The cause and effects of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) on athletes According to Drug Free Sport, a performance enhancing drug is any substance taken by athletes to improve performance (2013). There a few substances used to improve performance, including human growth hormone (hGH), stimulants and diuretics. The most common and popular substance used for improved performance by athletes is anabolic steroids. Many professional and amateur athletes use performance enhancing drugs to unethically boost their performance without considering the detrimental effects on their body. Lincoln Allison, DLitt stated, “The estimate of a former professional is that at least 30% of US major-league football players are taking steroids; most people say that the figure is much higher.” In other words, athletes are willing to exchange a long healthy life for a short successful career. …show more content…
Athletes are tempted to use performance enhancement drugs to heighten their abilities in the performance of their sport. Which often consists of illegal or unethical use of these substances. Some reasons for the justification of their actions is to attain lucrative contracts, fame, and fortune. “It is the seduction of the quick fix—an immediacy to attain success—that drives so many people,” (Annie Hiyashi). Sometimes, it is the fear of losing it all that drives them to experiment with PED’s, not thinking that if caught, it will tarnish their reputation and will lose fame and
The name “performance enhancing drug” is a name that categorizes a long list of drugs and treatments, but only a few can add an impactful boost on an athlete’s abilities. Many of these drugs promote or increase the production of cells within the body, taking them to levels beyond what could actually be produced. Anabolic steroids and human growth hormone are the primary PEDs used in the sports world because of the positive effects they are known to produce. Anabolic steroids help the body 's muscle cells produce more protein, which increase muscle strength, and more ATP, which is the fuel muscles need and use. Human growth hormone is something already produced inside the body which promotes
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.
Performance-enhancing drugs (PED 's) have been an issue for many decades now for the medical and sports field. Olympic and professional athletes have been using them to gain an upper hand on the competition, but some may ask if it 's really worth it? Studies show that performance-enhancing drugs have been proven to negatively affect the health of athletes who take them. Simply put, performance-enhancing drugs could either improve athletic performance or can be extremely dangerous, in certain situations, deadly. There have been strict rules and drug testing in the professional sporting organizations, as well as in world competitions. For example, in the summer of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, in two of the
Athletes use performance enhancing drugs to boost their game. The professionals who use these drugs are ruining the integrity of the game. Many people don’t understand why professional athletes would go to such extreme measures to be better when they have already proven themselves. Athletes are just taking away from their natural ability by using these dangerous drugs. The risk of using performance enhancing drugs is a lot greater than the reward, because an athlete’s reputation could be tarnished and their career ruined. Money is one of the major reasons why players use them; if they perform at levels higher than what their natural abilities could do they will be offered a large sum of money.
The benefits of using some types of performance-enhancing drugs are obvious. Professional athletes have a very 'short shelf life' as competitors in most sports and must cash in on their talents as soon as possible. For Olympic athletes, the
These days it seems as society is constantly being faced with Ethical Dilemmas. Whether it is normal everyday citizens, actors, business executives, and even athletes. The way that every person deal with ethical dilemmas is by relying on their worldview. The world of professional sports is a very tough and competitive place. It is full of top level athletes that are masters in their respective sports and the struggle that they all face is to be better than everyone else. With all these athletes working hard and looking for new ways to better themselves, some take the easy way over the right way. In this paper, the ethical dilemma of performance enhancing drugs being used in sports will be addressed
From the beginning of history, professional and amateur athletes have tempted to use legal or illegal drugs to enhance their performance (1). Athletes have used pharmacological agents, called Performance-enhancing drugs(PEDs), to enhance performance or to become leaner or more muscular (2). In sports, administration of drugs that are forbidden by international world anti-doping agency (WADA) is referred as doping (3). Anabolic androgenic agents (AASs) are the most popular agents that are abused by the athletes, especially bodybuilding athletes. Besides these agents, other classes of drugs such as stimulants and peptide hormones (growth hormone and insulin) are new PEDs that are abused by a lot of athletes in the different sports (1). Other than these compounds, athletes often use dietary supplements like creatine, protein, and vitamins to enhance strength and increase body mass (4-6).
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
As the use of performance enhancing drugs is becoming more popular amongst athletes, many of them do not understand the risks involved in taking these drugs. Many people are looking for a quick way to build muscles, or to get stronger the fastest way possible. Using these performance aids may very well be a quick fix for many athletes, but taking the drugs is unethical and dangerous. Using special drugs to boost an athlete’s performance is degrading to sports and to the athlete, but after they stop using the drugs and lose some strength, you become
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.
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”.
Performance enhancing drugs, or steroids, are defined as substances used to improve physical performance. There are many types of steroidal performance enhancers. The first of these performance enhancing drugs are anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids are also known as androgen steroids, and they are used to increase the muscle mass and strength of a person. A natural anabolic steroid is testosterone, which your body naturally produces. Some athletes take straight testosterone which is another way to boost your athletic performance. This has the same effect as anabolic steroids, but it is natural and can be found within the body. Anabolic steroids are so effective and appealing to athletes, because they allow athletes to recover faster from a
Professional athletes are competitive by nature and will do what it takes to win. Sports have been used as not only entertainment but a way for a person to show off their athletic ability. Due to uncontrollable factors people may find it harder to compete or surpass other’s performance. Even with training people’s bodies respond different to physical stimulation. Professional baseball is an extremely competitive sport with hand-eye coordination and strength being key factors. When the difference between playing in the majors or minors, keeping up with younger players as you age or to be the best players turn to performance enhancing drugs. Performance enhancing drugs come in many different forms but the most common are anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and other agents that mimic anabolic results. These performance enhancing drugs, with addition to hard work do in fact increase strength in the user. These methods of performance enhancement also include many other substances used to gain an edge on the competition. All of these are considered cheating because of the fact a person gains an unfair advantage over other players. The use of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs has changed what once was a game played for enjoyment into a drug fueled search for the largest salary.
This is a material world promoting material values, thus meaning that it should not be surprising to see individuals being willing to do everything in their power in order to make profits. Or should it? The sports community today is troubled by a series of athletes who have yielded to society's pressures and abandoned their principles with the purpose of taking performance enhancing drugs. It is difficult to determine if it would be normal for the masses to judge these individuals, concerning that they are actually one of the reasons for which these people have come to consider taking performance enhancing drugs in the first place. However, the only ones who can judge them are other hard-working sportspersons who have stood by their principles and who respect the idea of sport in general.