Krista Taylor

Ms. Patterson

EN 112: MWF 11-1:50

19 April 2015

Performance-Enhancing Drugs in sports

Everyone remembers being a little kid, looking up to

the astounding athletes on television. I wanted to be a

professional dancer with a ballet company overseas like

Gelsey Kirkland. As I grew up, the world became more and

more real. I realized how naïve I was as a child. I began

learning about all the corrupt things I never comprehended

when I was younger since I was preoccupied with childlike

things like whether my best friend would get to play with me

at recess. I still remember the moment I found out Gelsey

Kirkland had been using different techniques, including

drugs and starving herself, to become the perfect

professional dancer she always wanted to be. My heart broke

that very moment. Many kids look up to athletes because they

think athletes are the utmost dedicated and inspirational

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people on this planet. Unfortunately, kids don’t realize

some of their so-called “heroes” are drug users.

Performance Enhancers are often dangerous drugs that

are unhealthy and ruin the bodies of athletes. In any

athlete’s life, there is always the option to “better”

himself or herself by taking a supplement or enhancing drug.

These enhancers have a long history with many effects on the

body: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Since early Greek

times, performance enhancers have been a significant part of

many athletes’ lives. The first recorded attempt for

athletes to increase their performance was during the 8th

century B.C. Greek Olympics. As The Washington Post explained,

athletes ate “sheep testicles” in the hopes of improving

performance with a boost of testosterone. This began the

search for the next best performance enhancing substance or

technique. As the years went on, the performance-enhancing

drugs became more and more dangerous. Different forms of

performance-enhancing drugs arose over the years. Some of

the most commonly known ones include: stimulants, anabolic

steroids, and diuretics. According to an article by Craig

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Freudenrich, PHD called "How Performance Enhancing Drugs

Work", Stimulants such as caffeine and amphetamines are

“psychoactive drugs that induce temporary improvement sin

either mental or physical functions” (Freudenrich).

Freudenrich also states, “Anabolic steroids increase protein

within cells, especially in skeletal muscles” and that

“diuretics increase the excretion of fluids from the body”

(Freudenrich). The overall goal of these substances is to

increase the physical performance of the athletes.

Do the benefits of using performance-enhancing drugs

outweigh the risks? Definitely not. The only benefits that

come from performance enhancing drugs are a temporarily

improves body image and the possibility of outstanding wins.

The dangers of using performance-enhancing drugs are not

worth the risk as the athletes put their health at risk,

their fame and achievements at risk, and overall image to

waste.

One of the primary dangers of performance enhancers is

the serious effect on the body and overall health of the

athlete. In general, performance enhancers make the body

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look good by having lean legs, tough muscles, and incredible

abs. The main problem with this is, the body might look

toned and healthy on the outside but the internal health is

slowly deteriorating. Users often do not see or feel the

effects until it is too late for their body. In 1904, Thomas

Hicks won the marathon at the St. Louis Olympics, but soon

after the finish line he collapsed. Later officials found

out, as the Smithsonian explains, “He had mixed an

unexpected combination of Brandy and Strychnine to get the

gold medal” (Wilson). Hicks collapsing demonstrates that

these performance enhancers are not healthy for bodies. For

women, performance enhancers are especially bad because they

change the appearance of women drastically. Once a woman has

been doing performance enhancers for a while, she tends to

develop male features. Women begin to grow facial hair and

their voice deepens. Some other symptoms can include breast

reduction and a drastic change in the menstrual cycle. Men

on the other hand go the opposite way. In the Sport Science

Review, Singhammer states, “Men become visibly stronger but

tend to be less of a man as they develop womanly features

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such as increased breast size, their sperm count decreases

greatly, testicles shrink, impotence, and pain occurs while

urinating” (Singhammer). Some common symptoms occur between

men and women. For example if steroids are taken, orally or

injected, athletes are left to suffer with issues such as

acne, bloated appearance, rapid weight gain, and clotting

disorders. These rapid changes almost make the body go into

shock, which can cause even more serious problem as

Singhammer claims the possibility of “strokes and heart

attacks” (Sport Science Review).

