Performance Enhancement In Sport Essay

In sports, the competitive drive to win can be very intensive between athletes. Winning in the game usually brings rewards to athletes both financially and psychologically. Such temptations and the consecutive pressures faced by athletes to excel in the sporting events, attempts to achieve a rival edge especially when the application of performance enhancing drugs by athletes in sports activities has becoming a new trend and relatively common. Performance enhancing drugs are used so athletes could achieve better results with least efforts, even as their health and their athletic careers will be placed in danger. That explains why athletes, sports people and body builders turn to performanc enhancing drugs.

The use of illegal substances is rapidly increasing in the college sports due to the expansion of supplements used by athletes that are being banned. In a study done, athletes were asked if illicit drugs would negatively impact their performance. Majority of them responded “yes”, their main reasoning being; the effects of illicit drugs were both mental and physically damaging. Illicit drugs come in many forms, but the testing procedures are all the same for any substance. There is almost always a consequence with the use of prohibited substances. Drug testing is appropriate to help ensure the safety of student athletes while they participate in intercollegiate contests. (Krotee, M 555).

Many athletes are particularly trusting with regards to performance boosters because many of them are desperate to be the best at their respective sport. At the professional level, where athletes must perform well to keep their jobs, many are desperate to do whatever it takes to continue to compete. In their book Death in the Locker Room, authors Bob Goldman, Patricia Bush, and Ronald Klatz discuss this immense pressure that athletes feel to use these drugs. These authors explain how players often place this pressure on themselves because of an overwhelming desire to become famous, adored athletes. To investigate this urge, Goldman and his colleagues performed a study on 198 elite athletes, where the authors asked the athletes if they

The desire to compete — and win — is as old as history itself. From the beginnings of sport, athletes have sought out foods and potions to turn their bodies into winning machines. As early as 776 BCE, the very first Olympic games, there are records of attempts to increase testosterone levels (“Steroid Abuse in Sports”). Ancient Greek wrestlers ate vast amounts of meat to gain muscle mass, and Norse “Berserker” warriors took hallucinogenic mushrooms before battle. The first competitive athletes to be charged for doping, however, were swimmers in 1860s Amsterdam. Doping of all kinds, from caffeine to cocaine to anabolics quickly spread to other sports (“Anabolic Steroids, a Brief History”).

In all areas of sports, professional, college, and even high school, there is widespread illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs. It seems like you can’t go more than a week without hearing about somebody’s PED problems. Although there are many reasons for athletes to choose to use these drugs, the cost of such use, both to the athlete and to society can be extraordinarily high. The question that many people must answer to themselves is “is it worth the risk”. Therefore, it is important to understand why performance-enhancing drugs are used, the consequences of their use, and then apply that knowledge to how they are represented in the media.

Many athletes are particularly trusting with regards to performance enhancers because many of them are eager to be the best in their respective sport. At the professional level, where athletes are expected to perform at high levels, many who are desperate to keep their jobs will do whatever they can to match the standard. In their book Death in the Locker Room, authors Bob Goldman, Patricia Bush, and Ronald Klatz discuss this immense pressure athletes feel to use PEDs. The authors explain how players often place this pressure on themselves because of an overwhelming desire to become famous, adored athletes.

Performance-enhancing substances have been a hot topic in professional sports for many years. Although most people have heard about them, they do not realize that they can be a major problem for adolescents. Steve Pasieb, the President and CEO of Partnership for Drug-Free Kids stated, “‘Young people are seeking out and using performance-enhancing substances like synthetic hGH- and supplements purporting to contain hGH- hoping to improve athletic performance or body appearance without really knowing what substances they are putting into their bodies (Feliz).”’ Adolescents using performance-enhancing drugs are likely to be harmed, due to the dangers that come with taking them. Taking PED’s can be a huge problem for teens. These drugs can affect

Along with increase in muscle growth performance enhancing drugs affect growth plates, the cardiovascular system, the liver, a person’s emotions, and can make the user dehydrated (Mangan). Growth plates allow the body to grow with age. PED’s harm these growth plates and can keep the body from growing if used before the user reached full maturity. PED’s also increase the chance high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack which could lead to death. PED’s reach the liver as well which filters impurities out of the body. PED’s can lead to a tumor forming on the liver. It also decreases the liver efficiency which can lead to a multitude of illnesses and medical issues. The effects PED’s on a person’s emotions stand as the most well known side-effect. Most commonly people would identify intense rage, anger, and violence as the effects on a person’s psyche. In the long term, however, PED’s can lead to depression, impaired judgement, and overall instability of one’s psyche (Mangan). Dehydration can lead to most of the other side-effects as it will play with a person’s mind, cause organs to shut down, make blood thicker and harder for a person’s heart to move, and if not treated will lead to death. All these side-effects should deter an athlete from using PED’s to only increase strength and endurance. PED’s ultimately will inflict more damage on the user than good and prove why these substances should stay out of

