Doping as A Performance Enhancement in Sports

Doping as A Performance Enhancement in Sports

Introduction

Doping primarily entails the usage of illegal drugs in sports events by individuals with the aim of boosting their performance. It is practiced illegally, as it is against the benchmark laid down by sports competition regulatory bodies or organizations. People cunningly practice it and are never noted anywhere in the sportsbook of record. Steroids are one of the drugs commonly used by baseball players and athletics. Despite enhancing the performance of the people in sports, doping does harm the health of human beings and portrays a bad image of the original intent of games. This context addresses some of the merits and demerits that are associated with doping in sports.

Pros

To begin with, it grants players freedom of taking risks they consider fit.  Introduction of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) into human anatomy enhance one’s performance in terms of speed, zeal and one can be active for a longer time. It helps a person achieve a better outcome with less hustle and minimal body injuries. Whether it was done via injection, pills, or medication cream applied on the skin; a victim can practice it in moderation in a way that the body is allowed some time to recover (Baumgarten, Lucidi, & Zelli, 2016). One has a voluntary choice to do so without anyone enforcing it.

Second, it can be utilized as a tool to achieve personal targets. Though to some, they might feel it problematic and pressurizing themselves to the usage of PEDs, by the end of the day choice they make is always optional. Individuals who yearn to achieve outstanding performance utilize PEDs. Ultimately, they complete the game exemplary, faster, and while still stronger.

Fans are typically interested in the outcome. For instance, in 1998, McGwire, a baseball player champion, managed to break season record (Erickson & Yanke, 2015). Throughout the season, the guy was using nandrolone enhancement; however, he acquired entitlement of the champion during the season, and his fans celebrated it. No one cared that nandrolone was behind the achievement. Thus, fans are usually much concerned about the results. PED, whether done legally or illegally, can help you achieve good results.

Furthermore, some of the products or drugs used in doping are considered and proven safe.  The National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. confirms some degree of safety in regard to taking human growth hormone (Vakil & Fanikos, 2019). Yet this substance is prohibited by competition regulatory organizations. They consider it as a hindrance to free and fair play. I think it’s high time we need to also reflect on the overall effect of some particular products basing on the reports made by Commissioned health authorities.  As such, some of them have health benefits to humans in addition to enhancing performance in sports.

Cons

On the other hand, in spite of PED improving the performance of players in sports, it has several negative consequences.  First, prolonged usage of PED has proven hazardous to human health. Although these drugs boast strength and aid in achieving victory with less hustle, there exist long-term adverse effects that usually are ignored.  They include skin complications such as acne, bald head, and impotence in men, uncontrollable emotions, and infertility in women. If used by young children can result in stunted growth. They are also associated with other severe conditions like heart, blood, and liver-related disorders (Birzniece, 2015).

Second, doping in sports creates unfairness in competition. For instance, Lance Armstrong, much recognized the hero of winning seven consecutive Tour de France titles, later on, agreed to be utilizing doping in most of the events he played (Reed, 2019). It’s clear evidence of how people can unfairly dominate and deny others who are clean a chance to triumph.  PED set the platform to unfair competition and disadvantages to honest participants.

PED work differently on individuals. For an average person, consumption of natural food, exercising, or even incorporating can only allow average outcome. However, the case of elite athletes portrays something different; the introduction of hormones and drugs into their bodies has much excellent outcome. Cases have also been reported of PED, causing a total inability to perform even an average usual outcome. As a result, the primary mission of sports is distorted.

It encourages a spirit of peer pressure in the competition environment. When one person takes drugs for enhancing performance in sport, it creates porosity, and fellow competitors get tempted to usage. A survey was carried out involving Olympic athletes and demonstrated the impact of peer pressure caused by doping. The study further showed that those admitted to emergency rooms were even willing to risk their lives to win the Olympics, whether doping is right or wrong.

Doping interferes with sportsmanship, the original intent of sports. The constant fight against doping by competition regulatory organizations is mainly to preserve the initial value and mission of competition (Murray, 2018). Sports such as games and athletics should be meant to build good morals, entertainment, and honesty at all levels of participants inclusive of fans or spectators.

Lastly, it creates a scenario where players operate under unsupervised medication. The fact that doping is a banned practice in competition, they fall to a trap of self-medication. They do it without advice by a medical practitioner of possible negative responses by the body to the introduction of PDE. As such, it poses a health threat to their lives, which can even be accompanied by death.

In conclusion, doping in sports has advantages and disadvantages that go hand in hand. However, the original value and mission of sports is fun, unity, fair play, and honesty. Therefore, the original intent ought to be revered. It would be a good thing to see people winning free and fairly without any manipulation (Murray, 2018). Moreover, demerits associated with doping are more than merits.