One last serious concern for taking these drugs by

injection is the risk of getting HIV/AIDS. Athletes will go

to the extreme to get the perfect body. The problem with

this is as people commonly say, “Beauty is only skin deep.”

These users are destroying their perfectly fit bodies every

time they discover a new and improved performance enhancer.

Using performance-enhancers can also result in death. For

example, in 1967, another star athlete as CNN.com claims,

“Tom Simpson became the first recorded fatality from the use

of enhancers” (Performance enhancing drugs in sports fast

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facts). Simpson died during the Tour de France. As the

Miranda Densen from the article “Performance Enhancing Drug

Scandals” states, “As the examination of the athlete took

place, the doctor found two tubes of amphetamines in the

rear pocket of his racing jersey” (Gaurdian.com). These

athletes are driven to be “the great athlete”, but often end

up ruing their health in the process.

Another considerable impact of these drugs is the

affect on society. Many children have sports star heroes.

For any kid’s dream of being a professional football player,

runner, or baseball player to become a reality, it requires

hard work and dedication. Most adolescents have no idea of

he side effects of performance enhancers, nor do some care.

Children almost never think of the consequences that these

drugs will have on their bodies. They just want that “quick

fix” to be the best. The Journal of the Philosophy of Sport reveals

“Adolescents are more at risk for health issues while using

enhancers since they are still developing mentally and

physically” (Francis). Kids share the same health risks as

adults but also have more risk including stunted growth,

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loss of bone mass, and the development of serious cases of

acne.

Kids these days are exposed to all different sorts of

drugs. The television is a perfect example as to how “drug

scandals” are publicized. In July of 2005, the most

prominent downfall of American athletes occurred. As The New

York Times states, “The California’s Bay Area Laboratory Co-

Operative pleaded guilty to ‘steroid distribution and money

laundering’” (Klosterman). There were many athletes involved

with this company. The notoriety of some of the athletes in

the Co-Operative made the news even more damning than the

guilty plead. These athletes included Barry Bonds, Jason

Giambi, and several other members of the Oakland Raiders

(New York Times). These famous athletes are setting a bad

example for children and teaching kids that performance-

enhancing drugs are needed in competitive athletics.

Sports figures know that performance-enhancing drugs

can look like “cheating” so, athletes hide their drug use.

Athletes who take performance enhancers can be thought of as

cheater and con artists, which often results in a bad image

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all together. These athletes get a bad rep along with the

horrible health side effects. The best example is Lance

Armstrong. He performed in triathlons across the world. His

most renowned even was the Tour de France. Armstrong won

many events and became a hero to look up to for kids and

adults. As his career went on, people began to question his

performance and how well he was doing. Officials eventually

found out about his year so of doping Lance Armstrong

admitted to part of the accusations. He was then striped of

all of his winning titles, and his reputation was ruined.

This is just prime example of how as Oderell from CNBC.org

claims, “One’s reputation can be dissolved within a minute

from the use of performance enhancers” (Oderell). Are

performance enhancers as bad as they are made out to be?

Melissa Winkller, an author of The Vegetarian Times in New York

states, “Sport supplements are at best a waste of time”

(Winkller). Putting these harsh substances into one’s body

not only ruins the reputation, but the overall health and

well being of the athlete. There are many other athletes in

today’s world using performance enhancers. These enhancers

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continue to become more advanced. In 1988, Ben Johnson, and

Olympic sprinter, tested positive for anabolic steroids. The

U.S. Anti-Doping Agency stripped him of his 1988 Olympic

gold medal. They awarded the gold medal to the silver

medalist runner up, Carl Lewis. Shortly thereafter, as

CNN.com claims, “Carl Lewis was found to be a user of

enhancers during his Olympic career as well” (CNN.com). This

just goes to show there are numerous athletes caught up in

this disturbing drug world.

