...Sports and Performance Enhancing Drugs John Alvarez Student #0588681 Essay 2 April 1, 2015 PHI – 010 Professor Andrea Yusim Words: 1,519 In a country that is obsessed with winning and competition, athletes, teams and even fans have tried to gain an advantage against their competition. As athletes become bigger, stronger and faster, the margin and window of opportunity to become the best athlete in their respective sports is surely becoming smaller and smaller. Many people will argue that performance enhancing drugs will help in promoting player health and recovery and that sports in general will benefit overall. In this paper, I will argue that the argument in favor of performance enhancement drug use is not valid because performance enhancing drugs are unethical, create unfair competitive advantages and do not promote the very essence of the value of sports which is hard work and team work. Team and individual sports in the United States is a very important part of culture. Athletes are revered for their prowess and mastery of their respective sports and are at times treated as demi-gods. Individual teams and entire leagues depend on these very athletes to compete at the highest level and with the utmost sense of integrity in order to show that their leagues are played ethically. So not only are athletes expected to be at their very best, they are also expected to do so without compromising the integrity of the sport such as cheating by using PEDs. In the article...
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...The Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs In Sports Axia College of University of Phoenix The use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in sports The use of Performance Enhancing Drugs or PED’s in sports today has become an ongoing battle. From the media to athletes, to the doctor who prescribe the drugs to now involving the Federal Government, the issue of whether or not it is cheating has played a major roll in today’s sports. Baseball players, Football players, Swimmers, Track and Field runners, Olympians, Professional Weight Lifters, Cyclists, and the list goes on and on have all been in some way or another connected to steroids. Once thought to be a problem strictly associated with body builders, fitness "buffs," and professional athletes, the abuse of steroids is prevalent in today’s society. Athletes of all ages are starting to turn toward the use of these drugs in hopes to improve their performance and give athletes that edge to win as well as improving their appearance. This is not only wrong but it is cheating, and these drugs can cause serious health problems in athletes later on down the line. Performance Enhancing drugs have been around for hundreds of years. Anabolic-androgenic steroids or AAS were 1st discovered in the early 1930s as a therapeutic drug to treat growth hormone replacement in deficient children, menopausal symptoms, impotence, and the retardation of the effects of aging by stimulating the rate of synthesis of protein molecules (The use of performance...
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...OUTLINE RESEARCH PAPER Can Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) actually be positive and beneficial for Major League Baseball? “As the likes of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez saw their usage exposed, the sport fought back with tougher drug testing and after the 2005 season produced a program punitive enough to minimize the game's doping culture.” (Braun's test result gives MLB major jolt; With MVP under cloud, steroid era is revisited Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY), "Probably the biggest sentence to which he was subjected is the impact on whether he'll be a lock for the Hall of Fame and the stigma that is now attached to his name and his records."(Barry Bonds is sentenced in enduring BALCO saga; No end in sight to BALCO's reach by: Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY). Quotes like these could have been seen all over newspapers and magazines all throughout the past decade. Yes, these athletes did use Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED), but a debate has raged on about just how right are we to scrutinize them for those actions and just how inappropriate their actions were? With baseball professionals on both sides arguing how much of an impact they really had on the game. More so, I'd like to ask the question of whether what they had done was actually in a way good for baseball, and whether Performance Enhancing Drugs should even be banned from baseball? Which, I believe they shouldn’t be for numerous reasons. In order to understand just how...
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...The main comment people think about when they hear athletes using performance enhancement drugs and why it should be illegal are the health risks. What is a performance enhancing substance? “A substance or method is considered to be performance-enhancing when it has the potential to enhance or enhances sport performance” “It also represents an actual or potential health risk to an athlete”(Performance-Enhancing Drugs and Their Side-Effects.) There are physical and mental effects of taking the drugs. “The physical effects could be acne, male pattern baldness, liver damage and stunted growth if you’re still an adolescent”( Effects of Performance-Enhancing Drugs | USADA). “More serious effects include heart and liver damage, and an increased risk...
