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PERFORMING ENHANCING DRUGS AND ATHLETES

Performing Enhancing Drugs and Athletes

Nicholas Bonat

Liberty High School

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Ben Johnson, a 100 meter sprinter for Canada, raced his way to a gold medal during the
1988 Olympic Games. Nearly three days later, he was suspended from the sport of Track and
Field and his gold medal was taken away. This was due to the fact that he failed a drug test.
Officials determined that Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid commonly used in horse races, was
found in his blood. These types of performing enhancing drugs (PEDs) further athletes physical
ability to hit farther, run faster, lift extra weight, jump relatively higher and have more stamina.
The use of preforming enhancing drugs is illegal in sports competition and has been since 1976,
according to Sam Jenkins (2007). With professional athletes doping (the action of taking PEDs),
there are consequences that range from breaking records and earing awards to physical
complications and ruined reputations. For many athletes, the line between risk and reward is
blurred.
Performance enhancing drugs consist of a variety of substances, including medications,
procedures and even devices that are intended to improve athletic sports performance, according
to Jeff Quinn (2014). Some of these substances are naturally occurring, easily available and
completely legal while others are manufactured, illegal, or banned by many sporting
organizations. Among these illegal substances, the most commonly used enhancing drugs are
called anabolic steroids, as stated by Hansen Harms (2013). This is a drug that can change the
way a persons body react towards their activity. They can be taken in pills or injection. Working
with the amount of testosterone in the body, anabolic steroids affect processes associated with
protein synthesis in muscle. Which means the body gains muscle faster and recovers quicker.
There are many different kinds of anabolic steroids that includ: Fluxoymesterone,
Methyltestosterone, Nandrolone, Oxandrolone, Oxymetholone, and Stanozolol. Each specific

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steroid varies in side effects, but all complete the common goal of increasing testosterone in the
blood stream.

Drugs have changed the way precautions are handled in the professional athletics world.
Testing and determining if an athlete is on PEDs has become a common practice that isnt taken
lightly. Athletes are tested by giving a urine or blood sample. They must first go through this
progress in order for them to proceed at their competition, says Kyle Rohrer (2013). The test may
also happen after a competition was held. A drug test is an analysis of specifics through hair,
blood, urine, sweat, or saliva. Its main purpose is to determine whether or not a person is on
drugs. Any athlete can be determined if they are using drugs. Another way to discover that
athletes are taking drugs is to look at how they are performing. Officials sense when athletes are
enhancing drugs (Bamberger & Yaeger, 1997, p.60). You can compare an athletes performance
to another to see where they stand. If its a complete blow out, then you can easily tell that they
are taking enhancing drugs. If each persons performance is a satisfaction, than they might not be
on drugs. This tactic is used to get an idea if the athlete is doping, still, testing regularly is so
even the innocent dont get by unnoticed.

Being a baseball all-star is an icon envied by many. Alex Rodriguez, a professional

baseball player, played at a high level that was thought to be possible by his own gifted physical
ability. However, in 2009 he admitted to doping throughout his career. Rodriguez went on to
admit to doping since 2001, but for only two years. Receiving harsh judgment from big
newspaper companies such as The New York Times, it was clear the public wasnt fond of
Rodriguezs decision to take PEDs. Some even questioned if his accomplishments should be
considered legitimate, since former record holders were free of doping. Others questioned if he

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had taken PEDs since before 2001 and for longer than two years. The punishment he inevitably
received was a 162 game suspension. After the suspension, the baseball player, stated: A $252
million contract to play baseball causes an enormous amount of pressure to perform at a high
level every day" (ESPN 2014). With this huge amount of pressure, it almost seems okay to want
to be able to perform at the best of your ability, even if it means taking PEDs. Entering the MLB
in 1993, just fourteen years later he became the youngest player ever to hit 500 career home runs.
He again broke the record at 600 home runs in 2010. Two years later, in June 2012, he led the
Yankees to a win over the Atlanta Braves, hitting his 23rd grand slam and matching the record of
Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig.

