be used at all in the sporting fraternity.

Some people argue that performance enhancement drugs and steroids will forever be around because of the demand there is for the drugs by the users who are already addicted. By banning these performance enhancement drugs, criminal lines are opened up and thus regulating them becomes even more difficult.

Some experts argue that it is not wise to ban them as this only aggravates the situation. They say that what needs to be done is coming up with rules and regulations that show which drugs can be used in the sporting industry and those that cannot be used. This is because ambiguous and complex leagues govern their sports and create an organizational decisional making structure 2 . Using steroids is in itself a moral dilemma.

We are also asked as sports lovers, by the sporting management, to be realistic in what we expect of our athletes because the human body can do just as much. Steroids are also used in suppressing some diseases and thus banning them or declaring them illegal will just cause more harm to those who use them out of good will.

Some diseases like asthma are suppressed using some forms of steroid drugs. Prohibiting steroids and performance enhancing drugs really does not necessarily work; they make the activity in question more dangerous by pushing this habit underground, creating room for formation of cartels.

A drug like valium is normally prescribed to athletes so that they can get some sleep. It was used awhile back as a drug to calm nerves before a shooting sport. The drive to win in sports is competitively fierce.

This has increased the use of performance enhancing drugs due to the pressure that athletes feel in terms of accomplishing personal goals, winning their countries medals and making it to the first teams in a country or sports club. This usage of these drugs comes with its high prices because the health of the user is greatly affected. The human growth hormones are also affected as one may end up having uneven muscle growth.

The reason most sportsmen and women take these performance enhancement drugs is that they make the muscles bigger. These drugs are also preferred by athletes due to their ability to enhance fast recovery by minimizing chances of damage on muscles. This enables athletes endure hard training without wearing out. Hair analysis is used mostly in the doping detection test in a bid to make sure that both sportsmen and women stay clean and free of any stimulating substances 3 .

At this rate, it would be safe to conclude that taking these performance enhancement drugs is clearly not the way to go despite the minimal advantages that they posses. The disadvantages that they tag along clearly outweigh the advantages and thus using the drugs is not worth the risk.

Upon being discovered that one is using these performance enhancing drugs in the professional sporting industry, athletes risk being suspended by the authorized governing body. They also stand a chance of being prosecuted in a court of law and losing credit to what they had achieved, whether they achieved on a clean record or not.

Bibliography

Conrad, Mark. The business of sports: A primer for journalists. New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2006.

Wilson, Wayne, and Derse Edward (eds). Doping in elite sport: The politics of drugs in the Olympic movement . Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Inc., 2001.

Verner, Moller. The ethics of doping and anti-doping: redeeming the soul of sport? York, NY: Routledge Conrad Publishers, 2010.

1 Moller Verner. The ethics of doping and anti-doping: redeeming the soul of sport? (York, NY: Routledge Publishers, 2010), 12.

2 Mark Conrad. The business of sports: A primer for journalists. (New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2006), 12

3 Wayne Wilson, Derse Edward (eds). Doping in elite sport: The politics of drugs in the Olympic movement . (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Inc, 2001), 19

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Top 10 Pro & Con Arguments

performance enhancing drugs in sports essay

Anabolic Steroids

Blood-Doping and Erythropoietin (EPO)

Human Growth Hormone (HGH)

Techno-Doping

Gene-Doping

Criminalization

Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs)

Baseball Hall of Fame

1. Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic steroids mimic our bodies natural hormones, specifically male sex hormones, and have legitimate medical uses to treat anemia, asthma, bone pain from osteoporosis, muscle loss, and postmenopausal symptoms, among other ailments. Athletes use the drugs illicitly to achieve endurance increases, fat loss, muscle recovery increases, and muscular size and strength increases. However, the drugs carry serious side effects including but not limited to: abnormal menstrual cycles, aggressiveness, brain tissue damage, depression, hypertension, impotence, liver dysfunction, mania, and testicular shrinkage or atrophy

Proponents of allowing athletes to use anabolic steroids argue that athletes are going to dope regardless of the rules so steroids should be allowed, that allowing steroids could reinvigorate boring or languishing sports, and that athletes using steroids doesn’t lessen, but may increase, the entertainment value.