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...Drug use has reached an all-time high in the sports arena. The need to succeed, be among the elite, financial gain, and the pressure to win are some of the many reasons that drugs are found in sports today. Drugs in sports range from therapeutic drugs, performance enhancement drugs, and recreational drugs. Drugs in sports are found on various levels of competition such as: high school, college, and professional sports. High school athletes' are using enhancement drugs so that they may receive a college scholarship, collegiate athletes' are using drugs so that they make it to the professional level, and professional athletes' are using drugs to make sure that they stay among the elite. Drug use in athletics have led to suspensions of players, athletes being banned from that particular sport, and ultimately death. There are many reasons for using drugs in sports, with performance enhancement being one of the top reasons, but no one will ever understand why athletes risk their career and lives. A concern for the public is the fact that athletes assume these risks just to be among the top competitors of sports. Drugs are a danger to the health of athletes. Drug use to enhance performance is unethical, and using drugs is illegal in today's society. Drugs in sports is unethical because the focus of winning and succeeding overshadows the real reasons for playing sports such as the love for a sport, natural talent and ability, and hard work to be among the elite. Athletes are thinking...
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...use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport be legalized? By: Evan ENG2D1-02 Performance-enhancing drugs (PED‘s) have become a major issue in today’s sports world. Some people may think that PED’s in sport should be legalized because of the fact that they improve the level of sport and that the harm is worth the fame and glory. The negative factors of legalizing PED’s in sport outweigh the positive factors. Performance-enhancing drugs should not be legalized in sport because they take away from the true origin of sport, taking them can lead to life-threatening health issues, and the athletes who are taking them are setting a bad example for the youth who are the future of sport. Sports were originally designed to test ones ability and talent in a certain area. With the introduction of performance-enhancing drugs in 1936, the true origin of sport has been taken over by men and women who insist on being bigger and stronger than their competitors. Athlete’s who use PED’s are making it unfair to the athletes who work hard, train and push themselves to be the best. With the increasing number of athletes who are taking these drugs, it will start to put pressure on the athletes who are not, making them want to take them. Not to mention taking performance-enhancing drugs is cheating. It is an alternative to working hard and training. The athletes that are abusing PED’s are not playing sports for the competitiveness, health benefits or for the fun of sport, they are...
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...Should performance enhancing drugs be accepted in sports? Sports are a big part of many people’s lives. Whether they are playing basketball, football, baseball, or other sports, people want to perform the best they can to help their team win. Many athletes exercise and lift weight to achieve their goals, while others rely on special diet plans to be stronger and healthier. But, one of the most controversial ways of increasing athletic ability is by taking performance enhancing drugs. Performance enhancing drugs can become a big part of athletes’ lives and have the potential of becoming very addictive, because players may see a major change in their performance. Athletes like Lance Armstrong, Wes Welker, and Alex Rodriguez have all used some form of performance enhancing drug. While it may seem like a good route for some major athletes, they end up losing some respect and their right to play and compete. So a major issue that sports authorities are facing now is whether...
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...Doping in sports is a serious matter and should not be used for any sport for numerous reasons. These types of drugs come with serious health risks. First, there are many dangers to the body from steroids. Second, it is just unfair to other players and athletes. Thirdly it could possibly cause a crash in an athlete’s career if getting caught. Steroids and other performance enhancing drugs, PED’s, are very harmful to the body. It is not worth the risk of permanent damage to the body and organs. Most PED’s contain hormones which will cause extreme behavioral changes. People who take PED’s act more aggressively, are more likely to sexually harass somebody, and are generally more violent. So just from taking these drugs the users are effecting their and people that they are with lives outside of sports. The use of any PED is unfair to other players because they are not competing against a person its, the drug. It takes out the spirit of competition. A player that has been on a steroid has an unfair advantage due to the power gained from the drug and not the body. It is basically a form of cheating. PED use can cause a crash in an athlete’s career if they are caught using the drug, because if it gets on the news it would give him/her a bad reputation, the drug will cause the downfall of the athletes career and possibly get the player kicked off the team, it’s a shocking matter for the fans to find out and also winning without relying on drugs is a real accomplishment to a player...
