Sports and Enhancement Drugs - Essay Example

?Sports and Enhancement Drugs When fighting wars or competing in sports, human beings desire a competitive edge over their competitors. They often come up with plans and strategies which give them an upper hand and the use of artificial stimulants is one of them. The idea of using substances and stimulants for enhancing performance is not new; it has been around for centuries. The participants in the Medieval Greek games, the Roman gladiators and soldiers ate herbs, dried figs, strychnine and various organs of animals to build stamina, recover from fatigue and perform better (Bahrke and Yesalis 2). The use of stimulants and performance enhancing drugs in sports gained momentum in the 1950s-60s. The full fledge use of performance-enhancing drugs was initiated by the Russian athletes who during the 1954 Olympics held in Australia gave a power packed performance outshining their competitors especially the Americans. This started a war of steroids as the Americans came up with their own steroid (Harris 20). Since then performance enhancing drugs especially steroids have become a regular feature in the world of sports. Stories about athletes and sportsperson using performance enhancing drugs often make headlines. For days print and TV media disclose events and incidents and finally confessions from sports person who failed the dope test. These prodigal sons and daughters of the soil are then labeled as “cheap cheats” and stripped of all the honors and medals they had earned for their country. People criticize the fallen idol for sometime and the sports world calls for stricter measures to discourage the use of performance enhancing drugs but then everything hushes up until a new member is inducted in the Hall of Shame. Even though they bring so much disgrace, the use of performance enhancement drugs is on the rise among sports person (Ormsbee and Vukovich). What are performance enhancing drugs? Do they really affect an athlete’s performance and why do athletes take the risk of using them when they bring nothing but pain in the end are some questions which will be answered in this thesis. Also should the use of performance enhancing drugs be legalized will be discussed here. Performance Enhancing Drugs The new century has given a new meaning to “sports”; earlier international sports were events where athletes from all over the world met and competed. There were humble winners and graceful losers and the ambience was friendly. The purpose of sports was to cultivate peace and understanding and acceptance of other cultures and values. An athlete was valued more for his sportsman spirit than records he set. Today sports mean do or die. The advent of technology has helped the athletes improve their skills and techniques but has also killed the sportsman spirit. The attitude of the spectators has changed too; the winners are showered with praises and prizes while the losers are blamed and blasted both by the media and the public. After a defeat many heads including those of coaches roll; this extremity has made the coaches and athletes turn to desperate measures such as the use of performance enhancing drugs. Gone are the days when sports were all about sportsmanship and fair play when the team which performed well won the competition. Today every aspect of sports is measured in superlative and only the strongest, fastest and quickest players are the winners. To gain these qualities, the athletes turn to other means besides training and practice. One of the most common methods is the use of performance enhancing drugs. Generally performance enhancing drugs are defined as any substance which when taken orally, injected or applied as cream boosts the endurance level, strength, power and speed in a body for the purpose of enhancing athletic performance (Hales 126). The use of these drugs is common all over the world and in the United States alone nearly one to three million people including twelve percent of young men and two percent of young women take performance enhancement drugs for various purposes (Hales 126). The different types of performance enhancing drugs used by athletes are stimulants such as cocaine and adrafinil, anabolic steroids, peptide hormones, diuretics, THG (TeteraHydroGestrinone), HGH (Human Growth Hormone), diuretics, insulin and anabolic steroids (BBC 2012). Of all the performance enhancing drugs, mostly anabolic steroids are taken by the athletes. Athletes and Anabolic Steroids Anabolic steroids are synthetic hormones which are either injected intramuscularly or taken orally and are taken by twenty to ninety percent athletes (Wilmore et al 326). One of the reasons of their wide use is that they are easily available and often young athletes can get them from their peers and coaches (Neinstein 290). A large majority of university coaches (ninety four percent to be exact) provide nutritional supplements to athletes for performance enhancement; these supplements often contain banned substances (Wilmore et al 356). The anabolic steroids improve athletic ability and enable them to train harder and longer. They help in building muscles and enhance their size. They enhance the endurance level of the body and help the body to recover from injuries quickly (Taylor 72). The anabolic steroids build stamina by increasing the circulation of blood in the body. While performance enhancement drugs are frowned upon in the sports bodies, the athletes especially the young ones see them as “the next step in progression, a way to keep fine-tuning the body in pursuit of athletic accomplishment” (Robinson 15). Some reasons which compel the young athletes to take performance enhancing drugs are a medal for the country, a college scholarship or a place in the team (Robinson 16). Some young athletes also said that they took drugs because an elite athlete whom they idolized did so (Hanson et al 420). Athletes are also under pressure to perform both by the media and the public. The public has become hungry for records while the media cries murder at the slightest of mistakes and average performance. These circumstances force athletes to take performance enhancing drugs. Professional sports thrive on statistics and to get better statistics, the players take performance enhancing drugs. Another possible reason which drives the athletes towards drugs is that the career span of an athlete is short meaning that he or she has little time to earn name, fame and money. An outstanding athlete wins sponsorship and endorsements from international companies to promote their product which is usually a very generous amount. In order to make the most of that time, the athlete relies on steroids besides the regular training and practice to stay in form and earn as much as possible. Should the athletes