...Performance Enhancing Drugs in Professional Athletics In the year 2009, a famous baseball player known as Alex Rodriguez finally confessed to using performance enhancing drugs between the years of 2001 and 2003 while playing for the Texas Rangers. He said he felt pressured into doing so because he needed to be able to really perform. Rodriguez was a first overall pick in 1993 by the Seattle Mariners, a 14-time All-Star, and three time American League MVP. Rodriguez wound up being suspended for 162 games and missing the entire 2014 season after admitting to using performance enhancing drugs. In order to gain control of doping in professional sports performance enhancing drugs should be legalized for all professional athletes. After all...
Words: 1482 - Pages: 6
...sponsorships and other various money making routes. However, the industry’s profits have a huge dependence on spectators. If nobody watched the events or bought the memorabilia, the industry would collapse. How do these teams keep up their entertainment value, and in turn their number of spectators? By winning of course. There are many die hard fans for each team no matter what sport, but as the winning streaks stop, so do the “bandwagon jumpers” that only stick around to cheer for a winning team. This puts a lot of pressure on players to perform at their very best and for team managers to only sign the very best, the players that...
Words: 1234 - Pages: 5
...Sports and Performance Enhancing Drugs John Alvarez Student #0588681 Essay 2 April 1, 2015 PHI – 010 Professor Andrea Yusim Words: 1,519 In a country that is obsessed with winning and competition, athletes, teams and even fans have tried to gain an advantage against their competition. As athletes become bigger, stronger and faster, the margin and window of opportunity to become the best athlete in their respective sports is surely becoming smaller and smaller. Many people will argue that performance enhancing drugs will help in promoting player health and recovery and that sports in general will benefit overall. In this paper, I will argue that the argument in favor of performance enhancement drug use is not valid because performance enhancing drugs are unethical, create unfair competitive advantages and do not promote the very essence of the value of sports which is hard work and team work. Team and individual sports in the United States is a very important part of culture. Athletes are revered for their prowess and mastery of their respective sports and are at times treated as demi-gods. Individual teams and entire leagues depend on these very athletes to compete at the highest level and with the utmost sense of integrity in order to show that their leagues are played ethically. So not only are athletes expected to be at their very best, they are also expected to do so without compromising the integrity of the sport such as cheating by using PEDs. In the article...
Words: 1694 - Pages: 7
...“The challenge is not to find a top player who has used steroids. The challenge is to find a top player who hasn’t…” - Jose Canseco (2005) Performance-Enhancing drugs are widely used in sports in order to win and be the best, despite the fact that they are illegal and dangerous. It has always been a very “Black and White” issue. Many people, while they may not agree with it; they believe we should ignore it because these are “Sports Stars”. While others, want the athletes in question to be stripped of any titles they may have achieved while supposedly “juicing”. I believe that this is an issue of whom the controversy surrounds and why it is happening in sports. Athletes use Performance-Enhancing drugs despite the risk of side-effects. There have been serious documented risks of using Performance-Enhancing drugs. Some of these side effects are: death, high blood pressure, heart attacks, liver damage, stroke, headaches, increased risk of joint and tendon injuries, baldness, “roid rage”, hallucinations, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, reduced sperm count, impotence, increased breast size, and enlarged prostate are side-effects that occur in men. (American Academy of Pediatrics. 2002). Many companies have produced supplements that do not require a prescription or can be obtained legally that may produce similar results in muscle gain and strength, without the dangerous steroid side-effects. The companies that produce steroids state that they...
Words: 1952 - Pages: 8
...or insane home runs during a close baseball game? Performance enhancing drugs or “PEDs” can help your favorite team and favorite player perform at the greatest potential. Performance enhancing drugs are used in almost every sport without people ever really knowing that a player is on them. The only way to truly find out is to administer a drug test and if results come back positive, then the player is usually hated and looked at as a loser. But if you get by the test and get a negative result and are not caught using the drugs, then you are in the clear and still have the same reputation of being a good player even though you are cheating. Since the tests...