Anabolic steroid abuse has become a huge concern among high school athletes. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of athletes using performance enhancing drugs in high school, almost double the number since the 1980's. Student athletes feel that steroids give them a competitive edge that they think they need to boost themselves past competition. Athletes, whether they are young or old, professional or amateur, are always looking to gain an advantage over their opponents to come away with the biggest win, our society views winning as something more important than the game itself. Success in competition brings status, popularity and fame, not to mention college scholarships. Today's athletes are looking for an advantage over the competition that will make them winners. Unfortunately, today student athletes are getting caught up in this competition frenzy and because of this, teenage use of performance enhancing drugs is growing to be very popular. At all levels of play, from peewee wrestling to professional football. Successful athletes rely on skill, practice, and hard work to increase their speed, power, and ability. Today, high school and even middle school students are using steroids illegally. The United Institute of Health reported that 2.9% of twelve graders in high school have used anabolic steroids. These drugs may also have been called: roids, juice, gym candy, pumpers, stackers, balls or bulls, arnies, or anabolics. High School students of our

Famed writer Grantland Rice once wrote, “When the great scorer comes to mark against your name. He'll mark not won or lost but how you played the game” (World of quotes, 1). That buoyant attitude of selflessness and heart has slowly diminished throughout the course of time. Now, George Allen’s booming voice, former coach of the Washington Redskins, runs throughout head of America, “Only winners are truly alive. Winning is living. Every time you win, you’re reborn. When you lose, you die a little” (Harris, 67). It is with this frame of mind that athletes are pushed beyond the edge of reason. Although peer pressure and pressure from coaches are central reasons why one may use steroids, most users begin using in order to improve their self image or excel in sports. Ethics, integrity, and legality aside, some athletes will stop at nothing to attain “that extra edge”.

Do you know someone who is a student athlete? What would you think if he/she consumed illegal drugs? What would you do if you found out he/she died from drugs? Student athletes are not aware of the long-term consequences of consuming drugs in their life. Adults need to step up and approach student athletes about the danger of the impact it can have on their life. Many student athletes will consume drugs in their teenage years to improve their performance in the sports they play. Athletes are not educated well enough in high school about the harm that a drug can do to their body. While drug testing invades the athlete's personal life, every high school should drug test their student athletes before

Most children and teens have strive to be the best they can be and often look up at their inspiration, who they aspire to be. And while most teen athletes decide to reach their goal through hard work, time, and dedication, some decide to take a sort of “easy way” and turn to “performance enhancing drugs”.

Young people are not good at making decisions for themselves and don’t think of the consequences of the decisions they make. They are easily tempted and it can turn out to be deadly. The youth is now even tempted by performance enhancing drugs, which is one of the most worrying problems facing today's generation. In the article “Drugs in Sports: Temptation and Danger are Everywhere” the author, Mike Szostak, explains “the median age of new steroid users is 15.” This stat is very alarming and is raising questions about why this is happening and why these kids are being tempted. It started at the pro level when a few players started taking them, but then trickled down to young athletes, where many thousands have been tempted by these drugs. It shows how the youth is so easily tempted by performance enhancing drugs. These drugs can be used by adolescents to help become stronger and better at a sport, or they can be used to help kids fit in. Many young people feel self-conscious about their body image and try to find ways to fit in. These kids are very easily tempted by these drugs to try to find a way to fit in. In the article “ Performance-Enhancing Drugs and Teen Athletes” the author states “as many as 1 in 20 teenagers reports using steroids to increase muscle mass.” This shows how many kids are tempted by these drugs and how

Performance enhancing drug abuse is a growing problem in adolescents and athletes. According to the Partnership for Drug – Free Kids, more than five percent of teens use performance enhancing drugs, or steroids increase muscle. Performance enhancing drug abuse creates addiction, the mental tension and pressure that coaches and peers bring to inferior athletes this draws teens and athletes to engage in these products, further encouraging teens to partake in the use of performance enhancing drugs, with long-term and short-term use leading to insufferable effects, like kidney failure, depression and stunted growth.

A world track and field athlete and former basketball player, Marion Jones, stated, “I have never used performance enhancing drugs. I have never taken them and I will never take them.” Marion, however, is an anomaly. Many professional athletes often become so entangled in being the best and being on top, they often forget the reason why they fell in love with the sport they play. They become more involved in their personal success rather than the success of the team. Performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) have propelled the mindset of personal success over team success, and professional athletes have been lured into the trap of the “benefits” that PEDs offer. While many professional athletes cannot resist the benefits that performance enhancing drugs offer to amplify their skills, studies show these drugs