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Article onthe importance of doping in sport
Performance enhancing drugs in the olympics history essay
Article onthe importance of doping in sport
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Doping can be strictly defined as the consumption of any substance (whether food or drug) to improve one's performance. This definition can be applied in a variety of situations, from college students drinking coffee in order to stay awake to athletes who take steroids to make them stronger. The problem with doping is where one draws the line. The drugs used in doping often have detrimental effects to one's health, both mental and physical. In the short run these drugs improve one's performance, but in the long run they can kill. Turning sports into a way of life instead of a leisure activity has generated fierce competition for athletes to be the best at what they do. Having a "natural ability" no longer is enough. One must work long and hard hours to gain an edge on the competition. However, these days, even good training cannot guarantee a victory. For athletes and coaches the drive to be at the top is so great that they look for shortcuts to their end goal: winning. The one who wins is always the one who is remembered in the end; finishing second is worse than finishing last. When this type of attitude becomes predominant, it is not so surprising that they try any and all methods of cheating the system. In this way, doping has become a common practice for athletes to gain advantage on their competition. Is this a practice that we as the general public should accept, or is there something we can do to change the status quo? Doping is a practice that has been going on since the time of "ancient Greek athletes, who supposedly ate herbs, sesame seeds, dried figs, and mushrooms for this purpose" (Hoberman, 1992, 104). Likewise, athletes have readily consumed such drugs as caffeine and alcohol to improve performa... ... middle of paper ... ...thlete under twenty-four hour surveillance is neither feasible nor lawful. Only when there are more accurate tests can the enforcement of drug rules and regulations be possible. As more sophisticated tests come to market, fewer drugs will escape detection. With the limited ability of current techniques to catch athletes red-handed, pressure must be put on the athletic community to reject doping. Until the athletic community refuses doping as a means to an end, little can be done to stop it from happening. Works Cited Barnes, Julian. (2000). "The Hardest Test." The New Yorker. Aug. 21 & 28 Eitzen, D. Stanley. (1999). "Sport Is Fair, Sport Is Foul." Fir and Foul: Beyond the Myths and Paradoxes of Sport. Rowman and Littlefield, NY. Hoberman, John M. (1992). "Faster, Higher, Stronger: A History of Doping." Mortal Engines. The Free Press, NY.
The European Union has been helped economically ever since World War II. Right after World War II’s end, Europe was struggling to hold on. The countries of the modern-day European Union thought it would be a good idea to come together and help each others struggling economy. To this day, this decision has had a very positive outcome on the EU’s economy. As shown in Diagram 1, the European Union combined together has the world’s highest GDP at 18.3 Trillion USD as compared to the United States’ 17.4 Trillion USD GDP and China’s 10.4 Trillion USD GDP. The idea
The wooden lintels, writing, and the unique calendar reveal clues about life in a society that thrived for over 1000 years. Many massive building are visible today, those built to pay tribute to kings and to please the deities. The M...
Abstract: Since the beginning of sports competition, athletes have always looked for some kind of edge over their competitors. They will do whatever it takes to be one of the elite, and that includes injecting supplements into their bodies to make them bigger, stronger, and faster. Steroid use is probably one of the most common drug misuses in sports competition. Athletes found that with anabolic steroids, one could become a better athlete twice as fast. Not until 1975 was the drug first banned from Olympic competition because of the health risks it produced.
The Classic Era was the “golden age” of many Maya capital cities in 250 to 600 A.D. (Rubalcaba, 139/159). Long-distance trade thrived and warfare increased. Powerful capital cities, like Tikal and Calakmul, fought for complete control over the Maya world. None of the main cities achieved “lasting control” (Rubalcaba, 139/ 159). Later, during the Terminal Classic Period, the cities in the lowlands decli...
In the Central America, most notably the Yucatan Peninsula, are the Maya, a group of people whose polytheistic religion and advanced civilization once flourished (Houston, 43). The Maya reached their peak during the Classic Period from around CE 250 to the ninth century CE when the civilization fell and dispersed (Sharer, 1). Although much has been lost, the gods and goddesses and the religious practices of the Classic Maya give insight into their lives and reveal what was important to this society.
The ancient Maya once occupied a vast geographic area in Central America. Their civilization inhabited an area that encompasses Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and parts of the states of Chiapas and Tabasco, as well as Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. "From the third to the ninth century, Maya civilization produced awe-inspiring temples and pyramids, highly accurate calendars, mathematics and hieroglyphics, and a complex social and political order" ("Collapse..." 1). Urban centers were important to the Maya during the Classic period; they offered the Mayans a central place to practice religion.