There is no real justification for athletes to use

enhancers especially without their doctor’s supervision.

Most athletes know the side effects but choose to ignore

them for their own personal gain. The quick gain and

cheating may reach his or her immediate goals to be a “great

athlete”, but the side effects overcome those goals and end

up affecting them in the long run. Instead of hurting their

bodies, athletes could just improve their bodies naturally

by going to the gym, using targeted workouts each day, and

eating correctly. This is the best and healthiest way to

gain the strength and proper fitness needed to perform in

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athletic sporting events. More importantly, how much can an

athlete enjoy the satisfaction of winning by cheating

especially when the act of cheating makes them sick, ruins

the hard work they put in, and the lose of all respect and

titles.

While many athletes are aware of the dangers of

performance enhancing drugs, some athletes choose to think

these drugs are worth the risk. Athletes justify their

decisions to be involved with performance enhancing drug use

because they claim they are unable to be competitive without

them; it is the age old ‘everyone else is doing it’ defense.

There are others, such as Daniel Higgens a writer for the

Pros and Cons Debate Forum on these drugs that states,

“Performance enhancers really aren’t that harmful and should

be allowed in sports” (ProsCons.org). These arguments are

simply excuses to try to justify taking performance

enhancers and taking the easier path to success.

Some athletes are under the impression that they are

unable to compete without performance enhancing drugs. As

Devin Boyle form the article Should Performance-Enhancing Drugs be

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Legalized claims, “There are countless factors that contribute

to sports being ‘unfair’, but that’s the whole point of

completion” (Boyle Blue Ridge Outdoors). There is so much

stress and pressure put on these athletes to succeed by

their coaches, other competing athletes, and their fans.

Everyday, athletes face struggles in their career such as

financial challenges affecting their ability to get an elite

coach or just simply not having the appropriate genetics.

Athletes often attempt to compensate for their flaws.

Athletes have discovered different techniques to exceed

their natural abilities. Furthermore, in some sports, the

use of performance enhancers is more common, and this often

results in athletes of the same sport, being influenced to

participate in the harmful practices to stay competitive. As

the author states in the book Drug Use in Sports, “Athletes

think they are leveling the playing filed through drug use”

(Michaels p.48). These pressures that drive athletes to drug

use is challenging, but can be managed without the use of

performance enhancers and harming their bodies.

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Moreover, athletes should not have to resort to

performance enhancers because there are many opportunities

for them to obtain excellent coaching even when finances are

not so well. Genetics have to be accepted and not ‘everyone

else’ is participating in drug use. First, think about the

athletes that are drug users because they claim not to have

the funds for a star coach. They are only attempting to make

up for the shortfalls in training, but there are dozens of

programs to help these athletes train with coaches that meet

their training needs. I am a prime example. When I was a

gymnast at 9 years old I was selected to compete in a

nationwide Talent Opportunity Program (TOPs). TOPs is a

program for selecting gymnast, through various tests, that

have the ability to become an elite gymnast. Once testing is

completed, if a gymnast has been awarded a top gold level,

the TOPs program then arranges for he young uprising athlete

to obtain star coaching to prepare them to compete at the

Olympic level one day. Athletes are known to reflect what

they learn from their coach, and so they must have the best.

Participating in these types of programs helps athletes find

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the best coaching that helps them work towards their goals

in the right way and avoid the temptations to take the easy

route of drug enhancement.

Now genetics, on the other hand, there are not many

notable programs to overcome that. Say there are two

basketball players – one is a very tall, lean man, and the

other is a little shorter and maybe a tad bit chubby. Most

basketball spectators will conclude that the tall, lean

player will perform better just based on genetics. This is

not always a fair assumption, but there is reason behind it

since it is usually the case. How will athletes with “bad”

genes ever be able to even come close to others with the

“gift”? Some athletes may take performance-enhancers to

close that ap. Admittedly people do try to improve

themselves. Athletes have to recognize that being an elite

athlete has a component of genetics and hat some people are

naturally good at certain sports, while others must work

harder.

