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The question arises is using new sporting equipment and well constructed suits also considered as having an unfair advantage??? The truth is that performance is enhanced to a certain extent which gives the athlete the competitive advantage from others.

“Doping” Getting the competitive advantage

Sport has become so competitive that athletes have come up with different ways to try win at all cost, and this has encouraged cheating in various ways and the most common is using performance enhancement drugs. Most sport organizations term the use of drugs as unethical and they may present a health risk to the athletes. Medical technologies have become very popular in performance enhancement like blood doping either by blood transfusion or the use of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO).

The most abused and commonly used drug is anabolic steroids (AAS) which was first used in sports in the early 1950s, this drug was isolated, identified and synthesized in the 1930s and is now used therapeutically in medicine in treatment of some chronic diseases like muscle wasting, cancers and AIDS. AAS stimulates bone growth, appetite and induce puberty in males; it also has a health hazard just like all known drugs ranging from acne to liver damage. A new form of AAS was developed known as the Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG/The Clear), which was considered as the designer drug and it was closely related to the banned steroid gestrinone and trebolone, it was unapproved before it was even released in 2003.

Erythropoietin was discovered in 1906 and was developed in the 1970s where it was synthesized and then accepted erythropoietin (RhEpo) to be used to treat anemia since it stimulated the production of red blood cells in bone marrow. EPO has became the most commonly used drug amongst endurance athletes, the aim is to increase the amount of red blood cells in the body which will increase the amount of oxygen to the muscles which inter improve performance. In the past, athletes would remove about a liter of blood from their body and the freeze if for a few weeks and about 2 days before the event they would re-inject the blood into the system creating extra blood cells. This form of doping also has health risks like formation of blood clots and kidney damage.

The use of drugs in sports has been happening for years and even with the ban and fines on athletes it is still a problem and it is clear that they are not willing to stop anytime soon even with the health risks involved, instead they come up with different ways to beat the system. This then raises a question, since we cannot stop athletes from doping why can’t we let them go all out as they please and the one with the best drugs wins??

By: Khay