Ancient Olympians Already Used Performance Enhancing Drugs - Assignment Example

Ancient Olympians Already Used Performance Enhancing Drugs As I sit here watching the Sochi Winter Olympics unfold before me on television, I cannot help but marvel at how the physique of every athlete is one that is difficult for any person to achieve without any help. Sure these athletes are at the top of their game and in the pink of health. However, I find it difficult to believe that their appearance, endurance, strength, and abilities as an athlete all come from natural means and training methods. Not everyone is born a super-person and every person needs an extra edge when it comes to performing in the sports arena if they want to win the gold. I guess what I am trying to say is that maybe, just maybe, the use of performance enhancing drugs is an open secret among athletes but is kept under wraps in public so as not to influence amateur sports enthusiasts. It is no secret that performance enhancing drugs have been around since ancient Greek times. Therefore, one can deduce that the ancient Olympic results were influenced by drug use, thus making doping in ancient sports legal. Admittedly, the ancient Greeks did not use the same sort of steroids that our modern day athletes use. But the main focus of their plant mixtures was still to enhance an athletes stamina and performance during a sporting event. While the modern performance enhancing drug of choice in the 21st century is based upon steroids, ancient athletes doped on herbal medication, wine potions, hallucinogens, and even animal hearts or testicles in an effort to enhance their abilities. According to research done into the history of ancient Olympics; In his work “Gymnasticos,” Filostratos (3rd-2nd century BC) mentions that the doctors had been significantly helping the preparation of the Olympic Games athletes, and that the cooks had been preparing bread with spices from juice of the plant poppy opium. Plinios, the younger (1st century BC), mentions that the athletes in running sports had been drinking a decoctum of a plant called hippouris for muscle mass and increased strength. However, more data are not easy to retrieve, because ancient doping had been well hidden by the Hellanodikai (judges) and the priests of the Games (Papagelopoulos , Panayiotis “Doping in Ancient and Modern Olympic Games”). Therefore, doping or the use of performance enhancing drugs has been an open secret among athletes but frowned upon by the judges since time immemorial. One would think that since such a problem has been in existence that long, those in charge of the games would realize that banning drug use from sports is a losing battle. In such cases, it would be best to simply legalize its use in an effort to level the playing field among the athletes using performance enhancing drugs. With guidelines in place to assist the athletes in terms of their drug use, the Olympics may even become a more exciting sporting event to watch. Works Cited Papagelopoulos, Panayiotis J. “Doping in Ancient and Modern Olympic Games”. Orthopedics. Healio. Dec. 2004. Web. 5 Feb. 2014. Athletes Should Be Allowed To Use Performance Enhancing Drugs In the world of sports, the use of performance enhancing drugs is spoken of in hushed tones. The anabolic steroids that athletes use to enhance their muscle size, strength, and physical abilities are used in the dark. Nobody is supposed to know that such practices actually do exist. But regardless of the secrecy that the athletes and their trainers place around their drug use, news still leaks out and athletes seem to treat it as an open secret amongst themselves. Athletes thrive on the thrill of victory. They see their peers as competitors that they have to crush any way possible. Sports like weightlifting, track and field, cycling, and the like all require athletes to have an unimaginable kind of stamina and power in order to get ahead of the competition. But these athletes are not super-humans. They are mere mortals whose physical abilities have limitations. It is no wonder that they seek some extra “help” in that particular field. The problem, is that the “help” that they receive is not openly accepted by the judges. Somehow, they want the athletes to be super-human rather than accept that all athletes need an extra boost to help them achieve their goals. If energy drinks and food supplements are accepted as a part of the training program, why cant performance enhancing drugs be accepted as well? Surely there are benefits to be had for both the athlete and the spectator once the drug use is regulated in the athletic community. Prof. Julian Savulescu of the University of Oxford explains that regulation can promote safety among the athletes because there will finally be a set of rules that are enforceable, fair, and within safe physiological limits for the athletes (Suvalescu, Julian “Should Athletes be Allowed to Use Performance Enhancing Drugs?”). Some athletes are drugged after an injury. They feel better and perform better while recuperating under the use of the drug. They continue to use the drug even after they are cured because it helps them achieve a sort of edge over the others. In such instances, legalization of drug use will come in handy because the competitors will know exactly what they are going up against in competition and thus, be better prepared. Prof. Savulescu presents the best argument in support of the legalization of performance enhancing drugs in the following statement: Over time the rules of the sport have evolved, They must evolve as humans and their technology evolve and the rules begin to create more problems than they solve. It is time to rethink the absolute ban and instead to pick limits that are safe and enforceable (Suvalescu, Julian “Should Athletes be Allowed to Use Performance Enhancing Drugs?”) Prof. Suvalescu has presented what the reality of sports is in our modern era. It is high time that the rules governing drug use in the field of sports be reconsidered in relation to the effects of drug use upon injured athletes or athletes using performance supplements during training. Therefore, it would be best to simply legalize the use of performance enhancing drugs in order to best regulate the practice. Works Cited Savulescu, Julian. “Should Athletes be Allowed to Use Performance Enhancing Drugs?” Practical Ethics. University of Oxford. 