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Sports: The Use Of Performance Enhancing Drugs In Sports

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To start this highly controversial topic I would like to start with the basics. The definition of Performance-enhancing drugs. “Performance-enhancing substances, also known as performance-enhancing drugs(PEDs), are substances that are used to improve any form of activity performance in humans. A well-known example involves doping in sports were banned physical performance–enhancing drugs are used by athletes and bodybuilders.” (Wikimedia foundation) If the PEDs are used in sports by athletes and bodybuilders alike. When did this all start? According to Larry D. Bowers they are as ancient as the sports in which they are used. "The use of drugs to enhance performance in sports has certainly occurred since the time of the original Olympic Games [from 776 to …show more content…

This was the major sting to the world of athletics. Not only to baseball but the US as a whole. The well known Clemens was a MVP and a CY Young award winner practically destined for the hall of fame. Soon after famous athletes like Barry Bonds and Lance Armstrong were also accused of using PEDs. The strict enforcement is backed up by the risky side effects to doping. The side effects include fever, reduced platelet counts, hypertension, vasoconstriction, gastrointestinal irritability, impaired oxygen delivery to tissues, kidney damage and iron overload. (Technische Universität München) Not only do these drugs pose threats to the athletes health but they help the athletes win, and sometimes athletes would do anything to win, for the money or the fame. Like the antics of a crack cocaine addict searching for a high, these athletes want the high of fame and fortune. This is very dangerous because after a while an addict will go too far with drugs and overdose causing death. Unlike crack cocaine the drug is not addictive but the fame and fortune is. re these drugs worth the risk? Can there be separate leagues for athletic competition - one that allows PEDs and one that does not?

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