Sports and Drugs

Consider if steroids were legal, how much more exciting sports would be and t would be fair to everyone. Why: As an athlete and competing in a high level sport, I easily understand athletes and their reasons for doping in sports. At a high level you’re always striving to be the best you can be ad better than your opponents to win. Also, as a candidate for the Provincial and National Team for Canada I have experience in knowing what you need to know and expect while participating in these events.

At a camp for team Canada, WADA showed up unexpectedly and took one of the girls’ urine test. So really this is why the topic of doping in sports caught my attention to is because I can relate to it and I’m interested in learning more about it. Why Illegal: it gives you an unnatural advantage against your opponent. Drugs or blood transfusions can provide a 5 or 10 percent advantage (Thomas Murray, Hasting report). Doping up your body and eliminating the concept of fair play is different from exceeding to your best abilities natural and being competitive.

When participating in sports, it builds character to be determined, honest, and cooperative, but when an athlete pumps illegal performance enhancing drugs into their system it shows true character on what they would do just to win. It has a big effect on the athlete altogether. Doping also effects the psychological aspect of your morals and becoming a criminal by being dishonest and putting illegal substances in your body, it can be mentally damaging. Not only mentally damaging but doping messes up your body, the natural growth and development of it from unnatural drugs is something all athletes should be concerned about.

Sacrificing your body to win isn’t a right way to compete. Most likely sport: From Peter Sullvan: The first overall highest percentage(3. 6) of positive illegal drug tests is cycling, in the 2006 tour de France( Including Floyd Landis in first) the top 5 placed athletes were all guilty of drug use. Along with Lance Armstrong admitting to doping after winning 7 tour de France titles. Floyd Landis describes cycling as “Professional cycling is organized crime. ” Coming in second not too far behind cycling is Weightlifting with a 3% average of positive testing.

Seeing how these athletes need to lift mass amounts of weight, its almost predicted that this sport is top 5 for positive doping statistics. Turkey and Russia are common countries who’s athletes are accused of steroids. Thirdly, Boxing is a candidate for doping in sports with a 2. 9% average. A case in 2007 was where an anti- aging agency was distributing steroids to famous boxers such at Even Fields. Boxing requires strength and stamina and some feel the need to enhance their training with steroids to just be stronger than their opponents. Coming after boxing in fourth, is Triathlon.

Athletes involved in this race are super humans, in perspective of many people. To run, swim and bike with out stopping is impressive and takes mass amounts of mental and physical strength. Lastly, Baseball makes top 5 sports in doping with a 2. 5% average in positive testing. Even though this sport isn’t in the Olympics, Major League Baseball players have been known for steroid use in the past of 1999 and early 2000’s, as well this past year 20 players got suspended for steroid use. Types: EPO (Erythropoietin): This is a method of an increase of blood oxygen.

Erythropoietin is a natural hormone found in the human body. It revitalizes blood cells to have more oxygen, which then increases anaerobic activity. (Kelland, 2012). CERA(Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator): This is another form of EPO. It increases your blood oxygen level without having to inject yourself as often. Anabolic Steroids: This is a fake replacement of testosterone to help the body utilize protein allowing the athlete to train with more intensity, along with building muscle mass and strength easier. Another aspect is that it acts as an anti- inflammatory to recovery quickly. (Kelland, 2012)

Diuretics: A substance that can mask illegal substances so they wont be detected. Side effects of weight loss. (Kelland, 2012) Blood Doping: Methods of substances to enhance red blood cell mass, to move more oxygen to muscles which increases stamina. 2 types; Autologous is where you use your own blood from being put aside until needed. Homologous is where you take someone else’s blood that’s the same as yours. (Kelland, 2012) Insulin: This enhances glucose in take that helps increase endurance levels by making the storage of muscle glycogen bigger for the athlete.

If not used properly it can lead to low blood sugar which leads to unconsciousness and seizures. (Kelland, 2012) Gender? : Which gender is most likely to dope in sports? Well males are a dominant factor for doping. They are much more likely to dope in sports by using steroids. Steroids effect women in a much more negative effect then it does to men. For women, steroids have side effects such as growing hair in unwanted places, clitoral enlargement, and deepening of the voice.

T’s easy to tell when a women is taking steroids because of the testosterone over load in their body and manly features. Their physical, behavioural and functional part of the women’s body are out of natural sync as well. Why would women want to take steroids in the first place? other than getting very strong? Women want equality and by taking steroids they can feel equally strong as men in the same playing field. Who’s in charge? the name is WADA (World Agency of Anti Doping). This organization keeps it fair throughout sports.

The Olympic committee wanted an agency like this for all countries to follow to specialize on key activities include scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities, and monitoring of the World Anti Doping Code and it was quite a success. A cool fact is that WADA’s headquarters is right in Canada, Montreal. Their objective is to have a doping free sporting environment. Consequences: As an Olympic athlete it is important to keep your body clean of illegal substances. Why? Some of the consequences are quite serious.

If caught by WADA (The World Agency of Anti Doping) before the Olympics, he/she is suspended for 6 months or longer. (Freedman, 2012) If an athlete has cheated during an event, and won, their medal is taken from them and the results are re-evaluated. Conclusion: In conclusion doping in sports is a serious social issue that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Doping shouldn’t be seen as a way to make an athlete feel better. Not only are they cheating themselves, but they are unfair to their opponents and should take into consideration what mental and physical harm they are really doing to their bodies.

WADA is a great service to help deal with keeping sports all around the world fair by testing athletes for performance enhancing substances in their bodies. As an athlete myself I choose to really look into this topic because I’ve dealt with WADA myself. If you are an athlete, beware of what you put into your body. Its important to train to your full potential without being artificially enhanced with chemicals. The natural way is the way to go! Most important thing learned was how harmful steroids can be to your body and mind. Always important to stay true to yourself and not cheat. Be the best you can be