Not all athletes, not even the majority of athletes,

take performance-enhancing drugs. Many athletes rely solely

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on their natural ability, genetics, and hard work to

compete. Performance-enhancers are used by some but not all.

This is often taken and twisted and made to seem like

everyone uses them. This false representation often fools

uprising athletes into thinking “Everyone does it; maybe I

should too”. The act of trying to fit in effects everyone.

Athletes are not only trying to fit in but are only trying

to better themselves. Most people try to fit in, but fitting

in is not always the best option, especially when it

includes drugs. In addition, in the U.S. today, almost all

professional/Olympic sports are drug testing their athletes

with most athletes’ passing those tests, so the rumor or

idea of everyone doing it is very false.

Some athletes do not see the harm in taking

performance-enhancing drugs. In the past decade, there have

been so many medical advances in society. Researchers are

figuring out new supplements to help with health issues, and

athletes are first in line to obtain these new discoveries.

For example, a child that is not developing fast enough may

be prescribed human growth hormones as an option to promote

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growth. Many humans can benefit from the use of hormones or

steroids under strict medical supervision. Some athletes

think that since the drugs are used in medicine they are

okay to use in sports. It is true that these hormones and

steroids can really benefit society and people with health

problems, but there is an extent to which the drugs should

be used. If these drugs are unsupervised by medical staff,

then dosage could be wrong and result in a dead athlete.

Performance enhancing drug users can also argue that much of

the food people eat is farm raised and pumped with hormones

and steroids. Some do not see the difference in eating beef

pumped up with hormones and a pro football player taking

hormones to meet the weight requirements. However, the USDA

evaluation of the American food supply as resulted in

statements that the amount of hormones and steroids in beef

is not enough to cause effects in humans who consume the

meat. In the article Do Hormones in the Food Supply Affect

the Human Body, Roizman quotes the Montana State University

Cooperative Extension, stating, “Only minute levels of

growth hormone are present in hormone-supplemented cattle”

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(Roizman). One of the biggest problems, in the performance

enhancing drug environment, is athletes assuming that they

are not experiencing the bad side effects of the drugs since

many of the issues are long-term effects. There are many

harmful effects of performance enhancing drugs that are

clearly documented and are made even worse by drug use that

is not supervised by physicians.

In sports, performance enhancers and other techniques

to improve the overall performance of athletes are bad for

their health, their fame, and their achievements. There

needs to be a feasible solution to the problem with

performance enhancing drugs and the trend of increased drug

research going towards the finding of new and improved

drugs. One clear strategy is to discourage drug use by

implementing more effective drug testing techniques. This

will require more frequent test updates to keep up with the

‘new’ techniques being developed to evade testing. There

needs to be a program to accredit physicians to eliminate

doctors who go against regulations and help athletes with

drug use. Even with this, it is crucial to get the message

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out that performance enhancers are dangerous drugs and

should not be used in sports. Taking a three-pronged

approach including improved drug testing, approved

physicians list, and educational programs could reduce the

overall intake of performance enhancing drugs in sports.

There needs to be a program that is constantly

researching for new and improved enhancing drugs so that

they can be added to the list of illegal drugs in sports.

This is hard to do because in today’s world, medically,

everything is advancing including doping techniques. The

challenge in drug testing is testing for very specific drug

use among athletes. As Professor Saltine states, specific

drug use is, “Easily overseen and not tested to its fullest

capacity” (Saltin). The key to improved drug testing is to

frequently update the drug tests based on emerging drugs

through research.

It has been reported that numerous physicians are

working with athletes to find new ways to slide past the

next drug test. An important part of this program will be a

list of approved physicians for athletes in competitive

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sports. This will help to ensure that athletes are not

falling prey to unethical physicians. This should also slow

down the development of new performance enhancing drugs

because these unapproved physicians wont have clients

anymore. There needs to be strict guidelines in place for

the approved physicians list to avoid physicians that have a

history with illegal performance enhancing drugs.