be allowed to take performance enhancing drugs? With the use of performance enhancing drugs so wide spread in the world of sports, there is a strong debate going on that the athletes should be allowed to use the drugs. Those against the legalization of drugs in sports state adverse health effects and undue advantage for the users as their reasons. They believe that legalizing steroids will kill the spirit of sportsmanship and fair play in games. Quoting the example of baseball, Baltov and Baltov (305) state that the game represented talent, fair play and team work but the use of steroids has tarnished that image. The opposition also presents the argument that by legalizing steroids, the aspiring young athletes and children will get the message that winning is important and should be done at any cost. Another reason cited by those who oppose the legalization of performance enhancing drugs is that they are potentially dangerous for health and once the athlete starts taking them, they become careless in the use. Athletes are also known to experiment in drugs to avoid immunity to the body or to produce a newer better steroid; some of these experiments have proved to be lethal. Side Effects of Performance Enhancing Drugs As stated earlier mostly anabolic steroids are taken by the athletes. The side effects of anabolic steroids are different for men and women though some may be common. In men these steroids inhibit the natural production of testosterones; the male sex hormones resulting in testicular atrophy and lowering of sperm count both of which can lead to impotency. They also cause gynocomastia in men which is the development of abnormally large breasts in men. This condition is quite embarrassing and often in extreme cases surgery is required to correct it. Men can become bald and also sport acne which appears on the back, neck, chest and face. Women on the other hand lose their feminity, they acquire facial hair and deep male voice. The breasts of women shrink when they use anabolic steroids and the menstrual cycle gets disturbed. The use of anabolic steroids also leads to malfunctioning of vital organs such as the liver and the kidney. The user may also develop heart condition with the use of anabolic steroids. Depression, mood swings and fatigue are other adverse affects which the user experiences. Above all the use of a majority of performance enhancing drugs especially steroids causes “roid rage”; a condition in which the user becomes quite aggressive and in extreme cases violent (Fertman 118). In short the performance enhancing drugs destroy a person physically. For the health hazards stated above, most people believe that steroids should not be taken by athletes and other sportsperson as they do more harm than good. However it should be noted that most side effects occur when the steroids are taken in higher doses for longer intervals of time. The opposition also feared that the decision to allow the elite athletes to use performance enhancing drugs would send wrong signals to the young athletes who look up to them as role models. According to the people legalizing steroids will morally corrupt the youngsters. The Changing Wind However over the years there has been a change in the outlook on the use of performance enhancing drugs by the athletes. People are now exhibiting a tolerable attitude towards steroids and are of the opinion that their use should be allowed. Those in favor support their arguments by saying that the use of performance enhancing drugs is wide spread and as no rule or regulation by any of the sports body has been able to stop it or even decrease it then it is better to let the athletes use steroids openly. Regarding the side effects those in favor put up two arguments; one that the use of performance enhancing drugs affects the user only and does not harm anyone associated with the user. They strengthen their point by stating that much has been said and written about the after effects of steroids and other stimulants and not only athletes but the general public is also aware of the harmful side effects. If an athlete chooses to use performance enhancing drugs then it is his choice and he is responsible for the consequences. Another set of supporters claim that by permitting the athletes to use the performance enhancement drugs, their negative effects can be minimized. The athletes should be properly educated about the drugs they are using and intend to use. They should be told about the limits within which the use of steroids is safe. Those who want the use of performance enhancing drugs to be accepted also lament the fact that every year millions of dollars are spent on the doping tests of the athletes. They suggest that this amount should in turn be used in the research and development of performance enhancing drugs with lesser side effects. As stated by Ryan (2008) athletes buy performance enhancing drugs from unreliable sources and from people who have neither pharmaceutical nor sports medicine credentials. Ryan (2008) further suggested that if the performance enhancing drugs were prepared under carefully monitored and legalized conditions after proper research and development and under the supervision of the leading scientists; the risks associated with them could perhaps be reduced. At present the developers of performance enhancing drugs concentrate more on making them difficult to detect than on the possible benefits. If the use of steroids is made legal then perhaps those with exceptional benefits and fewer side effects can be developed. The performance enhancing drugs are only available on the black market and are thus expensive. Also these steroids and other stimulants available on the black market are manufactured in underground labs where hygiene usually takes a back seat. These performance enhancing drugs are impure and contaminated which is another addition to their hazards. Another source from where athletes are now obtaining performance enhancing drugs is online sources. The reliability of most sources is doubtful and the buyer needs to disclose some personal information as well such as credit card details etc. Making steroids acceptable mean that they can be purchased from reliable sources and that too at affordable prices. Besides natural talent, athletes also need lots of practice and training. The coaches provide them with useful guidance which helps them to improve their technique. There are many athletes who do not get a chance to come out in front because they cannot afford to hire an expert coach to guide them. Does expert coaching and expensive training equipment not give unfair advantage to those athletes who can afford it over those who cannot? The affordable performance enhancement drugs can help level the playing field by providing equal opportunities