Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports - Essay Example

The spirit of athletics is linked with the age old history of civilization. The ancient Greek hero's, Spartan hero's and the great Olympians of centuries have endured discipline and perseverance to achieve their desired feat of success as superhero. It gives momentum to athletic performance in the public eye which is manifestation of practice, precision and talent. This pinnacle of performance is reached by victory or defeat, joy and sorrow as witnessed on the field by the fans, organizers, team members and by the individual participant. It is the moment of euphoria marked by honor and success. The chains of followers are linked with the path traveled by a successful athlete or sportsperson which makes them a role model for the masses. The drama of performance on world scene is so overpowering that athletes sometime fall in the controversy of doping (use of performance enhancing drugs) in sports. He or she is the star of the public eye just as a politician, musician or a literary figure and their image is a delicate balance training, character and publicity. When athlete resorts to taking performance enhancing drugs, they not only hurt themselves but in turn set in motion a chain of events that destroys the sport each time a new case surfaces. The controversy which has been built around athletic doping or use of performance enhancing drug to maximize sport performance can be traced back to 490 BC in the legendary marathon run by Feidipides, which made him a superhero at the cost of his life. (Savulescu, J., Foddy B., & Clayton M. (2004). The same drive is seen in athletes even in the present times. The desire to outperform the other competitors at any cost is so demanding. This leads to a great controversy of the time, whether use of performance enhancing drug is the need for survival as an athlete. It seems as if the performance oriented athletics with result at its core is fuelled by different levels of drugs which enhance shot term and long term performance. The progress in technology offers greater lure to administering different levels of biological intervention. The health and the fitness should be the core of rational judgment rather than emotional euphoria of success. The world Anti-Doping Agency states interesting facts connected with the term "doping". The term traces its origin from the Afrikaans word "dop" a concoction made from grape leaves that Zulu warriors drank before going into battle. In sports, the term was first used to describe the illegal drugging of race horses at the beginning of the 20th century. (Maxwell, J. & Mehlman, J.D. (2007). The use of doping takes away the human element of ethics and honesty in sports. An athlete stoops down to the level of an animal with no reason, choice or judgment. Some of the performance-enhancing drugs are dangerous; they have multitude physical, mental and emotional side effects ranging from short term to long term. Anabolic steroids are associated are associated with a range of side effects, including heart attacks and liver cancer. Some doping substances are permitted in low doses like alcohol and caffeine. Another form of doping is blood doping either by blood transfusion or use of the hormone erythropoietin. In recent times tetrahydrogestrinone(THG) and modafinil are causing controversy throughout the sporting world. Use of enhancement drugs violates athlete's autonomy. It questions their confidence, morals and ethics. It takes away the spirit of fair play and healthy participation from the sports arena. It makes a sportsperson appear as clever, manipulative business person with ruthless attitude towards survival. It also puts a great chemical burden on the body of an athlete. These drugs interfere with the normal biological process. It gives short term gains with better absorption of oxygen, stronger muscle and greater endurance; but really at the risk of innumerable long term health risks like cardiac problems, cancer, insomnia, dependence and others. It grants short term personal gains with enhanced performance but badly affects their professional career and public image. The use of drugs is against the rules. "The World Anti-Doping Agency code declares a drug illegal if it is performance enhancing, if it is a health risk, or if it violates the "spirit of sport" The spirit of sport is the celebration of the human spirit, body and mind, and is characterized by certain values." (Savulescu, Foddy, & Clayton , 2004) -> (Savulescu et al., 2004) Athletes have always held a very prestigious place in the hearts and the minds of the people. They have achieved a role model status on the basis of their outstanding performance, courage and spirit. Use of performance enhancing drug very badly affects the confidence of the fans that look up to their favorite athlete. Fans feel betrayed and cheated when an athlete is caught doping. It creates the climate of distrust and dishonesty. Athletes are regarded as symbol of good health, courage, confidence and solidarity, doping questions their integrity and solidarity. It creates a climate of unfairness and corruption, which damages the image of the sportsperson as well as the spirit of sports. The present climate of sports is very controversial and corrupt. It not only affects the athlete and the organization but also affects the future of younger athletes and the overall climate of athletics. It presents a grim picture of sports which is unfair, unhealthy and unsafe. The fans lose their confidence, organization loses its name and athlete loses his image. It puts greater technological and economic burden on the sports authorities to test and screen the athletes in present climate of corruption and manipulation. It is expensive for the athlete, for the organization as well as fans. The fan amenities are greatly damaged because of negative effects of doping and reduced fan attendance. This negative publicity will also affect the ticket, food and beverage prices associated with sports management. The future of sports looks very dark in the shadow created by the performance enhancing drugs. The burden is on everyone involved in sports the managers, coaches, institutions and the country. Use of performance enhancing drug violates the rules of sports. It is unethical, unfair and unsafe. Active measures have been taken to clean up the dirty sports scenario by International Olympic Committee. The basic anti-doping principles of sport are laid down to strengthen and reinforce the rules,values and the spirit of the sports. These are "protection of the athletes' health"; "respect for medical and sports ethics"; and "ensuring an equal chance for everyone during competition."4(Maxwell & Mehlman, 2007) The use of drugs is against the rules. "The World Anti-Doping Agency code declares a drug illegal if it is performance enhancing, if it is a health risk, or if it violates the "spirit of sport" The spirit of sport is the celebration of the human spirit, body and mind, and is characterized by certain values." (Savulescu, Foddy, & Clayton , 2004) -> (Savulescu et al., 2004) References Savulescu, J., Foddy B., & Clayton M. (2004). Why we should allow performance enhancing drugs in sport. Retrieved February 5, 2007, from BJSM Online Web site: http://bjsm.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/38/6/666 Doping (sport). (2007, January 28). Retrieved February 5, 2007, from Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doping_(sport) Maxwell, J. & Mehlman, J.D. (2007). Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports. Retrieved February 5, 2007, from The Doctor Will See You Now Web site: http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/articles/bioethics/perfdrugs_10/ Read More