Drugs in Sport Flashcards
In 2012, Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and given a lifetime ban for using banned substances including erythropoietin (EPO).
Evaluate the choice made by other professional cyclists to inject EPO instead of relying on altitude training alone to improve performance. Refer to the physiological effects of EPO on the cyclist in your answer.
[8 marks]
AO1 Knowledge of altitude training and erythropoietin (EPO).
* Altitude training is carried out at least 2500 m above sea level, where pO2 is lower leading to an increase in EPO.
* Erythropoietin (EPO) is a naturally occurring hormone.
* Synthetic EPO can be manufactured.
* EPO increases red blood cell count/haemoglobin levels/O2 carrying capacity/delays OBLA.
AO2 Application of use of altitude training and erythropoietin (EPO) for an elite road cyclist.
* EPO/altitude training would increase the cyclist’s ability to work aerobically at high intensity, maintaining speed throughout a stage/race.
* EPO/altitude training allows the cyclist to maintain high intensity effort without experiencing fatigue, meaning they can sprint at the finish of a stage/race.
* EPO/altitude training will allow the cyclist to recover more quickly following a sprint/hill climb.
* EPO/altitude training will allow the cyclist to maintain higher intensities for longer without experiencing fatigue, maintaining their position in the peloton/group.
AO3 Evaluation of the choice made by a professional cyclist to inject EPO rather than just relying on altitude training alone.
Why an elite road cyclist may choose to inject EPO:
* EPO can be injected simply and quickly allowing the cyclist to maintain their training without interruption
* injecting EPO will avoid the acclimatisation period/sickness/initial reversibility associated with altitude training
* the benefits of injecting EPO can be sustained for long periods avoiding the difficulty of peaking for competition experienced with altitude training
* injecting EPO avoids the need for a cyclist to spend long periods away from home, avoiding the psychological impact of being away from family and friends/cost of travel to altitude
Why an elite road cyclist may choose not to inject EPO:
* EPO is a banned substance, by injecting it the cyclist risks being banned from the sport/loss of income/damaged reputation
* injecting EPO gives the cyclist an unfair advantage making it immoral/unethical and against the principle of fair play
* by injecting EPO the cyclist is at increased risk of blood clots/stroke/fatality.
Accept any other appropriate evaluation of the choice made by a professional cyclist to inject EPO rather than just relying on altitude training to enhance their performance.
Max 8 marks
By August 2019, 69 athletes had failed drugs tests using samples taken during the London 2012 Olympics.
Evaluate the effectiveness of strategies used for eliminating the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport.
[15 marks]
AO1 Indicative Content: knowledge of drug prevention strategies.
* Educate athletes/coaches of the risks associated with taking performance enhancing drugs.
* Use of high-profile role models such as former athletes who competed drug free successfully.
* Investment in drug screening/detection, and research in detecting athletes taking PEDs
* Co-ordination between nations drug testing regulations.
* More frequent, randomised drug testing conducted.
* Stricter punishments for those found guilty of using PEDs.
AO2 Indicative Content: application of knowledge of drug prevention strategies.
* UKAD education programme - ‘100% Me’ programme, used to educate young athletes of the dangers/moral issues of taking PEDs.
* High-profile, successful athletes - Sir Chris Hoy, act as role models for young athletes.
* State-of-the-art WADA accredited laboratories worldwide
* Whereabouts system - athletes know they can be tested at any time, in any location.
* Standardised set of testing protocols/140 countries now apply the same procedures - athletes are now more likely to be caught regardless of the nation they represent.
* Biological passport, detailing normal physiological characteristics, makes it easier to detect abnormally high levels of naturally occurring performance enhancing substances, eg EPO.
* Lifetime bans for those found doping/having to return money from earnings, endorsements and sponsorship/prison sentences, these measures act as a financial deterrent.
AO3 Indicative Content: evaluation of the effectiveness of anti-doping strategies.
Effective
* Co-operation between governing bodies/agencies has led to more consistent regulations/stricter protocols/standardised list of banned substances/consistent punishments/testing regime.
* A co-ordinated approach helps to share the increasing cost of testing and screening more consistently by all sports and countries.
* Samples are kept and tested for up to 10 years after major events, meaning athletes can be caught and punished even after the event.
* Whereabouts system is effective because athletes cannot avoid being tested.
* Harsher punishments, eg returning earnings/losing titles/prison sentence will act as a very effective deterrent/could mean athletes lose careers/sponsorship, which will act as a deterrent.
Ineffective
* Reaching athletes in training camps abroad is difficult, making random testing challenging to conduct.
* Drugs and masking agents are constantly being developed, those who take PED’s one step ahead of the authorities/testing is not always reliable.
* Some countries have still not signed up to the internationally recognised, WADA guidelines for drug testing athletes, resulting in an inconsistent approach.
* Athletes and coaches exploit loop holes in regulations, eg therapeutic use exemption (TUE).
* The potential rewards linked to success, eg fame/infamy and fortune may be too tempting for some to resist.
Accept other appropriate evaluation of the strategies that can be used to eliminate drug use in sport.