Opponents of allowing athletes to use anabolic steroids argue that anabolic steroid use is dangerous and can cause serious side effects (including addiction and death), that steroid use is not setting a good example for youth sports, and that sports should encourage clean play for the fairness and spirit of the game.

Read More about This Debate:

Should Anabolic Steroid Use Be Accepted in Sports?

Maryville University, “Understanding and Preventing Steroid Abuse in Sports,” online.maryville.edu, Apr. 14, 2021 ProCon.org, “Banned Performance Enhancing Substances & Methods,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, Apr. 9, 2021 ProCon.org, “Should Anabolic Steroid Use Be Accepted in Sports?,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, May 10, 2021

2. Blood-Doping and Erythropoietin (EPO)

Blood-doping refers to any method, including using the enhancement drug erythropoietin (EPO), to increase red blood cells. EPO can be used medically to treat anemia, among other applications. Athletes use blood-doping illicitly to increase endurance and reduce fatigue. However, blood-doping has been found to “thicken” blood, increasing the chances of hypertension, blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks.

Proponents of allowing athletes to blood-dope argue that blood-doping is already so prevalent that banning it now would lessen the sport, that the methods are safe for athletes, and that the same effects can be achieved by working out at high altitudes.

Opponents of allowing athletes to blood-dope argue that blood doping is dangerous and can lead to athletes’ deaths, that normalizing blood-doping is asking athletes to risk their lives to play a sport, and sport doesn’t need more athletes that break the rules.

Should Blood Doping and Erythropoietin (EPO) Use Be Accepted in Sports?

ProCon.org, “Banned Performance Enhancing Substances & Methods,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, Apr. 9, 2021 ProCon.org, “Should Doping and Erythropoietin (EPO) Use Be Accepted in Sports?,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, May 10, 2021 Elizabeth Quinn, “Erythropoietin (EPO) and Blood Doping in Sports,” verywellfit.com, Mar. 26, 2020

3. Stimulants

Stimulants are drugs that speed up parts of the body and brain, directly affect the central nervous system, and increase heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism, and body temperature. Medical uses include the treatment of allergies, asthma, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), common colds, headaches, and nasal congestion. Athletes use the drugs illicitly to increase alertness, competitiveness, responsiveness, and weight loss. However, side-effects of the drugs include addiction, aggression, anxiety, hypertension, brain hemorrhage, coma, convulsions, dehydration, heart attacks, insomnia, stroke, tremors, and even death.

Proponents of allowing athletes to use stimulants argue that Air Force pilots, long haul truckers, and others use stimulants without stigma, and that their use does not lessen the integrity of the game.

Opponents of allowing athletes to use stimulants argue stimulants are dangerous, can result in death, and do nothing to promote the health of the athlete, and that the cultural acceptance of stimulant use should change.

Should Stimulants Use Be Accepted in Sports?

Australian Academy of Science “Stimulants in Sport,” science.org.au (accessed on Apr. 19, 2021) ProCon.org, “Banned Performance Enhancing Substances & Methods,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, Apr. 9, 2021 ProCon.org, “Should Stimulants Use Be Accepted in Sports?,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, May 10, 2021

4. Human Growth Hormone (HGH)

Human growth hormone (HGH) is naturally produced by humans to control how the body grows into adulthood. Medical uses for children include growth hormone deficiency, Prader-Willi syndrome, Turner syndrome, idiopathic short stature, and growth deficiency. Medical uses for adults include hormone deficiency, radiation therapy, or trauma. Off-label uses on HGH are illegal and can result in felony convictions in the United States, but athletes use the drug illicitly to improve muscle mass and performance. However, side effects of HGH include joint pain, muscle weakness, diabetes, carpal tunnel syndrome, enlarged heart, and hypertension.

