The use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) among athletes in professional sports has caused an outrage all around the world for many years.
The use of PEDs not only affects the athlete that chooses to use them, but also the athletes they are competing against, other teams, and the team or country they are representing (“Survey Reveals”). It is important for athletes to maintain a good reputation in competition, because they need to represent their team in a positive manner and not create suspicion or problems surrounding the athlete and the team. Using PEDs will cause negative issues and poor reputations for the affected team. For instance, Austrian skier Johannes Duerr admitted to using EPO and was eliminated from competition. Duerr said, “This is the worst thing I’ve done in my life” (Dunbar). President of the Austrian Olympic Committee, Karl Stoss said that the Austrian team tried to distance itself from Duerr. Getting caught for PED use will hurt the reputation of the athletes and their teams. The use of PEDs also has long term physical effects. These include: acne and increased body hair, and even more serious effects including tumors and cancer in the liver, increased cholesterol levels and — in some men — shrunken testicles (Jost).
Athletes and coaches all around the world sometimes turn to PEDs to gain a competitive edge and improve overall athletic performance (Survey Reveals). They feel that using a substance will give them more energy and drive and, overall, be able to perform better in competition. However, the use of PEDs in competition is considered to be cheating and poor sportsmanship. For example, if a track athlete competed against an athlete that was under the influence of a performance enhancing drug, ...
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...on drug use in competition, and with the use of these possible solutions, hopefully in the future; doping will no longer be a major issue in professional sports.
Works Cited
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Jost, Kenneth. "Performance-Enhancing Drugs: An Overview." Performance Enhancing Drugs. Ed. Louise Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. At Issue. Rpt. from "Sports and Drugs." CQ Researcher 14 (23 July 2004): 616-622. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.
Sortino, David. "The Dangers of Peds for Young Athletes." Press Democrat (Santa Rosa), 18 Aug. 2013: B9. eLibrary. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Throughout history humans created sporting events to properly measure the talents and effort put forth by our greatest athletes. Unfortunately a recent trend has been a spark for concern within the professional sporting world which can will only lead to more controversy. This trend is the use and attractiveness of performance enhancing drugs, otherwise known as PEDs. PEDs, while just an enhancement to natural talents, is an unwarranted unnatural agent that is eroding the cohesion within the professional sporting world. These athletes who are using PEDs are doing tremendous damage to their ethical and moral integrity, as well as, the sports integrity, at which they are in. They are creating monstrous persona’s which mirrors the actions of Dr. Jekyll form the novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The athlete’s means of becoming the greatest of all time, to reach new heights in their career, or simply to gain a competitive edge, is not justifiable in almost any
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SCHMIDT, Michael. "Baseball to Expand Drug-Testing Program." NyTimes.com. The New York Times, 10 Jan. 2013. Web. 17 Dec. 2013.
The role of PEDs (performance enhancing drugs) in world of sports has been the center of much controversy and debate dating back to the beginning of the Olympics, that has captured a considerable amount of attention within the past century. The revelation of PED use by star athletes has been a repeating occurrence in the world of professional sports. These allegations quickly turn legacies into scandals, for what one person once stood for throughout their career is now quickly overshadowed by the insert of a needle. The question then is, what if they were made legal? what would the reaction be and how would it change each respective league if PEDs were now allowed on the playing field? The use of these supplements has found its place in sports in a very timely and real matter, with many in opposition towards the use because of the growing concerns surrounding them, health and morally. In a closer examination of the purpose of professional sports, it is clear that the use of PEDs only bolster its purpose: allowing professional athletes to push to reach the peak of human perfection resulting in increased performance and success in sports from an entertainment perspective.
The use of performance enhancing supplements has long played a role in athletics, especially after the utilization of drug testing was introduced during the 1972 Olympics.
Mohun, Janet and Aziz Khan. Drugs, Steroids, and Sports. New York, NY: F. Watts, 2008.
Mitten, Matthew J. "Is Drug Testing of Athletes Necessary?" USA Today. Vol. 134. 2005. 60-62. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
Scott, Michael. “The Use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports.” The Use of performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports. San Joaquin Delta College, 2008. Web. 19 June 2013.
Many Athletes are willing to do whatever it takes to become a professional. One of the easiest ways to enhance natural ability is through performance-enhancing drugs or, PEDs. PEDs are substances used by athletes to increase their performance. The use of PEDs in athletic competition can date back to ancient Greece. Athletes use PEDs to run faster, jump higher and recover at an increased pace. Many athletes are pressured into using PEDs by coaches or managers and are not thoroughly educated the harmful health issues that can come along with taking performance-enhancing drugs. A rising issue is if performance-enhancing drugs should be allowed in professional sports. I believe that in any professional sport, the use of performance-enhancing drugs by athletes should continue to be banned because this rule will help to keep athletes from abusing these harmful drugs.
..., Kjetil K. "Why We Shouldn’t Allow Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sport." Academia.edu. Academia.edu, 1 Apr. 2011. Web. 06 Jan. 2014. .
...thlete under twenty-four hour surveillance is neither feasible nor lawful. Only when there are more accurate tests can the enforcement of drug rules and regulations be possible. As more sophisticated tests come to market, fewer drugs will escape detection. With the limited ability of current techniques to catch athletes red-handed, pressure must be put on the athletic community to reject doping. Until the athletic community refuses doping as a means to an end, little can be done to stop it from happening.
“Athletes are in a position to make a decision about what behavior is in their best interest; weigh the risks and benefits according to their own values.” Lewis Kurlontzick, a professor from the University of Connecticut, School of Law, makes this statement when asked how he feels about athletes doping. However as time passes, the level of competitiveness in sport have made athletes feel like they are in an environment where they are forced to take drugs in order for them to compete. The athletes’ main concern or goal when taking perform...
Overall it is clear that the need to use performance enhancing drugs is outweighed by the consequences and issues caused by performance enhancing drugs. Sporting events such as the world cup, the Olympics or the World Series make young children feel inspired and encouraged about what they could achieve through dedication and hard work. I feel it is important for the sporting industry as well as the athletes to return respectability to the sport. By