Russia did not compete in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games due to allegations of drug taking.
Analyse the social, physiological and psychological reasons for an athlete to take drugs and the short term and long term implications this could have.
(Total 15 marks)
AO1 – Knowledge of social, physiological and psychological reasons athletes may take drugs
* The social reasons for drug taking includes the modern day ethos of society of win at all costs
* Fame and fortune
* Pressure to win
* Lack of effective methods to ban drug taking and some athletes have the belief that they will get away with it
* State sponsored drugs programmes
* The psychological reasons can vary for different drugs, for example, some athletes may take beta-blockers to steady nerves
* Others may use anabolic steroids to increase their aggression
* When athletes are suffering from a lack of confidence, stimulants can be used to raise a performer’s belief that they can achieve
* The physiological reasons can also vary depending on the drug use. Anabolic steroids help in storing protein and promote muscle hypertrophy, which increases strength and power
* Beta-blockers are good as they help to improve accuracy through reducing heart rate
* EPO increases red blood cell production, which increases an athlete’s aerobic capacity. This means the athlete can work for longer and recover quicker from training
* Negative implications of taking drugs in a list like fashion can be credited under Ao1
AO2 – Application of social, physiological and psychological reasons athletes may take drugs to specific sports
* Potential Olympic medalists may choose to take drugs because winning gold guarantees them a high media profile, sponsorship deals and other extrinsic rewards
* Russian athletes subject to state sponsored doping, required to do as instructed by coaches / NGBs
* Athletes such as golfers and snooker players may choose to take betablockers to calms their nerves and keep their arousal levels low so that they are able to carry out shots with a high degree of accuracy
* Athletes such as boxers may choose to use steroids to increase their aggression so that when they go into a fight they act more violently towards their opponent
* Anabolic steroids help in storing protein and promote muscle hypertrophy, which increases strength and power, useful for weightlifters to allow them to lift heavier weights in competition
* EPO may be used by long distance cyclists as the increased aerobic capacity allows the cyclist to last longer during events and enables them to buffer lactic acid and save energy for sprint finishes
AO3 – Analysis of short and long term implications of drug taking
* It can damage an athlete’s reputation / negative publicity if caught, meaning that future sponsorship deals are less likely
* Long term this could mean that an athlete will struggle financially and therefore unable to remain professional in their sport
* Drugs such as anabolic steroids can lead to mood swings and paranoia, which can make training very difficult, coach-athlete’s relationship may be affected by mood swings / could lead to long term depression
* Increased aggression as a result of anabolic steroids can be detrimental to a boxer as they may end up becoming over aggressive leading to them breaking rules, such as head-butting an opponent, could lead to long term bans from sport
* EPO can result in blood clotting and strokes, which means that athletes are putting their lives at risk
* Anabolic steroids can result in kidney failure, making continued training impossible, possible death
* Analysis linked to Russian athletes, such as all athletes labelled as drugs cheats and stricter testing of Russian athletes at future events
The specification only requires students to know about erythropoietin (EPO), anabolic steroids and beta blockers but knowledge of other performance enhancing drugs should be credited if correct and relevant.
Accept any other appropriate analysis of short and long term implications of drug taking
Explain the possible advantages of taking betablockers and identify the type of sporting activities in which they may be used. [3 marks]
(Beta blockers) block the effects of adrenalin / slows sympathetic nervous system / slows heart rate / lower blood pressure used for activities requiring accuracy e.g. archery, snooker, shooting or equivalent.
Need advantage and sporting activity
Some athletes choose to take illegal performance enhancing drugs, such as erythropoietin (EPO), beta-blockers or anabolic steroids.
Evaluate why a sprinter and a marathon runner may choose to take performance enhancing drugs for physiological benefit.
(Total 15 marks)
AO1 − knowledge of drugs
Erythropoietin (EPO) − naturally produced in kidney but artificially produced to increase red blood cell count. Artificially produced to increase haemoglobin levels.
Beta blockers − block the effects of epinephrine/counteracts adrenaline. Helps to slow heart down. Anabolic steroids − e.g. THG − artificially produced hormones. Synthetic steroid hormone; resembles testosterone in promoting the growth of muscle.
AO2 − Application to a sprinter and a marathon runner
Sprinter more likely to take anabolic steroids. Sprinters may wish to increase strength and power. They may wish to remain lean and prohibit body fat. Sprinters unlikely to use beta blockers or EPO as the effects do not match the needs of a sprinter.
Marathon runners are unlikely to use anabolic steroids or beta blockers and more likely to use EPO. Marathon is long duration and therefore anaerobic power is not the main fitness component required (therefore don’t use anabolic steroids). EPO promotes red blood cell increase, which carries oxygen. Marathon is an event that makes use of the Aerobic energy system.
Beta blockers perhaps not relevant as precision is not vital to marathon running.
AO3 − Evaluation (physiologically)
Sprinters who would choose to take anabolic steroids do so to increase anaerobic power − power is needed to get out of the blocks and to maintain speed over the course of the race. Aids the storage of protein and promotes muscle growth − hence increasing strength and anaerobic power. Leaner body weight can improve sprint performance and ability to train at higher intensity for longer.