Proponents of allowing athletes to use HGH argue that HGH can be used safely by athletes to repair injuries and that adult athletes should be able to make their own choices about their bodies.

Opponents of allowing athletes to use HGH argue that any doping is cheating and doping allows a culture of coercion, bribery, unsafe medical practice, and unsportsmanlike conduct.

Should Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Use Be Accepted in Sports?

Mayo Clinic, “Performance-Enhancing Drugs: Know the Risks,” mayoclinic.org, Dec. 4, 2020 ProCon.org, “Banned Performance Enhancing Substances & Methods,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, Apr. 9, 2021 ProCon.org, “Should Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Use Be Accepted in Sports?,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, May 10, 2021 USADA, “Growth Hormone in Sport: What Athletes Should Know,” usada.org, Feb. 13, 2019

5. Techno-Doping

Techno-Doping as a technological augmentation that confers an advantage to the athlete, be it a specially designed shoe, a bike motor, or limb protheses that specifically offers an advantage over other athletes in the same competition. While the issue currently revolves around athletes who are otherwise impaired (including Oscar Pistorius who wears “cheetah” prosthetic legs, future iterations of the debate could involved able-bodied athletes who otherwise augment their bodies and athletes who improve their equipment, such as bicycles.

Proponents of allowing athletes to techo-dope argue that the advancements could push the sports and athletes in interesting ways, and that audiences not only don’t oppose new technology, but will be excited to see sports and athletes play a reinvigorated game.

Opponents of allowing athletes to techno-dope argue that doping is doping and all doping is unfair, that the advancements disadvantage athletes who refuse to dope, and that tech moves sport too far away from the accomplishments of the human body.

Should Techno-Doping Be Accepted in Sports?

ProCon.org, “Should Techno-Doping Be Accepted in Sports?,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, May 10, 2021

6. Gene-Doping

Gene-doping is a still-experimental manipulation of cells or genes to improve athletic performance. Gene therapy came about in the 1990s and entered popular culture via “Schwarzenegger mice,” which had been treated for muscle wasting conditions and ended up with twice the normal amount of muscle after gene manipulation. While currently more science fiction than reality, WADA has already banned the practice in athletes. The benefits and drawbacks medically are still hypothetical.

Proponents of allowing athletes to gene-dope argue that the enhancements could breathe new life into boring sports, could allow more categories of participation, and could be finely tuned to help athletes with specific issues such as muscle twitches.

Opponents of allowing athletes to gene-dope argue that doping is doping and all doping is unfair, and that gene-doping is basically science fiction that has numerous and serious ethical concerns such as parents altering fetuses in vitro to produce super athletes.

Should Gene-Doping Be Accepted in Sports?

Nick Busca, “Should Athletes Be Allowed to Enhance Their Genes?,” onezero.medium.com, Apr. 29, 2019 ProCon.org, “Banned Performance Enhancing Substances & Methods,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, Apr. 9, 2021 ProCon.org, “Should Gene-Doping Be Accepted in Sports?,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, May 10, 2021

7. Marijuana

Marijuana is frequently banned by sports organizations, yet the drug’s status as performance-enhancing is questioned. Further complicating the issue is that marijuana, as a medical or recreational drug is legal in most US states. Athletes take the drug illicitly to reduce anxiety, pain, and reliance on opioids. Side effects include appetite increase, balance and coordination impairment, concentration loss, drowsiness, motivation loss, panic attacks, and weight gain. If smoked (rather than consumed via edible), side effects can include bronchitis and cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, and tongue.

Proponents of allowing athletes to consume marijuana argue that the benefits for athletes are well-documented, that the drug is better than opioids, and that the ban is a continuation of an unjust drug war.

Opponents of allowing athletes to consume marijuana argue that all athletes should not play under the influence of any drug, that marijuana is not legal everywhere the players play, and the benefits are questionable.

Should Marijuana Use Be Accepted in Sports? Is Marijuana a Performance-Enhancing Drug?

