Persuasive Essay On Drugs In Sports

In the world, there are a ton of drugs being produced daily and at a faster rate than ever before. These drugs used to be hard to access but now all one must do is go on the internet and can have them shipped to them within two days. Some of these drugs are from different countries so the individual cannot read the ingredients or warning labels which are a major risk take. One can be consuming a substance that can potentially kill them and if he or she is an athlete, can get them banned from competition if the drug is found to be illegal. Although, there are still some flaws in catching athletes who use banned substances; the constant advancement of technology is what has helped researches detect the bad from the good in these new drugs. Many

One being Clenbuterol; an illegal substance that is “a long-lasting bronchodilator (widen air passage by relaxing bronchial smooth muscles) that is prescribed for human use outside of the U.S. it is abused by bodybuilders and athletes for its ability to increase lean muscle mass and reduce body fat” (drug enforcement administration). Although most athletes use this substance it most commonly found to be consumed by females. The author states, “Clenbuterol is typically abused by athletes. This to be more popular among female athletes as the repartitioning effects are not associated with the typical androgenic side effects (i.e., facial hair, deepening of the voice, and thickening of the skin) of anabolic steroids. Professional athletes in several different sports have tested positive for clenbuterol” (drug enforcement administration). Clenbuterol is only approved to be used on horses by the FDA. It is used to increase livestock of meat. Meat is a high commodity in our society and by injecting this substance it allows them to grow at a faster rate and in them growing bigger it insures more meat to be produced. There is one athlete who has been known to test positive for clenbuterol. The author writes, “Three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador may be the most famous athlete to claim his positive clen test was due to eating meat from an animal treated with clenbuterol” (Quinn). I think if there is no evidence to prove if the athlete got the clenbuterol from meat then there should be no excuse to why he is still able to compete. If that is all one must do to get out of being banned, then it shows other athletes how to go against the rules. However, the substance can be detected through certain test so athletes are not totally in the clear to take clenbuterol. The clenbuterol is passed through the body into the urine so it