In addition, educational programs need to be expanded.

Performance enhancing drugs should be covered in middle and

high school health class curriculum. Performance enhancing

drug awareness training should be required at all levels of

athletics. If the athlete does not complete the training,

then they will be unable to participate in any form of

organized athletics. Ideally, this type of educational

program would benefit by including guest speakers. These

could include star athletes that have committed themselves

to staying clean while doing what they love. Other guest

speakers could include physicians from the approved list of

athletic physicians.

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Performance enhancers are harmful to most and should be

dealt with. Enhancers cause short and long term effects on

the athlete. Some physical effects are weight gain,

appearance changes, and clotting disorders. Some

psychological effects are a ruined reputation and loss of

achievements or awards. Overall, performance enhancers are

known to cause problems but many athletes turn a blind eye

just to succeed. Athletes are stressed everyday by coaches

and fans which then causes them to resort to drugs to

achieve the highest ranking spot. However, there are

alternatives to performance enhancing drugs including

strategic workouts and healthy living. Although some might

argue that these performance enhancers are not harmful, this

view does not rightfully consider the long-term effects.

With the right approach including improved drug testing,

approved athletic physicians, and increased educational

awareness, performance enhancing drug use could be

eliminated over time.

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Works Cited

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“Effects of Performance Enhancing Drugs.” USADA. TrueSport,

2014. Web. 10 March 2015.

“Legalized Performance Enhancing Drugs in Pro Sports.”

Miaminewtimes.com. 8 August 2013. Web. 1 April 2015.

“Performance-Enhancing Drugs.” Drug Free Sport. The National

Center for Drug Free Sport, Inc., 2013. Web. 12 March

2015.

“Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Fast Facts.” CNN.

Tuner Broadcasting System, Inc., 2015. Web. 17 march

2015.

ProCon.org. “Top 10 Pros and Cons.” ProCon.org. 6 May 2009.

Web. 1 April 2015.

Read, Andrew. ‘Drugs Use in Sports.” BreakingMuscle.com.

2015. Web. 11 April 2015

Roizman, Tracey. “Do Hormones in the Food Supply Affect the

Human Body?” SFGATE.com. 15 June 2014. Web. 11 April 2015.

Singhammer, John. “Age and Gender Specific Variations in

Attitudes to Performance Enhancing Drugs and Methods.”

Sports Science Review Vol. 21 Issue 5/6 (2012): Pg. 29. Web. 17

March 2015.

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Veber,Michael. “The Coercion Argument Against Performance-

Enhancing Drugs.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport. Vol. 41 Issue

2 (2014): Pg. 267. Web. 17 March 2015.

Annotated Bibliography

“Effects of Performance Enhancing Drugs.” USADA. TrueSport,

2014. Web. 10 March 2015.

The article “Effects of Performance Enhancing Drugs on

the USADA’s web site contains factual information about

enhancing drugs. The anti-doping agency is discussed in

hopes to discontinue the use of doping. This article

provides answers to common questions about the health and

safety risk associated with substances and methods on the

WADA prohibited list. It also provides information

concerning the legitimate medical use of substances. When

these compounds are misused, it constitutes a breach of

ethics both by the user and supplier. Some psychological and

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physiological side effects of anabolic steroids abuse has

potential to impact any user, while other side effects can

be gender specific. “The primary medical use of these

compounds vary, but include treatment of cancer or aiding

those born prematurely.” Yes, these performance-enhancers

have the potential to help people with cancer and stunted

growth, but athletes use these drugs for their own

advantage. “In small doses, narcotics have medical uses that

include relieving severe pain and inducing sleep.” This is

stating the same thing as the last quote but it just proves

that enhancers are used for serious medical conditions and

should not be used without medical attention and

recreationally.