Athletes are always searching for ways to enhance their performance. Recently, beginning in the 1950s, that search has included the use of illegal substances like steroids and growth hormones. Illegal substances have been used widely by athletes in hopes of achieving the desired Olympic gold medal or multi-million dollar contract. Some nations, for example the late East Germany in the 1970s and 1980s, have mandated the use of steroids by their athletes. The downside of using those illegal substances is that because they are illegal, getting caught using them can lead to losing that coveted gold medal, a lifetime ban from sports, and a total loss of honor and dignity.
Doping in sports causes several health problems. According to Lydia Bjornlund, a freelance writer with a degree in Education from Harvard University, it causes some physical problems and mental problems. Not knowing about the danger they are putting their life in, only about half will stop. Thirty Percent of the dopers continue doing it looking past all the serious problems. Is it that serious that you must win in everything you do? They are adults who should have learned about taking care of their body when they were little, should have put what they learned to act as a teenager, and now as an adult should already know how to take care of themselves very well. They’re not realizing that they aren’t kids anymore and momma not gone be there to pick them up as soon as they fall anymore. Those who have the obsession to do...
“It 's important that athletes can compete on a level playing field. And youngsters coming into the sport can know that if they are working hard and training hard, they 'll see a true reflection of where they stand and what they can achieve worldwide and not be swayed by people who are cheating.” This was said by Paula Jane Radcliffe, a long-distance runner and Olympian. Cheating in sports is considered to be immoral. In sports there are many different forms of cheating. Whether it is illegal taping, bribes, or foul play, it is never the way to go. Undoubtedly the most extreme and controversial form of cheating is through the use of PEDs, better known as Performance Enhancing Drugs. There are many different types of Performance Enhancing Drugs. The two most popular being anabolic steroids and
The Maya civilization is one of the most original and rich ancient populaces in the world. It is a group of varied ethnicities, common in some traits, but diverse in languages, customs and in history.1 By using the word "Maya " We can give two meanings. The first, of a civilization that flourished from the 4th century B.C. and it had its decline in the 7th century A.D. in what is known as the classical period resurgent in the post-classical period. And the second meaning refers to a people and culture that continues to exist to this day representing a tradition of more than 2000 years.
The debate over the legalization of performance enhancing drugs also, known as PEDs, has been on the rise. Performance enhancing drugs are as the illegal drugs or substances that are taken by athletes to improve their performance. The term doping is used to describe the act of using PEDs. In the recent years many famous athletes have been convicted of PEDs abuse. Among these famous athletes is Lance Armstrong, a famous cyclist who won multiple titles of Tour de France. As the use of PEDs is becoming more common, controversy over the legalization has emerged.
The Maya was a very advanced civilization that had many important aspects to their culture. They dominated Central America for a very long period. The time of this great civilization is split into three main periods: Pre-Classic, Classic, and Post-Classic. The Maya’s greatest and most cultural achievements came from the Classic period, but the fall of this period is one of the greatest mysteries in all of history. The Mayans abandoned many primary city-states and moved for an unknown reason. Nobody is sure why this happened, but it is sure that the Maya was one of the greatest civilizations of their time. Their culture was based on their class structure, warfare, religious practices, family life, and agriculture. These were important because they made up the Maya’s unique culture.
The Mayan civilization began in South America. There are several states that are linked to the Mayans in South America. “ Present day southern Mexico, Guatemala, western Honduras, El Salvador, and northern Belize” (Maya History 1). The Mayans are well known for having nice decorated temples and pyramids. “Mayans were noted for having elaborate and highly decorated ceremonial architecture, including temple-pyramids, palaces and observatories, all built
The Maya’s were an ancient civilization that faced many difficult tasks in their everyday lives that needed to be completed in order for survival. The Mayan tribes existed from about 400 BC until around 1524 when they were taken over by the Spanish conquistadors (Sharer p.3). They occupied three separate areas of land.
The use of drugs in an attempt to enhance sporting performance is often referred to as doping. It is thought that the word 'dope' originated from the South African language. Dope referred to a primitive alcoholic drink that was used as a stimulant in ceremonial dances. Gradually the term adopted a wider usage and in reference to sport, it became known as 'doping'. In today's sporting context, doping refers to the use by athletes of banned substances or methods t...