Performance Enhancing Drugs In Sports

Since the beginning of sports competition, athletes have always wanted to get a better edge over their competitors and will do anything necessary to do so. They go as far as to injecting themselves with drugs and taking supplements to make them bigger, faster, and stronger. A method otherwise known as doping; a process in which athletes use prohibited drugs or training methods to surpass their competitors. These athletes; steaming from all sports, have been misusing these drugs, not wanting to spend the crucial time and effort others are willing to do. They desire a quick and easy route to these achievements through the use of the said drugs. These substances; better known as performance enhancing drugs, are widely used in sports, the most …show more content…
J Savulescu, B Foddy, and M Clayton, all professors in the field of sports medicine, argue in their article “Why we should allow performance enhancing drugs in sport” that the use of performance enhancing drugs is becoming more effective despite the health risks present in these drugs, stating “… despite the health risks, and despite the regulating bodies attempts to eliminate drugs from sport, the use of illegal substances is widely known to be rife” (Savulescu et al. 3). Scholarly professors and sports fan alike tend to be biased when the phrase “performance enhancing drugs” is thrown around and fail to fully analyze the issue. The truth of the matter is that the use of such drugs will harm the athlete, but with certain restrictions these drugs can be safe. Setting limitations to athletes and having medical supervision over these drugs can provide benefits to the sport and end the ongoing issue of the legalization of performance enhancers. Rather than testing for drugs, medical professionals and sports analyst should look more into the issue of health and fitness, putting the strength of individuals to the test, as this is what sports portray. Salvulescu and his fellow colleagues further push the issue that these drugs should be allowed, but if and only if those who partake of it are safe with it. Only drugs that will not cause any bodily harm should be allowed, restating their view that “We should permit drugs that are safe, and continue to ban and monitor drugs that are unsafe…for example anabolic steroids” (Savulescu et al. 5). By monitoring the use of these drugs and putting the safety of the athletes first, the use of these drugs should be permitted in sports, but this issue goes farther than the health of athletes and leads to the realm of