“Legalized Performance Enhancing Drugs in Pro Sports.”

Miaminewtimes.com. 8 August 2013. Web. 1 April 2015.

This article explains how in parts of Miami there are

places that sell performance enhancers and Human growth

hormones. This article includes examples of professional MLB

players that have been caught with PEDS in the past and live

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in Miami to continue their enhancing life. As Campbell

claims “In every major sport, there are numerous PED pushers

like Bosch making sure celebrity athletes continue to

perform at a high level to justify their multimillion-dollar

constracts” (Campbell Miaminewtimes.com). This statement

just proves that athletes these days are under a lot of

pressure and tend to fall towards drugs to solve the

problem. This informationhelped my research paper in that it

provides a real look into the inside of the MLB sports world

and the real reasons for taking performance enhancers. The

last good point the Campbell uses is “By banning some PEDs

in professional sports, officials are just creating a black

market where pushers like Bosch can make millions of

dollars” (Campbell miaminewtimes.com).

“Performance-Enhancing Drugs.” Drug Free Sport. The National

Center for Drug Free Sport, Inc., 2013. Web. 12 March

2015.

The article on the Drug Free Sport website provides

information towards the use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs.

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A performance-enhancing drug is any substance taken by

athletes to improve performance. This term is referenced

often and typically refers to anabolic steroid us in sports

by professional and amateur athletes. Other substances can

include but are not limited to human growth hormone,

stimulants, and diuretics. There is a Research Exchange

Center (REC) offered that includes a membership. This

membership grants access to a comprehensive database of

information on the use of anabolic steroids and other

performance-enhancing drugs in sports, and how they relate

to you. “Performance-enhancing drugs are one of the most

addictive drugs for professional athletes.” This is not

surprising to me because why would you see a track star

doing heroin. “The most common form of performance-enhancing

drugs is a drug called anabolic steroid.” Many people

actually get the term “roid-rage” form these drugs because

they make you very aggressive and unfriendly.

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“Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Fast Facts.” CNN.

Tuner Broadcasting System, Inc., 2015. Web. 17 march

2015.

CNN.com provides a well written article discussing the

use and facts about performance-enhancing drugs. In this

article the different forms of the drug are listed. Some of

those include: human growth hormone, anabolic steroids,

stimulants, and supplements. Most of these drugs are

synthetic and therefore bad for the body because they are

not natural. One helpful source from this article is CNN

provides a very well though out timeline of different dates.

The first date listed is “1976 – The International Olympic

Committee (IOC) banned the use of steroids.” The dates go on

talking about when the Anti-doping agency was established.

The most recent post on the timeline is “August 5, 2014 –

Biogenesis of America Clinic founder Anthony Bosch

surrenders to the Drug Enforcement Administration and agrees

to plead guilty to a charge of distributing steroids to high

school and professional athletes.” It is amazing how long

steroid and enhancers have been illegal for but people still

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find a way around the legal system to get their hands on

these drugs.

ProCon.org. “Top 10 Pros and Cons.” ProCon.org. 6 May 2009.

Web. 1 April 2015.

This article “Top 10 Pros and Cons” provides very

useful information regarding people’s opinions on the issue

of performance enhancing drugs. The users that post on this

forum on this website include many professors from colleges

and Universities around the U.S.. For example, Norman Fost,

MD, MPH, which is a professor and Director of the Medical

Ethics Program at the University of Wisconsin, states

“Competition can be unfair if there is unequal access to

particular enhancements, but equal access can be achieved

more predictably by deregulation than by prohibition” (Fost

ProCon.org). These Kinds of professional opinions help me

back up my opposing claims to this research paper. Another

prime example would be as Kayser states “We believe that

rather than drive doping underground, use of drugs should be

permitted under medical supervision” which makes a really

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good point to figuring out a solution on how to regulate

performance enhancing drugs (Kayser ProCon.org).

Read, Andrew. ‘Drugs Use in Sports.” BreakingMuscle.com.

