3.9 - Effects of Performance-enhancing Drugs
What are performance-enhancing drugs?
Performance-enhancing drugs are substances that athletes sometimes take to boost their abilities in sport. These drugs can help improve athletic performance but can cause serious health problems. Athletes might choose to use these drugs to improve their performance and be more successful in their sport. However, performance-enhancing drugs are usually banned in sports and have nasty side effects. Some athletes break the rules by taking banned substances despite risks to their health and reputation.
Health risks of performance-enhancing drugs
Taking performance-enhancing drugs can lead to severe health issues, even if they provide short-term benefits. These substances interfere with the body's normal functions, often causing long-term damage.
Key risks associated with performance-enhancing drugs
- Physical health problems - Many drugs increase the chance of conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, or organ damage.
- Mental health effects - Some can make users more aggressive or lead to addiction, with difficult withdrawal symptoms.
- Other consequences - Risks include infertility, cancer, or abnormal physical changes, depending on the drug.
These risks highlight why sports ban such substances - they are not only unfair but also dangerous.
Types of performance-enhancing drugs
There are several categories of performance-enhancing drugs, each working in different ways to affect the body. Understanding how they function helps explain both their appeal to athletes and the reasons they are prohibited.
| Type of drug | How it works and performance effects | Side effects |
|---|---|---|
| Beta blockers | These drugs control and lower the heart rate, which helps steady shaking hands and provides a calming, relaxing effect. | Nausea, low blood pressure, muscle cramps, and potentially heart failure. |
| Anabolic steroids | These mimic the male sex hormone testosterone. They promote bone and muscle growth, helping athletes get bigger and stronger. They can also increase aggression. | High blood pressure, heart disease, infertility, cancer; in women, growth of facial and body hair, and a deeper voice. |
| Diuretics | These increase urination, leading to quick weight loss, which is key in sports with weight categories, like boxing. They can also hide traces of other drugs in tests. | Muscle cramps and dehydration. |
| Stimulants | These affect the central nervous system. They boost mental and physical alertness, helping with focus and energy. | High blood pressure, heart and liver problems, strokes; they are also addictive. |
| Narcotic analgesics | These act as painkillers, reducing the impact of injuries or fatigue so athletes can keep performing. | Addiction with unpleasant withdrawal symptoms; risk of overtraining due to ignoring pain; constipation and low blood pressure. |
| Peptide hormones | These trigger the body to produce other hormones. For example, EPO (erythropoietin) increases red blood cell production, while GH (growth hormone) builds more muscle. | Strokes, heart problems; GH can cause abnormal growth and diabetes. |
Each type targets specific aspects of performance, but the side effects often outweigh the benefits, leading to long-term harm.
Blood doping as a performance-enhancing method
Blood doping is a technique used to boost athletic performance by increasing the number of red blood cells in the bloodstream. This improves oxygen supply to muscles, giving athletes an unfair advantage.
Methods of blood doping
- Injection of red blood cells - An athlete can be injected with red blood cells.
- Use of EPO - Athletes can take EPO to increase their red blood cell count.
Side effects of blood doping
- Allergic reactions
- Kidney damage
- Blocked capillaries
- Risk of viruses, such as HIV, if using donor blood
Blood doping is banned in sports due to these health risks and its role in creating inequality among competitors.
Performance-enhancing drugs and deviance in sport
Using performance-enhancing drugs is a form of deviance, which means behaviour that breaks the accepted rules or norms in sport.