Steroids as Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports - Term Paper Example

Steroids in Sports Introduction: The area of human activity that is associated with a dramatic spurt in the quality and quantity of performance enhancing drugs is the arena of sports. The performance levels required to succeed at the highest levels of sport are at the limits of human endeavor and with so much competition and money involved in the success associated with sports, there is the strong temptation to indulge in the use of performance enhancing drugs to gain the required edge and be a part of fame and financial gain that success in sports brings. The issue of performance enhancing drugs in sports has become an issue of concern in society. Society is perplexed, as it is buffeted by several questions on the use of performance enhancing drugs in sports. Some of these questions pertain to ethical issues and individual liberty. Others pertain to the important values in society built over time and the threat that the use of performance enhancing drugs have on these values in society, particularly so when the use of performance enhancing drugs in reality do not advance the good of the sport, or the sports person, or society. Steroids as Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Steroids are among the older set of pharmacological agents that have been misused in sports to enhance performance. The use of performance enhancing drugs in sports is defined as “the administration to sportsmen or sportswomen, or the use by them, of pharmacological classes of doping agents or doping methods”. (1). Testosterone is a pharmacological agent that has been employed primarily in treating men having androgen deficiency for quite some time now. Anabolic steroids are the synthetic derivates of testosterone with a range of medical applications. However, the group of pharmacological agents known as steroids is frequently misused in sports through heavy dosages to build muscles to enhance performance in power oriented sports like weight lifting and in body building. A major issue of concern with the misuse of anabolic steroids is the increased risk of premature death arising from several causes like cardiac failure (2). The Call for Allowing Performance Enhancing Drugs: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) justifies the need for combating the misuse of drugs in sports on the basis that the misuse if drugs runs against the spirit of sports that are enshrined in the values of “ethics, fair play and honesty; health; excellence in performance; character and education; fun and joy; dedication and commitment; respect for rules and laws; respect for self and other participants; courage; and community and solidarity’. (3). In contrast to this the call for allowing the use of performance enhancing drugs revolves around two main themes. The first theme is that the fine ideals of sports as enshrined by WADA are no longer a working model. The misuse of drugs like steroids has become all pervasive in sports, for according to Savulescu, Faddy & Clayton, 2004, p. 666, “the lure of success is great, but the penalties small”. (4). The first part of this argument brings into focus the role that money is playing in the field of sports. How did this state of affairs come about? Let’s look at the Olympics, which was started to incorporate all the ideals of sports. In 1986 the International Olympic Committee changed its rules to allow professional athletes to compete on the justification that all the great male and female athletes needed to be part of the Olympics. The consequence has been the increased use of performance enhancing drugs at the Olympics, whereby the enhanced quality of the Olympics has been marred by doping scandals. (5). An allowance made for improving the quality of the sport has in fact been the cause for its decline. Have we not learned a lesson in making allowances in the ideals of sports? The second part of this argument is that with cheating, which is a failing of human society and a part of the sports arena in the use of performance enhancing drugs like steroids as the penalties are small, if caught, can be removed by making the use of performance enhancing drugs like steroids a part of the sportsman’s kit. (4). Human society has many failings and it has been the endeavor of human society to keep these failings in check to the maximum possible. This is the reason that human society has progressed to the extent it has. Let us follow the transfer this case scenario to the other areas of social activity. Just because we have not been able to eradicate robbery and rape in society, let us make it an acceptable practice. Just because some greedy chief executives send public companies into ruin driving some investors into poverty, let’s make poor corporate governance an accepted norm of our business practices. Just because hackers enter networks and create havoc, let’s not waste time and effort developing firewall against these attacks. In short let’s throw all our social morals and social responsibility down the drain. This is why the Medical Director of WADA, Alan Garnier, 2006, stresses that allowing doping in sports is “not simply absurd; it is morally wrong and irresponsible”. (6). Society looks upon sports as the means to developing strength of character and observation of rules and regulation among several other qualities valuable to society. What is the impact on these valuable qualities by allowing doping in sports? Just the opposite and instead of strengthening character weakens it in the face of adversity and encourages justification of the ends over the means employed, hardly making for a morally stronger society. (7). By allowing steroids to be used in sports neither do the sports persons gain nor does society, for according to Garnier, 2006, “to encourage doping may be beneficial for their promoters, but not for sport and athlete health” (6). The second theme in the argument for allowing performing enhancing drugs in sports is that it levels the playing field making and removes the benefits gained from the misuse of drugs like steroids in the field of sports. (4). The argument that by allowing performance enhancing drugs like steroids in sports field the playing field will gel leveled and thereby enables athletes from even poor countries to perform well in sports is a pipe dream and really works to the contrary. In the opinion of Garnier, 2006, “to accept doping would allow the use of economic resources and scientific expertise to decide competition, and only those with access to those resources and expertise would win. Can one imagine a wider inequity in this world than that of scientific knowledge and availability of medicines?” (6). Economic resources already play a large part in winning in modern sports. A look at any medal tally in major sporting events will confirm this. The only aspect that really levels the playing field is the genetic advantage that athletes from poorer nations derive. Long and short distance runners from poor East African countries like Kenya and Ethiopia have a genetic advantage in endurance events of running that sees them win medals in this segment of athletics. In a similar vein, athletes of West African origin enjoy success in sprint events. In most of the other forms of competitive athletics economic resources and technology provide the cutting edge and it is the rich nations that win most of the medals. (8). Is leveling the playing field aimed at denying the poorer nations the few medals they garner at international sports arenas because of an advantage they were born with? If removing genetic advantage is the target, then we should also put height restrictions in games like basketball and volleyball, for after all height is a genetic advantage! One final aspect that needs consideration is the ruin of the health of the sports person through the misuse of performance enhancing drugs like steroids. There is awareness and concern over the health risks associated with the misuse of steroids that include premature death from cardiac failure. (2). Are we going to condemn our elite sports persons to early death by encouraging them to use performance enhancing drugs like steroids. The cost on their families in particular and society in general will be heavy. Conclusion: In conclusion there is no basis form any argument to allow the use of performance enhancing drugs like steroids in sports. Should we do that we would be spelling the demise of sports as we know it. “It would mean the end of merit for athletes. It would mean that prizes and medals would no longer be awarded to athletes but to pharmaceutical companies and research teams”. (6). Works Cited 1. “Definition of doping”. 2006. European Commission. 2 April, 2008. . 2. Handelsman, D. J. “Testosterone: use, misuse and abuse”, The Medical Journal of Australia 185.8 (2006): 436-439. 3. “World Anti-Doping Code”. 2003. WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY. 2 April, 2008. . 4. Savulescu, J. Foddy, B. & Clayton, M. “‘Why we should allow performance enhancing drugs in sport’. British Journal of Sports Medicine 38, 666-670. 5. “OLYMPIC CHANGES: DOLLARS AND SENSE”. 1996. PBS.org. 2 April, 2008. . 6. Garnier, Alan. “Letter to the Editor: An Open Letter to Those Promoting Medical Supervision of Doping”. Medscape Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine 10. 2 (2006) 2 April, 2008. . 7. Stamm, H. Lamprecht, M. Kamber, M. Marti, B. & Mahler, N. “The public perception of doping in Switzerland, 1995-2004”. Journal of Sports Medicine 26.3 (2008): 235-242. 8. Scott, A. R. Moran, C. Wilson, H. R. Goodwin, H. W. & Pitsiladis, P. Y. “Genetic influence in East African Running Success”. Equine and Comparative Exercise Physiology 1 (2004): 273-280. Read More