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...How are performance enhancing drugs (PEDS) affecting the future of sports? Although many PEDS are banned by the USADA, there is a reason why some should be allowed. The war between sports and drugs has been going on for a long time and is affecting all sports. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), is the national anti-doping organization (NADO) for Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, and Parapan American sports in the United States. They try to preserve the integrity of competition , inspire true sport, and protect the rights of athletes. Drugs not allowed by the USADA include erythropoietin, anabolic steroids, stimulants, human growth hormone, and diuretics. The USADA collects urine and blood samples to test for drugs. They inform athletes of the results of their drug tests and also manage any potential anti-doping rule violations....
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...“An alarming number of sports—baseball, football, track and field, and especially cycling—have been shaken by doping scandals in recent years,” reports Scientific American (Schermer, 2008). The performance enhancing drugs are becoming needed good for some athletes in order to succeed. There is a tremendous clash of ideas, what path we should take in according to these types of drugs. The million-dollar question is to legalize them or not. In “Good sport, bad sport” published in The Age, Julian Savalescu and Bennett Foddy (2004) argue that the use of performance enhancing drugs should be legalized in sports because it is not “against the spirit of sport.” First of all, the authors introduce the issue of using drugs in sports as something that has been around for a long period of time, even in the Ancient Olympics. Savalescu and Foddy then explain that the elimination of drug use in sports is failing. They say the athletes’ desire to win is a lot of times stronger than staying clean. In addition, Savalescu and Foddy argue that performance enhancing drugs do not doubt the spirit of sport. In their view, making human biology more effective symbolizes the human spirit. They say that sports are about striving to be better, and drugs allow athletes to do that. Savalescu and Foddy also claim that sports today are aimed against people without genetic predispositions to be the best, and so taking drugs would equalize people with different genetic predispositions. In their opinion, the...
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...environment, the use of performance-enhancing drugs has become increasingly common. But using performance-enhancing drugs — aka, doping — isn't without risks. Take the time to learn about the potential benefits, the health risks and the many unknowns regarding so-called performance-enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids, androstenedione, human growth hormone, erythropoietin, diuretics, creatine and stimulants. You may decide that the benefits aren't worth the risks. What is a drug? | A drug is a chemical substance that, when absorbed into the body, can alter normal bodily function. Many drugs have been banned in sport if they are deemed to provide an unfair advantage, pose a health risk, or are seen to violate the ‘spirit of sport’. The use of banned drugs by athletes is referred to as ‘doping’. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), and more recently, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have been leading the way in the battle against drugs in sport. | Why do some athletes use drugs? | Most athletes take drugs to enhance their physical performance in an attempt to prevent them falling behind other competitors, even if it does mean damaging their health and risking their sports careers. Other athletes may use drugs to help them wind down and relax, to cope with the pressures and stress associated with a constant battle to win all the time, to boost their own self-esteem and confidence, to mask the pain of certain sports injuries, to control and...
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...1. Introduction As the Olympics and other sports events have raised people’s interest, the doping problem in sports has aroused wide attention of the international community. There is an increasing number of unregulated doping events detected in some important international sports events. Most people think performance enhancing drugs should not be allowed in sports; however, actually, doping should be advocated on the basis of safety. In this essay, the reason why athletes dope and why society disapproves of this phenomenon will be explained. Then the situation of the inevitability of doping will be discussed. Finally, the reason why doping should be allowed will be illustrated. 2. Reason of doping and disapproval of society Doping in sports is regarded to be against the rules and the athletes who doping in their competitions are considered that they are cheating. Although there is public opinion in society, some athletes still would like to take risks in doping. Why do athletes determine to dope in sports regardless of all consequences? And why do the society so oppose this phenomenon? 2.1 Reason of doping Athletes, especially elite athletes, desire great perfomance in competition and honor of win. Moreover, once they win the championship, they start to attach to maintain the title and break the record. These benefits and glory make the idea of doping grow in some athletes’ heart. Recently, the whole world was shocked by the news that the most famous cycling champion...