Words: 1622 - Pages: 7
...Research shows that the public's opinion varies on the use of performance enhancing drugs, depending how they are used. Media has highlighted scandal after scandal in professional sports, and rest assured there are more headlines to come. Olympians have been stripped of their medals, athletes have been suspended, and Hall of Fame status has been denied due to use of these substances. Professional athletes are held in high esteem, being seen as role models and put on pedestals until a scandal comes out about them. No doubt there is much scrutiny and criticism surrounding these individuals, but there is another use of performance enhancing drugs that goes widely unnoticed. Students on college campuses around the nation are using prescription...
Words: 1310 - Pages: 6
...If you are an avid sports fan and there is a chance to make superstar athletes whom you admire much faster, stronger and better, would you be in favor of that opportunity? Performance enhancing drugs have been a very controversial topic ever since American professional athletes introduced them into the sports world during the 1990’s. Many athletes have experimented with these drugs over their careers and have been tested, and ultimately caught, but does this really put the MLB in the direction they and the fans want? Although some researchers and critics may consider performance enhancing drugs a method of cheating, PEDs actually benefit professional leagues by increasing fan interest, revenue, and levels of play. If performance enhancing...
Words: 1976 - Pages: 8
...The Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs In Sports Axia College of University of Phoenix The use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in sports The use of Performance Enhancing Drugs or PED’s in sports today has become an ongoing battle. From the media to athletes, to the doctor who prescribe the drugs to now involving the Federal Government, the issue of whether or not it is cheating has played a major roll in today’s sports. Baseball players, Football players, Swimmers, Track and Field runners, Olympians, Professional Weight Lifters, Cyclists, and the list goes on and on have all been in some way or another connected to steroids. Once thought to be a problem strictly associated with body builders, fitness "buffs," and professional athletes, the abuse of steroids is prevalent in today’s society. Athletes of all ages are starting to turn toward the use of these drugs in hopes to improve their performance and give athletes that edge to win as well as improving their appearance. This is not only wrong but it is cheating, and these drugs can cause serious health problems in athletes later on down the line. Performance Enhancing drugs have been around for hundreds of years. Anabolic-androgenic steroids or AAS were 1st discovered in the early 1930s as a therapeutic drug to treat growth hormone replacement in deficient children, menopausal symptoms, impotence, and the retardation of the effects of aging by stimulating the rate of synthesis of protein molecules (The use of performance...
Words: 1358 - Pages: 6
...The Unbalanced Scale of Banned Substances and Sports Lolita Sampson American Military University The Unbalanced Scale of Banned Substances and Sports There are over 2000+ recognized sports across the globe and the first reported drug abuse incident occurred in the late 1890s (Lajis, n.d.). Many sports have been played for centuries where their tactics have been mastered by the competing athletes. This is what separates a novice from a professional. Some athletes choose to elude the sporting guidelines and seek ergogenic aids, to include banned substances in order to win. Winning or losing determines a continuous paycheck, scholarships, athletic contracts and sponsored endorsements. The scale is unbalanced in relation to banned...
Words: 2506 - Pages: 11
...OUTLINE RESEARCH PAPER Can Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) actually be positive and beneficial for Major League Baseball? “As the likes of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez saw their usage exposed, the sport fought back with tougher drug testing and after the 2005 season produced a program punitive enough to minimize the game's doping culture.” (Braun's test result gives MLB major jolt; With MVP under cloud, steroid era is revisited Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY), "Probably the biggest sentence to which he was subjected is the impact on whether he'll be a lock for the Hall of Fame and the stigma that is now attached to his name and his records."(Barry Bonds is sentenced in enduring BALCO saga; No end in sight to BALCO's reach by: Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY). Quotes like these could have been seen all over newspapers and magazines all throughout the past decade. Yes, these athletes did use Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED), but a debate has raged on about just how right are we to scrutinize them for those actions and just how inappropriate their actions were? With baseball professionals on both sides arguing how much of an impact they really had on the game. More so, I'd like to ask the question of whether what they had done was actually in a way good for baseball, and whether Performance Enhancing Drugs should even be banned from baseball? Which, I believe they shouldn’t be for numerous reasons. In order to understand just how...