PEDs are used by a variety of athletes that vary in gender as well. One specific case is
track runner Marion Jones. In an article written by Gary Gaffney (2010), Jones was recognized
as a world-class athlete at age 17 and received praise for her talent. In the 1992 Olympic trials,
she respectively declined being an alternate. Instead she competed in the IAAF World Junior
Championships in Seoul, but didnt place. She continued to compete in high school and then
college competitions, earning various other titles. In 1997 she went to the World Championships
in Athens and was able to score gold in the 100 m sprint. In 1998 at the IAAF World Cup she
won gold in the 100 m and 200 m and silver in the long jump event. Although being accused of
doping at this time, she denied use and in 1999 continued success at the IAAF World
Championships in Spain, earning a gold and silver medal. Though she was highly successful at
the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, the discovery of her use with PEDs destroyed her career.
While she was able to get out of doping before, this time she was unsuccessful. Her husband, CJ
Hunter, a shot putter, admitted to using steroids and confessed that Jones had injected steroids
during the 2000 Olympics. Jones continued to deny the accusations, but after failing a drug test,

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she was forced to give up all of her earned titles from the 2000 Olympics and on. In total, she
lost 6 medals and never returned to the competition.

Long use of anabolic steroids can be accompanied by a multitude of serious and

minor internal and external side effects. Using steroids for an extended amount of time can prove
fatal to a males general state of health. External changes, those visible on the male body, include
virilization, acne and baldness. Internal changes include feminization, cardiovascular risks,
changes in mood, gynecomastia, headaches, kidney problems, liver problems, immune system
deficiencies, impotence, high blood pressure, stomachaches and water/salt retention problems.

External side effects are relatively mild compared to the internal side effects. The skin is
the most sensitive area for side effects. The most apparent side effects are the pores in the skin
becoming larger making the skin rough. This process, called virilization, is irreversible once it
has started. Another major problem of steroid use is development of severe acne all over the
body. Acne that already is apparent may become worse and if there is no acne already, it can be
evoked. This side effect will differ from person to person, as all side effects do, depending on the
persons composition and the type and amount of steroid used. Various acne medications may be
used in helping control acne outbreaks. Stretch marks are also prominent, not directly from the
use of steroids, but from the rapid growth of the muscles. Using aloes, lotions and moisturizing
gels can help offset this side effect. Baldness is another problem for some steroid users. Steroids
do not cause baldness, however, they can speed the process up for those who are going to lose it
anyway. Steroids convert largely into DHT, causing hair loss to quicken. Steroids that are
derivatives of DHT can also promote baldness. Hair loss, in the vast majority of cases, is an

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irreversible process. The external side effects of steroid use are relatively mild, although some
are irreversible such as virilization and balding (Steroid Law).
The internal side effects of prolonged steroid use are much more substantial and drastic
than the external side effects. With the use of high dosages of anabolic steroids, over a long-term
cycle, men can develop extremely aggressive behavior, commonly known as roid rage. Some
athletes consider this an advantage because of their increased ability to train harder and more
intensely, however it has been proven to do more harm than good. Most of the time, this rage
results in loss of friendships, destructiveness and inability to control ones behavior. The best
way to prevent this potentially destructive behavior is to limit the amount and duration of
anabolic compounds in a persons system. Another negative mental affect is the feeling of
depression. Often times when athletes have been using steroids and have experienced huge gains,
they expect to keep the gains after they come off their cycle. When their performance falls to that
of their natural ability without steroids, the person may become depressed. High estrogen levels
can enhance this feeling in the athletes system as well. The mental side effects of steroid use can
cause severe harm to a males health.

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References

Quinn, E. (n.d.). Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) in Sports. Retrieved December 16, 2014,
from http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/performanceenhancingdrugs/a/ErgogenicAids.htm

Jenkins, S. (n.d.). Historical Timeline - Drug Use in Sports - ProCon.org. Retrieved December
16, 2014, from http://sportsanddrugs.procon.org/view.timeline.php?timelineID=000017

Harms, R. (2013, August 22). Tween and teen health. Retrieved December 17, 2014, from
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/performanceenhancing-drugs/art-20046620

Rohrer, D. (2013, January 1). Effects of Performance Enhancing Drugs | U.S. Anti-Doping
Agency USADA. Retrieved December 17, 2014, from http://www.usada.org/substances/effectsof-performance-enhancing-drugs/

Gary Gaffney (2010, September 11). ProCon.org/Historical Timeline - Drug Use in Sports Retrieved December 18, 2014, from
http://sportsanddrugs.procon.org/view.timeline.php?timelineID=000017