ProCon.org, “Banned Performance Enhancing Substances & Methods,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, Apr. 9, 2021 ProCon.org, “Legal Recreational Marijuana States and DC,” marijuana.procon.org, Apr. 12, 2021 ProCon.org, “Should Marijuana Use Be Accepted in Sports?,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, May 10, 2021

8. Criminalization

Doping was partially criminalized in the United States by the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019. The Act penalizes participants in international sports (in which at least one American athlete and three athletes from other countries are participants) who engage in a doping scheme. The Act does not penalize athletes who have been caught doping. The Act also does not apply to American sports such as the NFL or NBA.

Proponents of criminalizing doping argue that doping is generally linked to other crimes such as money laundering and corruption, and clean athletes are being literally robbed of endorsement deals and other financial gains when doped athletes win.

Opponents of criminalizing doping argue that the governing bodies of sports (such as WADA and USADA) should be all the enforcement needed for doping, and criminalization could cause major political and diplomatic rifts between countries.

Should Doping Be Criminalized?

ProCon.org, “Should Doping Be Criminalized?,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, May 10, 2021 US Congress, “H.R.835 – Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019,” congress.gov, Mar. 11, 2020

9. Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs)

A therapeutic use exemption (TUE) is a waiver for an athlete to use a banned drug when that drug is medically necessary, such an athlete with ADHD taking Ritalin, which is a banned stimulant.

Proponents of therapeutic use exemptions argue that athletes need medical attention just like everyone else and the TUE is approved by the governing body, lessening the risk of illegitimate TUEs.

Opponents of therapeutic use exemptions argue that the athletes with TUEs are abusing the system and only taking the drugs to gain an advantage, and that clean play must be the same clean play for everyone.

Should Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) Be Allowed for Injured or Ill Athletes?

ProCon.org, “Should Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) Be Allowed for Injured or Ill Athletes?,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, May 10, 2021 USADA, “Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs),” usada.org, Apr. 26, 2021

10. Baseball Hall of Fame

As of May 12, 2021, no baseball player who has been publicly accused of using PEDs has been allowed entry into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The debate over whether to allow such players into the Hall of Fame has raged since the “Steroid Era” of baseball, from the late 1980s through the late 2000s, when a number of players were caught and accused of using steroids.

Proponents of allowing players accused of steroid use into the hall of fame argue that it’s impossible to determine who used and who did not use steroids, that even with steroid use the players being excluded are some of the greatest to ever play the game, and the morality argument is hollow when known abusers and other law-breakers are in the hall of fame.

Opponents of allowing players accused of steroid use into the hall of fame argue that cheaters should not be honored with the sport’s highest award available, the accused players’ statistics are overblown and dishonor the clean players’ performances, and a standard should be set for clean play not only for current players but for generations of baseball players to come.

Should Baseball Players Who Have Used Banned Substances Be Voted into the Hall of Fame?

ProCon.org, “Should Baseball Players Who Have Used Banned Substances Be Voted into the Hall of Fame?,” sportsanddrugs.procon.org, May 10, 2021

performance enhancing drugs in sports essay

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performance enhancing drugs in sports essay

Chinese Olympic swimmer Pan Zhanle was the subject of doping accusations at the 2024 Paris Olympics after he secured his team a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle event, shattering the world record in a dominant finish that surpassed Australia’s silver medalist by 1.08 seconds. Pan subsequently denied those allegations, saying that he passed all 21 doping tests administered in the few months before the games. 

Like virtually all of its kind that precede it, the 2024 Summer Olympics has been rife with doping scandals. In addition to accusations like those made against Zhanle, there have been four confirmed cases of anti-doping rule violations and controversial rulings like that of Erriyon Knighton , who was cleared to compete after his positive drug test result on March 26 was determined to have been a case of unintentional contamination. 

As distrust towards the integrity of the games spreads, athletes and spectators question the standards of regulatory organizations like the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are, however, not only a concern of Olympic event organizers but also a worry for physicians, especially given the rapid increase in their misuse by young adults in recent years. 

