Performance Enhancing Drugs
It is no secret that many professional athletes take performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). It has been the very center of many major scandals, involving big name athletes, such as Lance Armstrong, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and many more. The issue has also been a controversial topic at the Olympics. As sports become increasingly competitive, more and more people are willing to do whatever it takes to “stay in the competition”. We find this to be a prevalent topic in the issue of doping, which is anything that boosts athletic performance. Many athletes claim performance enhancing drugs make them “faster, higher, stronger”. However, performance enhancing drugs should be banned for professional athletes, because they are dangerous, they are unethical, and they take away from the sport. …show more content…
I disagree. This does not justify that athletes can take PEDs. These people fail to recognize that PEDs have an enormous toll on the body. Athletes’ bodies are already being pushed to their limit, but PEDs push their bodies past their limits. This is very risky, as one can only take so much. It isn’t safe to experiment with this. An example is the genetic mutation, primary familial and congenital polycythemia (PCFP) that many athletes strive to replicate. “PCFP over produces red blood cells, allowing for more oxygen intake, something that is good for one’s endurance. However many fail the recognize the dangers of possible hemorrhagic events; clotting, bleeds, strokes and heart attacks. It also results in blood with very low viscosity” (Cowart 3), leading to even more potential dangers. Many cyclists die, because of this. Humans are not equipped to handle this. The body works harder, when using drugs, than it would when training the correct way. Athletes should not take performance enhancing drugs, because PEDs are very harmful, they are unethical, and they take away from the value of
It is no secret that many professional athletes take performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). It has been the very center of many major scandals, involving big name athletes, such as Lance Armstrong, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and many more. The issue has also been a controversial topic at the Olympics. As sports become increasingly competitive, more and more people are willing to do whatever it takes to “stay in the competition”. We find this to be a prevalent topic in the issue of doping, which is anything that boosts athletic performance. Many athletes claim performance enhancing drugs make them “faster, higher, stronger”. However, performance enhancing drugs should be banned for professional athletes, because they are dangerous, they are unethical, and they take away from the sport. …show more content…
I disagree. This does not justify that athletes can take PEDs. These people fail to recognize that PEDs have an enormous toll on the body. Athletes’ bodies are already being pushed to their limit, but PEDs push their bodies past their limits. This is very risky, as one can only take so much. It isn’t safe to experiment with this. An example is the genetic mutation, primary familial and congenital polycythemia (PCFP) that many athletes strive to replicate. “PCFP over produces red blood cells, allowing for more oxygen intake, something that is good for one’s endurance. However many fail the recognize the dangers of possible hemorrhagic events; clotting, bleeds, strokes and heart attacks. It also results in blood with very low viscosity” (Cowart 3), leading to even more potential dangers. Many cyclists die, because of this. Humans are not equipped to handle this. The body works harder, when using drugs, than it would when training the correct way. Athletes should not take performance enhancing drugs, because PEDs are very harmful, they are unethical, and they take away from the value of