Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports

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The use of performance enhancing drugs in sports (doping) is done to improve athletic performance. Doping in sports has become a highly controversial topic among professional sporting venues and in the media. With the increased pressure to perform, high priced contracts, increased competition, and advanced training methods today’s athletes will try to gain an edge by any means necessary. Performance enhancing drugs used by athletes today include Human Growth Hormone (HGH), anabolic steroids, peptide hormones, amphetamines, insulin and stimulants. The reason athletes use performance enhancing drugs is to increase the amount of testosterone produced in the body. The increased testosterone in the body increases muscle strength by enabling new muscle growth.

Although there are laws passed with the intention of ridding sports of the use of performance enhancing drugs, it is still a highly debated topic. Supporters argue it is beneficial for the sport. The opposition argues against it. A syndicated political columnist argues “Drugs that make sport exotic drain it of its exemplary power by making it a display of chemistry rather than character—actually, a display of chemistry and bad character” (Will). In light of the overwhelming evidence, one must agree with the 2004 Anabolic Steroids Act, which attempts to ban the use of anabolic steroids in U.S sporting events. The use of performance enhancing drugs in sports is dangerous, unethical and ruins the integrity of the specific sport, by giving an unfair advantage to the user over their competitors.

No one can deny that the use of performance enhancing drugs in sports makes it much more entertaining for fans. Watching home run records get shattered, and new world record times being set,...

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...iego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. At Issue. Rpt. from "testimony before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Foreign Commerce, and Tourism." 2002. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.

"We Should Accept Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Competitive Sports." Writ. Radley Balko. Intelligence Squared US debate. Intelligence2 debates. 15 Jan. 2008. Web. 26 Apr. 2012.

West, Doug. "Steroids Are Harmful." Steroids. Ed. Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. At Issue. Rpt. from "Steroid Abuse—Getting Bigger." Youthculture＠today. 2002. 20-24. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.

Will, George F. "Steroids Are Destroying Baseball." Steroids. Ed. Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. At Issue. Rpt. from "Steroids Scandal Is Damaging to Baseball." Conservative Chronicle (15 Dec. 2004): 25. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.

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