Download Illegal substances and methods: performance

Illegal substances and methods:
performance-enhancing drugs and
methods
 Illegal performance-enhancing substances and
methods have been employed by coaches and
athletes in order for the athlete to gain an
advantage over their competitors.
 While they might bring about improved
performance, the health and associated risks of
doping to the athlete need to be taken into
consideration prior to use.
Doping
 Taking performance-enhancing drugs is
commonly referred to as ‘doping’.
 Doping is the use of, or distribution to, an athlete
or certain substances or methods that could
have an affect of artificially enhancing
performance..
 Doping is a massive moral issue.
 The IOC says it poses the greatest threat to the
integrity and future of sport.
 Performance-enhancing drugs are currently
banned or considered illegal in most sports.
 There has been some argument to legalise them
because of widespread use and issues with
detecting some substances.
 Furthermore, some performance-enhancing
practices currently used in sport produce exactly
the same results, but are neither banned nor
illegal.
 For example, the illegal drug erythropoietin (EPO)
can create an increase in red blood cell levels;
however, the same effect can be obtained
legally by living and training at altitude, or by
spending time (usually while asleep) inside an
altitude chamber or tent.
Performance-enhancing
drugs and methods
 to increase strength and muscle mass (anabolic agents,
steroids)
 to counteract undesirable side-effects (hormones, antioestrogenic substances)
 to mask the presence of banned substances (diuretics)
 to increase alertness and/or aggressiveness (caffeine,
amphetamines)
 to enhance oxygen transfer (blood doping)
 to alter samples provided for testing (urine substitution)
 to speed up the rehydration process (intravenous infusions)
 to reduce pain (narcotics).
Cheaters
 Athletes caught using these drugs have been
stripped of their medals and records and banned
from their sports, sometimes for years and, on
occasions, for life.
 Many of these drugs also pose serious potential
health risks.
 Extra Reading “Chemical Warfare Declared”
Illegal Substances
 See table 11.4 on page for WADA prohibited
substances their benefits and side effects. Pages
413 to 415
Why do athletes take drugs?
 List as many reasons as you can why an athlete
might take drugs?
Your turn!
 Define the term doping.
 For each of the following illegal methods of performance
enhancement, suggest a legal method:
 anabolic steroids
 blood doping
 intravenous infusion
 amphetamines.
 Explain the difference between a performanceenhancing substance and a performanceenhancing method.
 Discuss why some drugs are banned all the time but
others are only prohibited in certain sports.
.
Answer this in your
workbook
 Why do athletes use drugs?
 Use the information provided in this section, specifically
figure 11.10, to answer the following questions:
 What are some of the specific pressures that athletes face
that may influence them to resort to the use of
performance-enhancing drugs or methods?
 Which three factors do you think place greatest pressure
on athletes? Explain why you selected these three.
 What can athletes do to combat or resist these pressures?
 What advice would you give an athlete who confides to
you that they are considering the use of a particular
illegal performance-enhancing drug or method?