drugs and doping

Question 1

ethics

Answer 1

Ethics are principles or rules that govern behaviour, either in life generally, or in sport specifically,
i.e. playing to the rules and ‘in the spirit of a sport

Question 2

deviance

Answer 2

Deviance is breaking rules and norms. Deviance in sport is widely considered to be unethical.

Question 3

legal supplements

Answer 3

Many sports performers use legal supplements to maximise training and performance in sport. Examples are: •sports drinks,
•vitamins and minerals,
•creatine,
•protein shakes,
•bicarbonate (keeping blood PH neutral, negating effects of lactic acid build up),
•caffeine (up to a certain dosage) are legal supplements so taking them is not deviant

Question 4

advantages of legal supplements

Answer 4

•Can improve general health and well-being via vitamins and minerals
•Can improve strength, stamina, rehydration, recovery via dietary manipulation, protein shakes, sports drinks
•Can provide energy or replenish phosphocreatine stores, allowing longer training or increase performance during high intensity activity, bicarbonate, creatine supplements are aimed at this

Question 5

disadvantages of legal supplements

Answer 5

•Some claims that the level of performance enhancement is based on questionable research
•Little is known of the long-term effects of some legal supplements, so they may damage a user’s digestive system or cardiovascular systems, may possibly increase the risk of cancer
•Some legal supplements have many ingredients so may contain a banned substance which could easily be overlooked, putting a user at risk of failing a drug test
•Some may argue that using artificial supplements to aid to performance is cheating and goes against the ‘spirit of sport’

Question 6

Illegal performance enhancing drugs

Answer 6

although banned are still used to enhance sporting performance. Use of these substances is deviant. Example of illegal PED drugs are:
•Anabolic steroids
•Beta blockers
•Stimulants
•Human growth hormone
•EPO
•Blood doping

Question 7

Reasons why elite performers use illegal drugs/doping

Answer 7

•To improve performance (e.g., physiological and psychological reasons).
•A ‘win at all costs’ attitude, relevant to a lot of modern-day sport.
•Fame and fortune. Success in modern day elite sport can mean a performer becoming a famous house-hold name, plus the huge wages or prize money.
•Pressure, perhaps from coach, or peers.
•Perhaps performers think they might get away with drug taking or doping.
•Perhaps they don’t understand the dangers / side effects of drug taking or doping
•Make a foolish mistake e.g., use a nasal spray that contains a banned substance
•Poor role models setting a poor example.
•Perhaps they don’t understand the dangers / side effects of drug taking or doping
•A belief that most other competitors are doping; so they need to ‘even the playing field’

Question 8

Strategies to stop the use of illegal drugs and doping

Answer 8

•Stricter punishments
•Stricter/better targeted/more regular drug testing or more out of season testing
•Better coordinated or standardised actions and policies of anti-drug organisations such as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
•Develop / improve the use of the ‘athlete biological passport to help check for any physiologically irregularities.
•Continued/increased funding and scientific research to try to keep drug testing ahead of drug taking
•Educate coaches or performers, e.g. the ‘Coach Clean’ course for coaches.
•Use of positive role models or Sports Ambassadors to publicise or encourage drugs free sport / alternatively
‘name and shame’ drugs cheats
•An opposing argument is to legalise performance enhancing drugs, therefore they would not be deviant e.g. have a drugs Olympics and a drugs fee Olympic

Question 9

Consequences of using illegal drugs/doping to society

Answer 9

•Negative publicity for society. As sport often reflects society, widespread drug use in sport portrays society as unscrupulous and having a ‘win at all costs’ mentality
•Some PED drugs are illegal and can lead to a criminal prosecution in some countries.

Question 10

Consequences of using illegal drugs/doping to sport

Answer 10

•Threatens a sport’s integrity and reputation.
•Certain sports are strongly associated with high profile drugs cheats
•Can ‘cloud’ the successes of clean athletes,
•Results that can’t be trusted/meaningless results or records
•Negative role modelling, possibly producing young athletes who feel they cannot compete unless they take drugs

Question 11

consequences of using illegal drugs/ doping on performers

Answer 11

•Can improve performance leading to increased fame / fortune
•Punishment.
•Damage to a sportsperson’s reputation, which could lead to a loss of earning.
•Can lead to isolation from peers
•Damage to body e.g. addiction, high blood pressure, impotence, even death. Also /or damage to mind e.g. mood swings, depression etc.