Primary among WADA’s lengthy list of prohibited PEDs is a class of drugs called anabolic steroids, of which use for non-medical purposes is illegal in many countries, such as the United States. How do anabolic steroids confer an advantage to athletes and bodybuilders, and why can misuse be dangerous?

In everyday conversations, people commonly refer to anabolic steroids as steroids or “roids,” but steroids are a broad class of biomolecules that includes hormones such as anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids generally refer to more efficient, synthetic versions of androgens, which are sex hormones that are primarily involved in the development of male characteristics. The most important and well-known of these androgens is testosterone. 

Our reproductive systems naturally produce androgens — though to a greater degree in males — and release them into our bloodstream. As our blood travels throughout our body, the androgens enter various cells. Many of these cells have a biomolecule called an androgen receptor , and when an androgen interacts with an androgen receptor, the cell responds. Skeletal muscle cells may respond by growing their muscular structures. Anabolic steroids function in the same way as androgens do, except that anabolic steroids have been modified to amplify muscle growth and recovery.

But how do cells other than muscle fibers respond to anabolic steroids? There are also other biomolecules involved in the cellular response to anabolic steroids, and the array of relevant biomolecules varies across cell types . Different cells respond differently to anabolic steroids. Therefore, the side effects of misuse are plenty: cardiovascular complications, liver disease, reproductive organ damage, reduced fertility, acne and mood instability, to name a few.

Despite these side effects, a 2014 meta-analysis of 187 studies on usage rates found that 6.4% of males and 1.6% of females studied have taken anabolic steroids at least once in their lifetimes, typically to enhance strength or improve physical appearance. Moreover, the lifetime usage rates for recreational and professional athletes were 18.4% for male athletes and 13.4% for female athletes. The lifetime usage rate among adolescents , who have yet to fully develop hormonally, was reported to be approximately 3% in the United States by the 2017 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. However, the University of Massachusetts Boston found in a 2013 national survey that only 19% of the public perceives steroid abuse as problematic for adolescents. It is important to note that because non-medical steroid use is illegal, the data is likely to be underreported.

Given the prevalence of intentional doping in elite sports, which has been estimated to be between 14–39% internationally in an analytic review of testing results and questionnaires , record-shattering Olympic feats are often accompanied by doubt and skepticism. Informed, data-driven and organized testing can improve detection and reduce the burden on athletes, whose lives and training are disrupted due to frequent testing. Some studies suggest that investing in structural, social and psychological support for athletes to encourage clean sports behaviors may be more effective than investing in improving drug tests. A similarly holistic approach to steroid use prevention may also be the answer for preventing misuse in the general population. For instance, researchers could further investigate how the portrayal of male and female bodies in the media contributes to steroid misuse.

The efforts of researchers and organizations like WADA toward ridding ordinary lifestyles and elite sports of steroids have been insufficient; steroids have plagued the health of global populations and deteriorated spectators’ trust in the Olympic Games. Resolving these issues may require novel strategies. Research on the sociopsychological components of steroid misuse in both athletes and non-athletes, a relatively unexplored avenue, may bring us closer to a steroid misuse-free future. Print

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Performance Enhancing Drugs In Sports Essay

Biology The term ‘doping’ was first used to describe the illegal drugging of racehorses in the 20th Century . Since then, doping has evolved dramatically. There are many different methods in which an athlete can use performance enhancing drugs , the most common being blood doping. Blood doping works by increasing the amount of haemoglobin in the blood stream, meaning that strenuous muscles can take in more oxygen, hence increasing the amount of energy provided to the muscles through resparation. This can greatly improve an athlete’s stamina in long distance events such as marathon running or cycling. Extra haemoglobin can be added to an athlete’s body in a number of ways.

Homologous Transfusions are much like autologous transfusions; however instead of an athlete’s own blood, different samples of blood with the same blood type as the athlete are injected into the bloodstream.

