Performance-Enhancing Drugs

Sports medicine: performance-enhancing drugs.

Performance-enhancing drugs, ergogenic aids, or sports supplements have been a part of sports since sporting competition began and likely always will be. Considered cheating by purists and necessary by some athletes, we must accept the fact that they are used, understand why they are used, and study how to prevent their use to institute change. This article summarizes current information regard...

Performance-enhancing Drugs and Food Components

Why we should allow performance enhancing drugs in sport.

I n 490 BC, the Persian Army landed on the plain of Marathon, 25 miles from Athens. The Athenians sent a messenger named Feidipides to Sparta to ask for help. He ran the 150 miles in two days. The Spartans were late. The Athenians attacked and, although outnumbered five to one, were victorious. Feidipides was sent to run back to Athens to report victory. On arrival, he screamed ‘‘We won’’ and d...

Task Force 9: drugs and performance-enhancing substances.

Athletes commonly use drugs and dietary supplements because they hope to improve athletic performance. These performance-enhancing substances include ergogenic and thermogenic supplements, stimulants, anabolic steroids, peptide hormones, and others. Despite aggressive marketing and user testimonials, scientific studies assessing the benefits and risks of any of these substances have not been co...

Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports: How Chemists Catch Users

What do the following prominent athletes have in common: Floyd Landis,MarkMcGwire,Marion Jones, Ben Johnson, and Lyle Alzado? All have been suspected of using performanceenhancing drugs (PEDs) in recent decades and have eventually confessed. Over this period, major doping investigations have included the BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative) case, which involved doping in various sports inst...