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. Athletes Should Not Be Blamed For Using Performance Enhancing Drugs Look at the lifestyle of athletes these days. The glitzy glamor of the clothes they were to parties, the seemingly unlimited expense accounts, the flashy cars, the lifestyle that used to belong only to actors and actresses from Hollywood has invaded the world of athletics. Needless to say, every athlete wants in on that type of lifestyle. But it is a lifestyle that is only achieved by the almost super-human athletes that win competitions. So, what is an aspiring athlete to do in such instances? The answer is one that everyone already knows. They turn to performance enhancing drugs. Athletes who wish to achieve the pinnacle of success will do anything to get ahead. This includes using both herbal and steroidal performance enhancers whenever possible. Without the use of performance enhancing drugs specifically, athletes will struggle to gain an edge over their competition. But knowing that they will be barred from competing when caught using these enhancing drugs, they publicly disavow using these steroids. However, behind the scenes, something else is going on. According to Michael Scott (“The Use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports”), the athletes cannot be blamed for using these drugs. They have to use it whether they like it or not because; “international athletic associations and their corporate sponsors, covertly encourage drug use by demanding higher standards of achievement from athletes in order to reach fans and gain profit” (Scott, Michael “The Use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports”). Taking the aforementioned information into consideration, one is faced with the decision to reconsider the classification of performance enhancing drugs as “illegal” due to the unfair advantage it offers one athlete over the other. Yet it would seem, from the information received, that all the athletes on the field are using the performance enhancing drugs in one way or another. And their coaches and trainers turn a blind eye to it. Therefore, it would seem most logical to simply stop blaming the athletes for using these drugs and calling their sponsors, trainers, and coaches for their responsibility in encouraging the athlete to dope up. Since those in charge of the athletes performance encourage the drug use, the athletes need to be protected from these people. Considering that they will not stop asking the athletes to use the drugs, then the sports commissions should simply put rules into place that will help protect the athletes from the negative effects of the drugs instead. It would seem that the drug watch agencies in the sports world have gotten it wrong. They are blaming the wrong people for using drugs. They also do not take any measure to try to help the athlete using the drug. Instead of banning the drug, working with the coaches, trainers, and sponsors might instead be the best way to ensure that the performance enhancing drugs does not end up killing the athlete instead. Works Cited Scott, Michael. “The Use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports”. deltacollege.edu.deltacollege.edu. 2008. Web. 7 Feb. 2014. Performance Enhancing Drugs Are Not Always Bad Rafael Nadal is currently under fire for possible use of performance enhancing drugs which he began to use as part of his recovery process during a recent knee injury. In his 12 year career, he has always performed at a level that is not easily achieved by his peers. Thus leading them to constantly accuse him of performance enhancing drug use. Even though he never admitted to using it, his current knee injury and subsequent speedy recovery has brought the allegations of drug use on his part back into the spotlight. Everyone already knows that injured athletes use drugs to numb the pain as they play whenever necessary. In a way, these drugs that are used to help them ignore the pain of their injury as they play can be considered to be performance enhancing drugs. And yet the sporting world allows everyone, from basketball players to skiers, to use these drugs in order to help them get through the game. As such, they are playing using legalized performance enhancing drugs. They are playing at a level that they would not have been able to play at if their injury remained drug free. So why all the complaints about legalizing the use of performance enhancing drugs? It seems that allowing athletes to openly use the drugs will only serve to further enhance the public entertainment of the sport and the value of the athlete as a professional player. If the pulling out of a player in a team sport will result in an uneven team statistic with the opponent, shouldnt that athlete be allowed to take the performance enhancing drug so he can assist his team? Should an athlete who is on the verge of a gold medal be pulled out of a competition just because he blew his knee? We as a viewing public have placed these athletes on an altar. We treat like invincible gods when they are only human. It is the unfair expectations that the sports community and the community have placed upon these athletes that often drive them to rely on performance enhancing drugs. These days, we seem to consider athletes more of celebrities out there for our entertainment before anything else. As such, they are expected to perform even when they are not at performance level. So we cannot blame them for taking performance enhancing drugs. Instead, we should support them and make sure that they do not come to any harm as they take the drugs