Synthetic Oxygen Carriers are chemicals that have the ability to carry oxygen. They can be injected directly into an athlete’s bloodstream, and act in the same way as natural haemoglobin. HBOCs (haemoglobin-based oxygen carriers) and PFCs (perfluorocarbons) are examples of these chemicals.

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Performance-Enhancing Drugs In Sports

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Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports The more the author researched for this essay, about drug use in the sports world, the more she felt compelled to change her view of all athletes having equal access to performance-enhancing drugs. The endurance needed for any sport is physically and mentally challenging. Maybe the athlete thinks he or she needs artificial stimulants to achieve their goals. Whatever the reason, the use of enhancement drugs is worldwide. The intent of this essay is to show that steroids have many negative effects and that steroids, and other natural supplements, should be closely studied by the FDA. This essay will also support the claim that the professional sports industry needs to eliminate steroid use and set a good example for younger athletes. You could say the birth of performance- enhancing drugs was around the late- nineteenth century. Athletes, looking to improve their abilities, tried synthetic versions of male growth hormone, testosterone. (Performance-Enhancing Drugs: Introduction. 2005. www.enotes.com) Then, during the 1950’s, anabolic steroids were introduced to sports. This revolution in performance enhancement had coaches and athletes alike, thinking about a level playing field during the 1956 World Games in Russia. There, an American doctor named, John Ziegler, observed the usage of steroids by the Russian athletes, and upon returning to the United States, helped develop Dianobol, a drug American athletes quickly embraced. Probably one of the most well known ways for using steroids other than for the building of muscle for competition is for it's quick healing results of inflamed or swollen joints after just a few days of use. Today, pharmaceutical companies make dozens of different corticosteroid drugs to treat allergies, asthma, skin inflammations, arthritis, and connective-tissue d...

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    Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay. Exclusively available on IvyPanda®. Doping is defined as the infringement of the World Anti Doping Agency regulations. 1 It is said that most sportsmen and women have been using steroids and even stars like former American sprinter Marion Jones pleaded guilty of using these drugs.

  2. Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports

    All performance enhancing drugs should be banned from sports. The history of performance enhancing drugs goes back to the 1800s. There were two reported cases before the 1900s. The first known use was by a 24 year old cyclist named Arthur Linton in 1886. He died in a race from Bordeaux to Paris. The cause of death was said to be Typhoid Fever ...

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    Top 10 Pro & Con Arguments. 1. Anabolic Steroids. Anabolic steroids mimic our bodies natural hormones, specifically male sex hormones, and have legitimate medical uses to treat anemia, asthma, bone pain from osteoporosis, muscle loss, and postmenopausal symptoms, among other ailments. Athletes use the drugs illicitly to achieve endurance ...

  4. Essay On Performance Enhancing Drugs

    Essay On Performance Enhancing Drugs. 1263 Words6 Pages. The use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) has been known as a problem in athletics since around the 1960s. The use of these drugs or "doping" is illegal in sports and the athlete can be severely punished if found using them. There is many huge health risks when using these drugs ...

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    These drugs are life threatening to athlete's health. The use of performance enhancing drugs promotes that cheating is prohibited. It also provides a bad example for athletes to use. Research shows that these drugs have a negative effect to every sport. 863 Words.

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    The use of performance enhancing drugs in sports, among athletes, commonly called "Doping", is done to improve an athlete's performance. The use of performance enhancing drugs in sports has become a hot topic between professional sport teams and in the general media. With the increased pressure to perform well, high paying

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    Performance Enhancing Drugs In Sports Essay. 1274 Words 6 Pages. Athletes, of all ages, should be drug tested before every game or match. If athletes were to be tested before every game, the use of performance-enhancing drugs would be reduced drastically. This would cause younger athletes to stop using performance-enhancers as often, make the ...

  8. Performance Enhancing Drugs In Sports Essay

    Persuasive Essay On Performance Enhancing Drugs 1275 Words | 6 Pages. Athletes use of performance enhancing drugs has become all too common in today's society. With many athletes testing positive for doping, sports are becoming tarnished with athletes trying to gain an unfair advantage on their competitors.