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...1.2.1. Formal Institutions9 1.2.2. Informal institution – the doping market112 1.3. Governance14 1.4. Resource Allocation and Employment16 2. Decision-making process16 2.1. Prize money and Doping17 2.2. Health and Doping22 2.3. Size of Punishment and Probability of Detection 23 2.3.1. Doping game: introduction26 2.3.2. Theoretical example using real numbers 30 2.4. Number of participants and Doping 34 2.5. Conclusion 37 3. Policy advices38 3.1. Efficiency Comparison 38 3.2. Application of Criminal Law 41 Conclusion42 Bibliography44 Appendix A: Interview with Filippo Simeoni49 Appendix B: Interview with Axel Dekker55 Abstract Sports victories are often strived to at the cost of sportsmen’s integrity, reputation, health, security, or even life. The tendency to use performance-enhancing drugs is shaped by factors characterizing the institutional framework. In particular, the prize money, health costs, severity and frequency of punishment, and number of participants are expected to play a crucial role in the decision making process of an athlete concerning doping, therefore their significance will be shown empirically. This will lead to the designing of the policy necessary to create a level playing field in professional cycling. Turns out that a mix of increased controls, review of the list of prohibited substances, and application of criminal law in doping...
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...Why Performance Enhancing Drugs Should Not Be Allowed In Electronic Sports Imagine young adults having high blood pressure or even heart attacks just because they used Adderall to enhance their performance in Electronic Sports (or eSports) competitions. I believe that Performance Enhancing Drugs, or PEDs, have no place in eSports. One of the two main groups of people involved in this issue is the Electronic Sports League (or ESL). The ESL is the company that organizes and oversees eSports teams and competitions, much like the NFL oversees football, and they are against the use of PEDs. Also involved in this issue, are the dopers who use drugs like Adderall, originally a medication for ADHD, to enhance their focus and reflexes in competitions. I believe that PEDs should be forbidden in eSports competitions because they give dopers an unfair advantage, leading to winning prize money they did not actually earn themselves. More importantly, PEDs have dangerous side effects that can be serious. My first reason for supporting the ESL’s Performance Enhancing Drug (or PED) policy is that it prevents players from having an unfair advantage. Evidence that supports my claim is “Esports athletes”...”want to increase reflexes and improve concentration; so, they experiment with behavior modification drugs, like Ritalin and Adderall.”...
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...Ethical issues regarding the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports In the history of 20th century sports, specifically in the post World War 2 era, there has been an ever increasing use of performance enhancing drugs in all avenues of sport. Sports have become money making machine for both athletes and big business and the “win at all costs” attitude which has permeated itself into all aspects of professional and college level athletics. Winners make money, losers don’t. The temptation of fame, notoriety and million dollar contracts in all venues of sport is a lure for many athletes. Elite professional athletes are worshiped in today’s society. This paper will elaborate on the use of performance enhancing drugs in the sporting world and the associated sports ethical issues. It is a majority belief in all sporting circles that the “true” spirit of sportsmanship does not allow any aspect of performance enhancing drugs. There are several arguments both in favor and against the use of performance enhancing drugs which will be presented and discussed in this paper. While addressing this ethical issue, we need to define the term ethics. Ethics can be defined as the socially accepted norms and values. These norms and values are varied from society to society and are based on culture and tradition. Ethics also could be defined as the unsaid, un-written and understood laws that prevail in a society. Ethics also cover what is right and what is wrong in society and teaches...
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