Performance Enhancing Drugs Athletes take illegal drugs Performance Enhancing Drugs

Attention The shocking news is being told by reporters all around the world. Lance Armstrong, a well known cyclist, has been accused of taking illegal performing enhancing drugs. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency told Armstrong he is banned from competing in cycling and they stripped him of his record titles. Maese, Rick. “USADA Strips Lance Armstrong’s Titles, bans him from cycling.”Washington Post. 25 Nov. 2012

More recent news Recently another celebrated athlete, Alex Rodriguez among other major league baseball players have been suspended from playing baseball for drug testing positive. Reported by Ronald Blum.

Athletes Train Hard to Compete at High Level Athletes spend countless hours with coaches, attending practices, weight room training, and learning mental aspects of the sport. Vaughters states that motivated students will train before school and later on after classes.

Methods and Strategies To achieve their goal athletes are willing to try different ideas. For example, a diet that better supports their rigorous workouts. Some try increasing their time training. Additionally, they may change up the workout routine with different exercises.

Athlete Setbacks Athletes who are serious about their sport want to reach that elite status. However, some athletes do all they can and yet can not reach that level. If you play a sport like tennis or golf, you need to have serious financial support. Playing either of these sports cost a lot of money due to court or course fees and equipment. Not to mention the coaching fees. When players can not get the financial support necessary, they have to let go of their dream.

Seeking Perfection Some athletes never can reach that elite level because they lack the natural ability or the mental toughness needed for their sport. For example, a basketball player typically needs to be tall and quick. It would be difficult for someone say 5’8” to compete at the professional level. Athletes who reach an elite level but want to ensure finishing first sometimes take illegal enhancing performance drugs.

Doping is a term used when athletes use legal or illegal drugs to enhance performance. Athletes choose to take illegally manufactured drugs to enhance their performance, for example Anabolic steroids. They do this in hopes they will become stronger and faster. (Kuiper, Harm) This practice has been going on since the early Olympic games. The Greeks and the Egyptians engaged in Doping in order to out-compete the other.

Appealing to Various Athletes Using performance enhancing drugs is not isolated to a particular group of athletes. Steroid usage is typically done by bodybuilders and football players, but now even cyclist and swimmers are using it to help with endurance. (In the article “Steroids: Just the Facts”) Many baseball players have taken steroids to increase their strength.

Stop We celebrate our athletes when they win, and it is this glorious moment that they strive for. However, we need to make sure they play on a level playing field. All athletes should compete drug free. I propose we support an increase on drug testing and impose harsher penalties for athletes who drug test positive. Voting for certain political people can help this fight and hiring individuals in positions that can directly impose the testing and penalties.

Conclusion Let’s educate people that taking illegal performance enhancing drugs is cheating the sport. We want to preserve the integrity of all sports. It will keep our athletes from possibly having serious health issues and/or drug addictions.