Drugs and Sports Performance
High paychecks for top athletes and pharmacological advances have conspired to increase the prevalence of performance enhancing drugs in sports in recent years. Individual athletes face tough ethical choices about how to get ahead amid systematic cheating and gross pay inequities among athletes. Performance-enhancing drugs pose a significant risk to the health of athletes, especially young athletes. Despite the risks, many athletes still use these substances, and the use of performance-enhancing drugs among youth is increasing.
Professional athletics has increasingly become a pharmacological testing ground, as athletes seek an edge over each other and try to keep one step ahead of doping tests. Doping is the use of a substance or method that is potentially harmful to the athlete’s health despite the fact that it is capable of enhancing performance. It also refers to the presence in an athlete’s body of a prohibited substance or evidence of the use of a prohibited method. In other words, doping is cheating. Several new drugs have come onto the market in recent years that altered the very face of sports.
Erythropoietin (EPO)
Erythropoietin, or EPO, is an artificial hormone that is believed to increase oxygen absorption, reduce fatigue and improve endurance by increasing the rate of red cell production. Promoters of EPO claim that this drug increases the metabolism and the healing process of muscles because the extra red cells carry more oxygen and nutrients. It is favored by endurance athletes and has saturated such sports as professional cycling and cross-country skiing.
Steroids
Steroids are hormones. Anabolic steroids are also referred to as ergogenic or performance-enhancing drugs. They are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, a natural male hormone. When athletes use steroids they might believe that steroids will give them a “winning edge,” in developing their power and strength, build or maintain mass muscle, and increase recovery from heavy workouts. These drugs can provide an advantage in sports such as football, baseball, swimming, weight lifting, and track & field. Some examples of anabolic steroids banned by the NCAA are: Boldenone, Testosterone, Dromostanolone, Dihydrotestosterone, Methenolone, Norethandrolone, Oxymetholone, Clostebol, DHEA, Fluoxymesterone, Androstenedione, Mesterolone, Methyltestosterone, Oxandrolone, Dehydrochlormethyl-Testosterone, Epitestosterone, Methandienone, Nandrolone, Oxymesterone, and Stanozolol.
THG is a designer steroid that was recently discovered by a U.S. scientist. THG was until recently undetectable by tests. Now, a number of Olympic and professional athletes stand accused of using the drug.
Stimulants
Stimulants increase alertness and reduce fatigue. They also may increase competitiveness, hostility, and the chance of injury from accidents caused by the user’s poor judgment. Addiction is also possible with the use of stimulants. Prohibited stimulants include amphetamine, caffeine, cocaine, and ephedrine. Modafinil is a psycho-stimulant similar to amphetamines but without some its side effects, such as jitteriness. It has recently become favored by some athletes and turned up in a number of drug tests.
Narcotic Analgesics
Narcotic analgesics mainly function as painkillers but also may produce euphoria or psychological stimulation, false feelings of invincibility, and illusions of physical prowess. These drugs also increase the pain threshold, which can cause greater injury because an athlete may not be aware of the original injury. Use of narcotics can also lead to physical dependence. Narcotic analgesics include Demerol, Dilaudid, Percodan, and Vicodin.
Diuretics
Diuretics help eliminate excess fluid from body tissue. Diuretics are abused by athletes to reduce weight quickly in sports where weight categories are involved and to reduce the concentration of prohibited substances by diluting urine. Reducing weight in a short period of time has the potential for serious health side effects. Also using diuretics to deliberately cheat drug tests is ethically unacceptable. Diuretics include Bumex, Hygroton, Lasix, and Oratrol.
Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
Human Growth Hormone, or HGH, is another drug that is used increasingly by athletes to enhance their performance. It helps to strengthen joints, build muscles, and speed the repair of tissues. It can also expand the size of athletes’ heads and feet. The drug is difficult to detect through tests. However, the use of growth hormones can cause many serious side effects, including diabetes and a fatal neurological condition called Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease.
Beta-blockers
Beta-blockers are other banned substances that are used to control hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, angial pectoris, and migraines. Beta-blockers can be misused in such sports as archery, diving, and gymnastics.
Sources: DrugFreeSport, White House Drug Policy, The Cheating Culture