that also help us enjoy the competition we are watching. These people are human beings expected to do super--human feats. They will get hurt, they will need some help to perform. The performance enhancing drugs help them achieve that end game. So instead of banning the substance, we must instead encourage its safe use for the benefit of all concerned. Sports is Not a Level Playing Field We all know that some athletes perform better than others on the field. This could be because he is better trained, better equipped, or in some instances, better drugged. Developed countries have sports academys devoted to the training and enhancement of an athletes performance in a sport. They have specialized trainers, doctors, and moneyed athletes who can buy whatever it is they need in order to give them a leg up in their sport of choice. But not all athletes are lucky enough to be covered by this banner of sports enthusiasm in their country. That athlete will not be able to afford the best training in the world, attend a training academy, buy the best equipment, or even get special government funding for their sport. So it is that sports has been an uneven playing field since the time of the ancient Greek Olympics. However, it seems that there is something that all the athletes can afford, even though it is either on a bigger or a lesser scale than their competitors . Somehow, they can all afford to buy performance enhancing drugs. At least they are level on that playing field. Are there advantages to be had from an athlete accessing performance enhancing drugs? Maybe yes, maybe no. The use of the drugs does not automatically mean that the athlete will be better than the others. He still has to work hard and sacrifice for his sport in competition. The use of performance enhancing drugs does not make him a super athlete. It only gives him an edge performance wise but it does not assure him of a win. Taking the drug is their choice. Their trainers and coaches give them the option to take the drug whenever it appears necessary for them to do so. It is a personal choice and as such, we should stay out of it. They are conscious of the consequences and as such, are using the drugs with a clear understanding of what they are getting into. We cannot protect them from themselves but we can at least try to do so by placing guidelines to help them not go overboard with their drug use. Some athletes think that using performance enhancing drugs gives them an edge over their competition. It rarely does. Regardless of the drugs that an athlete takes, winning in the sport still depends mostly upon his skill, talent, and abilities. Nothing more, nothing less. The drugs dont win them the game, they win it on their own. Even if they are souped up on performance enhancing drugs, the drugs can only go so far. The drugs do not play the game for them. So yes, sports is not a level playing field. Performance enhancing drugs can only take an athlete so far. It seems silly to ban a drug when we already know that athletes are already being allowed to use certain drugs that inadvertently enhance their performance. Reasons why Performance Enhancing Drugs Should Be Legalized Some traditional athletes condemn the use of performance enhancing drugs because of the belief that use of the drugs destroy the spirit of the games. They claim that all wins must be done on the merits of the athletes abilities alone. Using drugs would give competitors unfair advantages during the sport activity in their opinion and as such, removes from the excitement of the sport. But in these modern times, their claims are nothing but a thing of the past. Drug use in sports is something that is seemingly an open secret these days. Think of it this way, the World Anti-Doping Agency was created to ensure that sports would remain drug free. That means that use of drugs are against the rules. But that is just because we said it was against the rules. We also said that performance enhancing drugs give the user an unfair advantage in the sport therefore it should be illegal to use such drugs. Performance enhancing drugs violate the spirit of the sport. But who determined the spirit of the sport? Didnt we do that? Think of it this way, we allow the use of performance enhancing drugs in sports that involve animals such as horse racing. We want the horses to have big muscles, strong stamina, and the strength of a thousand men. This makes him an excellent bet on the playing field. We do not frown upon these horses being injected with drugs in order to help them develop into a lean, competitive machine. So why do we have a problem in allowing human beings to use performance enhancing drugs for the same reason? Athletes drive themselves to succeed and they will do anything to become number one in their game. But sometimes, the natural abilities of an athlete just isnt enough to place him at the head of the pack. He needs an extra boost of sorts. That boost is received with the injection of a performance enhancing drug. As Lance Armstrong proved, you can drug way ahead of the scheduled competition and clean out your blood to show as negative in a blood test, but still have the effects of the performance enhancing drug within your system. The result? A competitor who has the ability to perform at his finest. Did Lance Armstrong get an unfair advantage over his competitors? The simple answer is no. He was not drugged when he was in the competition. He only had the good effects in his system. Even though it enhanced his ability to play, the fact of the matter is that he still won because he played well. Just as his opponents did. But being the seasoned competitor that he was, he knew how to play the game to win. Regardless of his drugs. His ability and strategy played a more important factor in his win than the drug use. And that is why the use of performance enhancing drugs in sports should be allowed and regulated. The win of the game still boils down to talent and skill. Nothing more, nothing less. Read More