Performance Enhancing Drugs: Healthy or Hazardous?
Performance-enhancing drugs are defined as any substance ingested to improve performance. The use of this term is often associated with steroids used in sports by professional athletes, although the use of these drugs for personal benefits is on the rise. Many athletes are using performance-enhancing drugs to improve athletic performance, improve endurance and bodybuilding, and increase muscle and overall body mass. While taking these supplements likely seems only beneficial, the aftermath of these drugs could be risky. Are performance-enhancing drugs really as harmful as everyone makes them out to be? A majority of the writings on the use of these drugs have a focus on anecdotal evidence, …show more content…
The use of these drugs by professional and elite athletes has caused a widespread controversy in sports organizations and athletes are receiving more scrutiny regarding these drugs than ever before. Whether they diet, use different training methods, utilize new technologies, performance enhancing drugs, or sport supplements, athletes are always looking for different ways to gain an advantage against opponents. The problems regarding these performance enhancers are much larger than just athletes failing drug tests. The reason being, not everyone knows what exactly a performance-enhancing drug is. We have to take a look at what is and what isn’t a performance enhancing substance as well as the legitimacy of the health risks involved with these drugs when they are taken as …show more content…
This would eliminate a majority of the cheating as well as maximize revenue. Due to increased performances, leagues would be putting a better product on the field, resulting in fans buying more tickets. In turn, this creates a greater profit for owners which leads to larger salaries for the players. Players, owners, and fans all get exactly what they want. Sports administrators have to stand up for themselves and make a case for regulated drug use. “Of the 21,849 drug tests conducted at the Summer Olympics from 1968-2008, there were 105 cases (0.49%) of doping violations. There have been 22 positive results (0.28%) from 7,783 tests conducted at the Winter Olympics between 1968 and 2010” (Doping Cases 2015). Think about the amount of money that could be saved if drugs were legal as long as they were regulated. There would be no need for unnecessary testing. Over the years, players claim, “sports are a business” and that there is no time for emotion. It’s about time the league's stop protecting the emotions of the sports purists and make the wise business decision to legalize performance-enhancing drug
Performance-enhancing drugs are defined as any substance ingested to improve performance. The use of this term is often associated with steroids used in sports by professional athletes, although the use of these drugs for personal benefits is on the rise. Many athletes are using performance-enhancing drugs to improve athletic performance, improve endurance and bodybuilding, and increase muscle and overall body mass. While taking these supplements likely seems only beneficial, the aftermath of these drugs could be risky. Are performance-enhancing drugs really as harmful as everyone makes them out to be? A majority of the writings on the use of these drugs have a focus on anecdotal evidence, …show more content…
The use of these drugs by professional and elite athletes has caused a widespread controversy in sports organizations and athletes are receiving more scrutiny regarding these drugs than ever before. Whether they diet, use different training methods, utilize new technologies, performance enhancing drugs, or sport supplements, athletes are always looking for different ways to gain an advantage against opponents. The problems regarding these performance enhancers are much larger than just athletes failing drug tests. The reason being, not everyone knows what exactly a performance-enhancing drug is. We have to take a look at what is and what isn’t a performance enhancing substance as well as the legitimacy of the health risks involved with these drugs when they are taken as …show more content…
This would eliminate a majority of the cheating as well as maximize revenue. Due to increased performances, leagues would be putting a better product on the field, resulting in fans buying more tickets. In turn, this creates a greater profit for owners which leads to larger salaries for the players. Players, owners, and fans all get exactly what they want. Sports administrators have to stand up for themselves and make a case for regulated drug use. “Of the 21,849 drug tests conducted at the Summer Olympics from 1968-2008, there were 105 cases (0.49%) of doping violations. There have been 22 positive results (0.28%) from 7,783 tests conducted at the Winter Olympics between 1968 and 2010” (Doping Cases 2015). Think about the amount of money that could be saved if drugs were legal as long as they were regulated. There would be no need for unnecessary testing. Over the years, players claim, “sports are a business” and that there is no time for emotion. It’s about time the league's stop protecting the emotions of the sports purists and make the wise business decision to legalize performance-enhancing drug