Words: 1933 - Pages: 8
...The main comment people think about when they hear athletes using performance enhancement drugs and why it should be illegal are the health risks. What is a performance enhancing substance? “A substance or method is considered to be performance-enhancing when it has the potential to enhance or enhances sport performance” “It also represents an actual or potential health risk to an athlete”(Performance-Enhancing Drugs and Their Side-Effects.) There are physical and mental effects of taking the drugs. “The physical effects could be acne, male pattern baldness, liver damage and stunted growth if you’re still an adolescent”( Effects of Performance-Enhancing Drugs | USADA). “More serious effects include heart and liver damage, and an increased risk...
Words: 599 - Pages: 3
...How are performance enhancing drugs (PEDS) affecting the future of sports? Although many PEDS are banned by the USADA, there is a reason why some should be allowed. The war between sports and drugs has been going on for a long time and is affecting all sports. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), is the national anti-doping organization (NADO) for Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, and Parapan American sports in the United States. They try to preserve the integrity of competition , inspire true sport, and protect the rights of athletes. Drugs not allowed by the USADA include erythropoietin, anabolic steroids, stimulants, human growth hormone, and diuretics. The USADA collects urine and blood samples to test for drugs. They inform athletes of the results of their drug tests and also manage any potential anti-doping rule violations....
Words: 610 - Pages: 3
...use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport be legalized? By: Evan ENG2D1-02 Performance-enhancing drugs (PED‘s) have become a major issue in today’s sports world. Some people may think that PED’s in sport should be legalized because of the fact that they improve the level of sport and that the harm is worth the fame and glory. The negative factors of legalizing PED’s in sport outweigh the positive factors. Performance-enhancing drugs should not be legalized in sport because they take away from the true origin of sport, taking them can lead to life-threatening health issues, and the athletes who are taking them are setting a bad example for the youth who are the future of sport. Sports were originally designed to test ones ability and talent in a certain area. With the introduction of performance-enhancing drugs in 1936, the true origin of sport has been taken over by men and women who insist on being bigger and stronger than their competitors. Athlete’s who use PED’s are making it unfair to the athletes who work hard, train and push themselves to be the best. With the increasing number of athletes who are taking these drugs, it will start to put pressure on the athletes who are not, making them want to take them. Not to mention taking performance-enhancing drugs is cheating. It is an alternative to working hard and training. The athletes that are abusing PED’s are not playing sports for the competitiveness, health benefits or for the fun of sport, they are...
Words: 687 - Pages: 3
...Should performance enhancing drugs be accepted in sports? Sports are a big part of many people’s lives. Whether they are playing basketball, football, baseball, or other sports, people want to perform the best they can to help their team win. Many athletes exercise and lift weight to achieve their goals, while others rely on special diet plans to be stronger and healthier. But, one of the most controversial ways of increasing athletic ability is by taking performance enhancing drugs. Performance enhancing drugs can become a big part of athletes’ lives and have the potential of becoming very addictive, because players may see a major change in their performance. Athletes like Lance Armstrong, Wes Welker, and Alex Rodriguez have all used some form of performance enhancing drug. While it may seem like a good route for some major athletes, they end up losing some respect and their right to play and compete. So a major issue that sports authorities are facing now is whether...
Words: 960 - Pages: 4
...“An alarming number of sports—baseball, football, track and field, and especially cycling—have been shaken by doping scandals in recent years,” reports Scientific American (Schermer, 2008). The performance enhancing drugs are becoming needed good for some athletes in order to succeed. There is a tremendous clash of ideas, what path we should take in according to these types of drugs. The million-dollar question is to legalize them or not. In “Good sport, bad sport” published in The Age, Julian Savalescu and Bennett Foddy (2004) argue that the use of performance enhancing drugs should be legalized in sports because it is not “against the spirit of sport.” First of all, the authors introduce the issue of using drugs in sports as something that has been around for a long period of time, even in the Ancient Olympics. Savalescu and Foddy then explain that the elimination of drug use in sports is failing. They say the athletes’ desire to win is a lot of times stronger than staying clean. In addition, Savalescu and Foddy argue that performance enhancing drugs do not doubt the spirit of sport. In their view, making human biology more effective symbolizes the human spirit. They say that sports are about striving to be better, and drugs allow athletes to do that. Savalescu and Foddy also claim that sports today are aimed against people without genetic predispositions to be the best, and so taking drugs would equalize people with different genetic predispositions. In their opinion, the...
Words: 1758 - Pages: 8
