Download Revision: Drug-taking in sport

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Volume 12, Number 1, September 2016
Revision
Drug-taking in sport
Symond Burrows
The desire to win at all costs in the competitive world of modern sport means that performers continue
to take drugs illegally, despite the obvious risks. Exam board specifications require an understanding
of the reasons why sports performers take drugs, possible arguments for their legalisation and
ways in which drug taking can be eliminated.
Why take performance-enhancing drugs?
Athletes that take performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) may do so for the following reasons:

Physiological benefits — to build muscle, power and strength (e.g. anabolic steroids); to
enable them to train harder and increase their energy (NB: section A of exam).

Social benefits — the belief that everyone else is doing it/negative role models; fear of not
making it — cannot win without drugs; extrinsic rewards that come from success tempt
athletes to cheat (e.g. money and fame); pressure from coaches (wrong guidance), peers, the
media and sponsors; drugs are easily accessible and there are few deterrents.

Psychological benefits — to decrease anxiety/steady nerves (e.g. beta blockers); to
increase aggression (e.g. anabolic steroids); to increase confidence/alertness (e.g.
stimulants).
Should we support a ban?
The following reasons can be given for supporting a ban on performance-enhancing drugs:

health risks/can lead to dangerous side effects (e.g. heart problems)

unfair advantage/cheating/negative deviancy (i.e. sport should be about using your natural
talents and hard work to be successful)

ensures all players are equal when taking part/ensures a level playing field for all performers
as not all performers have access to doping methods

negative consequences if caught, e.g. lengthy bans/loss of
earnings/sponsorship//medals/titles etc.

encourages drug taking from ‘early on’; increased pressure to take drugs from coaches/peers;
negative role model for children
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Legalisation of drugs
The following arguments may be offered to support the legalisation of drugs:

If properly used/monitored, performance-enhancing drugs do not present as great a health risk
as people think.

If drugs were allowed, it would enable athletes to train longer/recover quicker to gain physical
benefits.

Many drugs occur naturally, e.g. testosterone, and some are used for normal medical care, so
it is difficult to define the line between nutritional substances and illegal drugs.

Drugs could be viewed as ‘just another training aid’ — like other technological aids.

Athletes should be allowed a free choice; they don’t ask to be role models.

In many cases testing has proved inaccurate/ineffective because it has not caught the cheats;
it can sometimes be unsound, jeopardising athletes’ careers — as happened with Diane
Modahl.

In many cases athletes suspect others are cheating so by allowing drug use in sport it levels
the playing field and allows them to improve their physical and psychological attributes.
Strategies to limit use of PEDs
Most people feel the fight to discourage and eliminate drug taking in sport should continue. Possible
strategies to do so include:

random testing/‘whereabouts’/out-of-competition testing

increased investment in testing programmes

better coordination between organisations involved in drug detection/elimination(e.g. WADA,
UK Anti-Doping, NGBs etc.) and unified policies for testing drugs/punishing offenders from
such organisations

creating a strong anti-doping culture via campaigns and education programmes for coaches
and athletes encouraging ethically fair drug-free sport (e.g. 100% ME — UKAD) including the
use of positive role models such as Sir Chris Hoy; name and shame the negative role models

stricter punishments for offenders, longer/life bans and the removal of (lottery)
funding/sponsorships/competition earnings if an athlete tests positive
Problems in banning drugs
The problems in banning/eradicating drugs from sport/carrying out testing include the following:

It is difficult to test successfully owing to masking agents, the development of new drugs and
the need to keep up with scientific advances.

Drugs are sometimes taken accidentally — for instance, stimulants are found in some cold
cures and nasal sprays, as was the case with Olympic skier Alain Baxter; many nutritional
supplements contain banned substances, which are not always apparent on the label
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
Drug tests are sometimes completed incorrectly, and false positive tests can damage an
athlete’s career

Different countries and sports have different regulations — for example, football’s resistance
to accepting the ‘whereabouts’ rule; access to athletes during training abroad, for example,
may be difficult; testing facilities may not be available in all countries

Difficulty in getting an agreed list of PEDs, i.e. what should and should not be on the list

Widespread testing and its associated legal work result in resources being devoted to
defending cases against sports organisations and governing bodies
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