for all athletes. Most athletes take performance enhancing drugs and so fair play in sports these days is out of the question. With new developments in medical science, newer versions of steroids and other performance drugs are being created which are difficult to detect. Genetic doping is one of such methods of enhancing the performance level of the athletes. It brings about amazing physiological changes in the physical appearance of the athlete and greatly improves the athletic abilities (Gaffney and Parisotto 807). Gene doping is done by injecting an athlete with a harmless virus which carries the performance enhancing gene and links it to the muscle cell thereby enhancing the athletic abilities. Gene or cell doping was developed for diagnosing and treating diseases such as anemia, muscular dystrophy and other diseases (Unal 2004). However the gene therapy is being grossly misused as being difficult to detect, it is being used for performance enhancement by the athletes. Lovett (2008) also states that so far no case of gene doping has been detected. All those who claim that the introduction of performance enhancing drugs will rob the integrity of the sports and create doubts about their credibility should realize that there are modern methods of performance enhancing such as gene doping which have been untraceable so far. Those who use these methods will definitely have an advantage over those who do not. Fair play has already taken a back seat in sports; by letting the athletes use steroids fairness can be created in competitions. People raise their voice against steroids but accept the “special diets and supplements” used by the athletes as normal. Don’t these special diets and supplements perform the same function as the steroids making the athlete stronger and faster? Another argument used in the favor of allowing the use of performance enhancement drugs is that technology is often used to help athletes win competitions. The Olympic gold winner cyclist Chris Boardman’s cycle was especially engineered while the English Rugby team wore special body-hugging shirts to avoid tackles. If the specially designed equipment can be used to help the players win, then why can’t especially manufactured performance enhancing drugs? It is a known fact that almost all elite athletes and sports persons use performance enhancing drugs and their managers, nutritionists and physiotherapists make sure that the amount consumed is within safe and efficient limits. By legalizing the performance enhancing drugs those athletes who are not blessed with an army of expert trainers could be better educated about the steroids so that they would not overdo them and thus suffer from the harmful side effects. Sports are risky; boxers have died in the rings or taken to hospital because they received serious injuries during a match. Many other players have received lifelong injuries during sports. Fatalities during skiing competitions and Formula racing are common. Torsam Khan a professional squash player from Pakistan died of a massive heart attack in the court during the Australian Open competition. Injuries and fatalities are all part of the sports, steroids alone cannot be blamed for deaths or lifelong injuries. If performance enhancing drugs produced winners then only pill-poppers and syringe injectors would have stood on the victory stands. Winning is a combination of extensive practice, rigorous training, proper diet and above all personal skills, determination and a positive attitude of mind. Steroids or any other performance enhancing drugs cannot help win a competition alone however they just help the athlete just like his coach, trainer, physiotherapist and nutritionist. Conclusion The use of performance enhancing drugs is not new in the world of sports. Since medieval times stimulants have been used by players to give them an upper hand in the competitions. The food and potions prepared from natural materials for enhancing performance were slowly replaced with chemical substances and synthetic hormones. Even in prestigious events like the Olympics, athletes used performance enhancing drugs to out perform their competitors. The use of these illegal substances in the Olympics first came to light when the Russian weightlifters were caught using them. Since then various sports bodies including WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) have been formed to control the use of performance enhancing drugs. Urine and blood samples of the athletes are tested to trace steroids or any other stimulants and those tested positive are dishonored and stripped of their medals. However even strict measures from WADA have not been able to discourage the athletes from using performance enhancing drugs and the use of steroids among athletes has risen significantly. Athletes from all over the world use some form of performance enhancing drugs. Among athletes at college level too the use of steroids is common and at times coaches are accused of being the first ones to introduce performance enhancing drugs to the youngsters. The youngsters take steroids to get chosen in the Major Leagues and other prominent and prestigious divisions. The elite athletes take performance enhancing drugs because they are under pressure from the public who has become hungrier for more action and wants to see records broken. The society at large has become a hypocrite as on one hand it expects superhuman performance from a normal athlete while on the other hand it condemns and criticizes if the athletes take the help of stimulants. They allege that performance enhancing drugs give a competitive edge to the users but totally ignore the use of technology, special diets and especial training equipment in preparing athletes for contests. These facilities are unfortunately restricted to only those athletes who can afford them; this certainly takes fairness out of sports. Legalization of performance enhancing drugs will enable the pharmaceutical companies to develop steroids which offer greater benefits for athletes. The athletes will be able to purchase them from sources at an affordable price. Whether we accept it or not but all athletes use performance enhancing drugs and legalizing them will create a fair level of playing. As the athletes will be able to use them openly, they can seek advice about the required dose and monitor the use thus preventing over dosage. Even if they use steroids or other stimulants the athlete who actually wins is the person who uses his determination, skills and body to the best of his efforts Works Cited BBC. “Ethics - Sporting Ethics: Types of Drugs.” BBC Ethics Guide. 2012. Web. 25 April 2012. 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Physiology of Sport and Exercise. 4th ed. USA: Human Kinetics. 2008. Print. Read More