Drugs Flashcards
social reasons
win at all costs attitude
fame and fortune attaches to success at elite level - lots of extrinsic rewards eg sponsorship, prize money etc
high levels of pressure to win
lack of effective deterrents
psychological reasons
certain drugs can steady nerves
may suffer from lack of confidence
anabolic steroids
artificially produced steroids
aid storage of protein and promote muscle growth, leading to increased strength and power
improved ability to train for longer at higher intensity
-power athletes eg sprinters
-liver damage, acne, behavioural changes
beta blockers
works by widening arteries allowing increased blood flow
improves accuracy in precision sports, calms nerves
calms performance anxiety
counteracts adrenaline so dont get nervous
-high precision eg archery, snooker
-tiredness due to low blood pressure
Erythropoietin- EPO
hormone produced by kidneys to increase RBC
increase in oxygen carrying capacity
increases endurance and allows performers to delay fatigue
-endurance performers eg long distance runners and cyclists
-blood clotting + stroke
positive
can improve performance
lead to increased fame and success
negative
threatens spirit and integrity of sport- is cheating and negatively damages the reputation of the sport
can damage performer’s reputation
provides negative role models for younger athletes
negative physiological effects of taking drugs- could lead to health problems later in life
can negatively affect reputation of whole country/ team
eliminating drugs
random drug testing
investment into better testing programmes
coordination between organisations eg UKAD and WADA
educate athletes and coaches on implications
tough deterrents and punishments - banning, stripping of medals
name and shame guilty performers
for
battle against drugs is expensive and time consuming
money could be better used on something else
performance in elite competition is very high pressure, affecting performance and taking drugs may bring performance back to actual level
athletes have right to choose at is their body
drugs can help in recovery from tough training programmes
against
pressure from peers and coaches to take drugs
only richer countries can afford drugs
drug taking is illegal
success in sport should be due to hard work and natural talent
gives negative image to certain sports