  9. Performance Enhancing Drugs In Sports

    Performance Enhancing Drugs In Sports Essay. Performance enhancing drugs should be eliminated from all sports because they create an unfair competitive advantage. I am against the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in sports because it is a worldwide problem that takes the integrity out of the game. There are so many people involved from ...

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    Like virtually all of its kind that precede it, the 2024 Summer Olympics has been rife with doping scandals. Chinese Olympic swimmer Pan Zhanle was the subject of doping accusations after he secured his team a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle event, shattering the world record in a dominant finish that surpassed Australia's silver medalist by 1.08 seconds.

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    A performance enhancing drug is any substance taken by athletes to improve performance. Typically, well-known athletes are the ones to use performance enhancing drugs. Performance enhancing drugs are used by multiple athletes of every sports across the world. Therefore, the athletes who use PEDs are given an unfair advantage in skill and ...

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    to performance enhancing drugs to gain this edge. Drug use in sport can cost players their super stardom dream career, but more seriously, their own lives. The wide-spread illegal use of drugs has eliminated the question of which athlete has the strongest raw power, to the question of which athlete has the greatest scientific base behind them.

  13. Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay

    Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports In all areas of sports, professional, college, and even high school, there is widespread illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs. Although there are many reasons for athletes to choose to use these drugs, the cost of such use, both to the athlete and to society can be extraordinarily high.

  14. Performance Enhancing Drugs In Sports Essay

    Source One - 'British Journal of Sports Medicine' Savulescu, J, 'Why We Should Allow Performance Enhancing Drugs In Sport', British Journal of Sports Medicine 38.6 (2004): 666-670, Web, 15 Aug. 2015. This article gave in-depth reasoning as to why the author (J. Savulescu) agrees with the legalisation of performance enhancing drugs.

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    The use of performance enhancing drugs in sports can actually be described by one word 'Cheating. ' The laws need to become stricter in order to discourage the use of performance enhancing drugs. Every accusation, of a professional athlete using banned substances in professional sports has a negative affect on fans and spectators.

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    Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) have been used in sports for many years. The common term for it is doping. It is one of the most important issues among professional athletes today. Doping should not be allowed in professional sports. The use of performance-enhancing drugs creates a disadvantage for the athletes that don't use PEDs since they ...

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    Jose Canseco (baseball player) argues in his book, "We (the players) didn't see performance enhancing drugs as a big deal. We didn't see using steroids as being in the same category as cocaine, marijuana, crack, or ecstasy" (213). However, using performance enhancing drugs and taking unfair advantages over others is cheating.

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    Why Performance-Enhancing Drugs Are Ruining Sports Essay Sports are something that everyone in the world, regardless of age, sex, or nationality, can enjoy. Whether it's a child playing in his first t-ball game or a professional athlete swimming in the Olympics and everyone in between, sports can connect almost everyone.

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    The general consensus is that performance enhancing drugs should not be allowed in professional sports. Performance-enhancing drugs are against the spirit of sport, as it creates an unfair playing field. If professional athletes use drugs, it will encourage others to use performance-enhancing drugs and promotes unhealthy and dangerous behaviour.

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    4 Pages 1064 Words. Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports. The more the author researched for this essay, about drug use in the sports world, the more she felt compelled to change her view of all athletes having equal access to. performance-enhancing drugs. The endurance needed for any sport is physically and. mentally challenging.

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    According to Thomas Murray, "performance-enhancing drugs in sports can have the potential to cause a public health catastrophe." People should realize "Steroids and stimulants have caused problems in the Olympics for decades"(Murray). With the use performance enhancing drugs being so widespread the Tour de France nearly collapsed.

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    Filter Results. Abstract. The use of Performance enhancing drugs in today's sports world has become a bigger problem then ever before. May young athletes are turning to these drugs to give themselves and advantage over other athletes. The use of anabolic steroids by professional athletes will often lead these young athletes to use and not ...