Drug Use in Sport

Llamar Odom is currently battling drugs and is affecting his career.

On November 5th, 2013 in my American Sport in the 21st Century class we discussed the topic of drug use in sports, specifically performance enhancing drugs. These drugs are becoming the biggest problem with modern-day sport. Athletes are finding ways to get around common drug tests all the time. This is affecting the image on the sports they play and the teams the athletes play for. As Coakley stated in the text on page 186, "Drug tests must be expanded to preserve the current meaning of sports and athletic achievements. According to a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), if doping and other technologies cannot be controlled, it will mark, the end of sport as we know it (Swift and Yaeger, 2001, p.91)" (Coakley, 2010, p.186). In class we discussed several reasons as to why these athletes are taking drugs.



Lance Armstrong who got his most recent Tour De France title taken away.

Physiological Reasons

1. Increase oxygen transport

2. Lose weight, train harder

3. To build muscle, increase energy

4. Mask injury and reduce tiredness

 

Psychological Reasons

1. To increase motivation

2. To steady nerves

3. To increase aggression

 

Social Reasons

1. They are prepared to win at all costs

2. Belief that everyone else is doing it

3. Pressure to win from coaches, peers and the media

4. By winning they can earn big money

5. Fear of not winning(failure)

 

All of these factors still are not reasonable to justify taking drugs. I just find it hard to believe athletes would be so encouraged to take these drugs, and as we discussed in class such as the example we talked about with the survey from the Olympics. Most of the athletes said if they would not get caught that they would take performance enhancing drugs. Is winning that important? Wouldn't they feel guilty if they won by cheating? Apparently they are not morally thinking their actions thoroughly. In class we also discussed the reasons why athletes should not take drugs.

 

Moral Reasons

1. Gives an unfair advantage

2. Undermines the true spirit of sport

3. Reflects badly on others

 

Legal Reasons

1. Against U.S. law

2. Against laws of sports

 

Role Modeling

1. Sets a bad example to others especially young

 people who copy their heroes and put their lives at risk

2. Gives sport a bad image and lowers its status 

 

 

On August 12th , 2013 Jon Hamilton wrote this article called, New Muscle Drugs Could Be The Next Big Thing In Sports Doping. This new drug found could very well be the next ground breaking performance enhancing drug professional athletes turn to. Since the restrictions and testing are becoming more and more in-depth and more athletes are getting caught, they need to turn to something new. Most recently the big deal was the HGH (Human Growth Hormone). The article goes on to talk about this new drug, myostatin inhibitors. They talked with a bodybuilder and physician from Greenwich, Conn., who is familiar with myostatin inhibitors. Typically these are given to people with what they call "muscle wasting" diseases like cancer, kidney disease and muscular dystrophy. These drugs are being tested on people with these medical problems in order to block myostatin which usually the body makes to ensure muscles don't get too big. Inhibitors will cancel out the myostatin, allowing muscles to grow at more rapid rates. These can become dangerous for sport with the already existing drug problems, as this will just make the issue worse.

For more information follow this link to the full article: Performance Enhancing Drugs