A drug is any chemical substance you take that affects the way the body works. Doping means taking drugs to improve sporting performance. Athletes take drugs to:  Pep up their performance  Kill pain so they can keep going  Build muscles faster than they can do in training  Calm themselves before important events Cartoon from an Australian newspaper

These stimulate the circulatory and nervous systems.  Raise the heart rate and blood pressure  Speed up reactions  Increase alertness and confidence  Enable users to work hard for long periods with less pain and fatigue Examples are: -Amphetamines Eg. Dexedrine, benzedrine, ‘speed’ - Caffeine- found in tea and coffee

Dangers  Suppressing pain and fatigue can be harmful to the body.  When the stimulant has worn off the individual can experience ‘down’ feelings.  Stimulants can cause violent and aggressive behaviour.  Heavy use can cause high blood pressure and liver and brain damage.

These act on the central nervous system to stop the body feeling pain. Narcotic=causing drowsiness. Analgesic=killing pain. They give a sense of wellbeing and relaxation. Examples  Morphine and heroin- used in hospitals  Codeine- a much milder drug. Found in painkillers from normal chemist shops.

Athletes misuse these drugs to kill pain from injury, so they can carry on competing in events. Dangers  Can cause constipation and low blood pressure  Can cause the person to feel apathetic (Lethargic, flat, not interested).  They are addictive  Some are illegal

These are hormones which help to build and repair muscle and bone. These occur naturally in the body eg. Testosterone. Athletes and body builders take artificial steroids to increase the size and strength of their muscles and aid recovery.

Taking artificial steroids mean that the body stops producing its own. This can cause…  Heart disease and high blood pressure  Weakened ligaments and tendons  Infertility and cancer  Aggressive behaviour  Growth of facial hair and voice deepening in females

These increase the amount of water excreted in urine. They are used to treat patients with heart disease who have excess fluid in their bodies. They are misused in sports that have weight divisions eg. Boxing, jockeys, wrestling etc. They can also cover up use of other drugs by flushing them out of the body. o Essential sodium and potassium gets lost along with the water. o Low potassium can lead to muscle weakness and heart damage.