2015. Web. 11 April 2015

This article called “Drug use in Sports” is written by

Andrew Read and it provides his personal opinion on the use

of drugs in sports. Read mainly talks about sprinters as the

subject of his article. He talks about Carl Lewis getting

beaten by Ben Johnson which then ruined his seventeenth

birthday. Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson were both found to have

been using drugs. As Andrew Read states, “What happened in

the 24 hours after that race has led me to a lifetime hobby

of following drugs in sports closely” (Read). Fast forward

to more modern times and we have seen events like the

Festina Affair and Operation Puerto which saw dozens of

rider, team doctors, coaches, and even masseurs banned from

the sport. In his book Breaking the Chain, Willy Voet, one of

the team mechanic in Festina, gives a gritty expose on how

far teams went to keep winning. “From balloons of fresh

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urine stuck up riders sphincters to gluing carpet fuzz to a

riders’ scrotum to disguise a pipe filled with clean urine

form being detected, it seemed clying could sink no lower

(Voet).

Roizman, Tracey. “Do Hormones in the Food Supply Affect the

Human Body?” SFGATE.com. 15 June 2014. Web. 11 April 2015.

This article by Roizman talks about the affects of

hormones that are injected into our foods everyday. Most of

the meat and food supply we consume contains hormones or

genetically modified substances. These hormones can be

harmful if consumed in large doses. “Hormones, which are

fat-soluble molecules, can be stored in fat tissue and

accumulate to potentially harmful levels, according to

registered dietician and Prevention magazine editor Gale

Maleskey (SFGATE.com). This article has provided me with

knowledge towards the effects of hormones on the body. It

also contained facts on the pesticides in food. “It is

estimated that up to 95 percent of the pesticide residues

consumers are exposed to come from meat and dairy products”,

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according to researcher D. Lindsey Berkson, author of the

book Hormone Deception: How Everyday Foods and Products Are Disrupting

Your Hormones and How to Protect Yourself and Your Family (Berkson).

Tracey Roizman is a writer and speaker on natural and

preventive health care since 1995. She hold a B.S. in

nutritional biochemistry and a doctor of chiropractic

degree, and is a postgraduate diplomat in chiropractic

functional neurology.

Singhammer, John. “Age and Gender Specific Variations in

Attitudes to Performance Enhancing Drugs and Methods.”

Sports Science Review Vol. 21 Issue 5/6 (2012): Pg. 29. Web. 17

March 2015.

This article states that little is known about age and

gender specific attitudes to performance enhancing drugs and

methods or other characteristics by which attitudes may

vary. Their study contained 1,703 men and women aged 15-60

years old. The results concluded that the participants held

negative attitudes to drugs and methods enhancing

predominantly cognitive abilities enhancing performance

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drugs and to appearance modifying methods, but were positive

to drug to restoring physical functioning. “No gender

differences were observed and attitude di not vary with

level of education.” I feel this mean the data is pretty

accurate if there wasn’t much variation. “The present study

expands existing knowledge about attitudes towards PEDM with

respect to age and gender specific differences.”

Veber,Michael. “The Coercion Argument Against Performance-

Enhancing Drugs.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport. Vol. 41 Issue

2 (2014): Pg. 267. Web. 17 March 2015.

This article from this online journal is a critique of

the coercion argument against performance-enhancing drugs.

According to this argument, lifting the ban on these drugs

would undermine the autonomy of athletes by creating a

situation where everyone must either use performance-

enhancers or not compete at the highest levels of sport.

Four problems are raised for this argument and it is

concluded that the argument fails. A variation on the

coercion argument is also considered and rejected. “A

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Standard defense of liberalism says that the harm argument

is too paternalistic.” This quote shows that most disagree

with use of these drugs. “Respect for human autonomy

requires that we lift the ban and left those wish to risk

their health to do so. Let us call this “the autonomy

argument.” I think this is a bad idea because just letting

people do the drug will cause more deaths in the world.

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