Marathon runners need more oxygen to be carried around their bodies over the course of a race, which requires stamina. The more red blood cells, the more oxygen that can be carried around the body. This additional oxygen reduces the fatigue felt in the muscles over the long distance. If they can do this, then they have an advantage over rivals who may tire quicker as the race goes on.
Beta blockers reduce the effects of adrenaline on the body. Sprinters may take these so that they are less likely to commit a false start. However, the benefits probably aren’t as much as steroids. They aren’t much use for marathon runners as they don’t rely on precision or fine motor skills in the same way, e.g. they don’t start from blocks.
Accept any other evaluative point about why a sprinter may use performance enhancing drugs. Answers must relate to the physiological benefits to a sprinter and/or a marathon runner.
Evaluate the reasons why elite athletes will resort to taking illegal performance enhancing drugs. [3 marks]
- Winning margins are normally slender in power events therefore a performance enhancing drug (PED) that gives bigger/stronger muscles to generate more power could mean the difference between winning and losing (1).
- Long distance events rely on high levels of endurance to maintain required level of physical exertion needed to contend therefore some feel that without the use of PEDs they will not be able to sustain energy production for the duration of the race (1).
- Performance in elite competition creates high pressure situations which may negatively impact on performance, by taking PEDs to reduce anxiety/steady nerves athletes have a greater chance to perform at their optimum (1).
Accept other relevant evaluation points in relation to the reasons why elite athletes will resort to taking illegal performance enhancing drugs.
Max 3 marks
Elite performers may use illegal ergogenic aids and specialised training methods to improve performance.
Explain the physiological reasons why an elite performer may use synthetic erythropoietin (EPO). [2 marks]
A (EPO) stimulates/increases red blood cell production
Do not accept ‘RBC’
B to increase oxygen carrying capacity/more oxyhaemoglobin/ more haemoglobin/to improve aerobic system/improve oxygen delivery to the muscles
Do not accept ‘to work for longer’
There is a temptation for performers to take drugs to enhance their sporting performance.
Other than for the physiological benefits, outline the reasons sport performers take performance enhancing drugs. [2 marks]
A Increased training drive/aggression/confidence
B Perception ‘if you don’t take it you won’t make it’/ increase/others are taking them/peer pressure/ or equiv.
C Rewards for success so great/fame/win ethic
D Institutionalised doping/forced to take drugs
Question focus is not on ‘physiological benefits’
Explain the problems faced by sporting organisations when implementing a ban on the use of performance enhancing drugs. [5 marks]
A Difficulty in accurate testing/masking agents/ new drugs/ difficult to keep testing up to date/cheats always one step ahead of testers
B Some drugs used for medical reasons/ difficulty in classifying drugs
C Athletes motivated to take drugs as high rewards available/ Lack of support from sponsors when athletes banned
D Illegal support provided by some NGBs/coaches/ countries/fellow competitors
E Inconsistent policies for testing or punishments/countries have different policies/sports governing bodies have different policies
F Cost of testing expensive/time consuming
G Legal challenge to positive results
H Difficulty gaining access to athletes for testing/ out-of-season testing difficult
I Difficulty in issuing an appropriate ban/clean athletes may be banned e.g. Russian athletes in the Rio Olympics
Performance enhancing substances have been used in sport since the ancient times of Greece and Rome.
Suggest reasons to support the argument for legalising drugs in sport today. [4 marks]
A Drugs can be masked / occur naturally in body / EPO / gene doping / found in common medication.
‘makes sport more interesting / exciting etc.’ – irrelevant
B Drugs so easily available / impossible to eliminate use of drugs.
C Overall low rate of testing / inaccurate results / cheats one step ahead of testers.
D (Negative impact of poor testing) affects performers reputation / careers / sponsorship deals or equiv.
E Drugs if regulated are not so harmful / labs could be encouraged to produce safe performance enhancers.
F If everyone could take them it would become a level playing field.
G Limited resources could be better employed e.g. to detect harmful drugs / develop elite sport in other ways.
‘to save money’ too vague
H Drugs are necessary to recover from the gruelling training.
I Other technological advantages aren’t regulated against e.g. biomechanics / nutrition / oxygen tents or equiv.
J Sports and countries have different rules.
K Individuals have the right to choose / it’s their body.
L Spectators or supporters not disappointed by role models.
Elite sport involves trying to find the true physical potential of human beings.
In 2013, American cyclist, Lance Armstrong, was found guilty of doping and was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.
Discuss the suggestion that doping is necessary at elite level.
(Total 6 marks)
Agree
A Enhances physical/psychological attributes/increases chances of winning/better standards of performance/ perception to keep up with other athletes/balance playing field
B Train longer/recover quicker
C Other technological aids are used/doping can be viewed as another training aid
D If properly monitored not as great a health risk as people think
E People should be free to choose
F Institutionalised/encouraged use by coaches or equiv.
G Many banned substances are available legally/may be naturally occurring in the body eg some athletes will have higher testosterone than others
H Testing not always accurate/can’t detect new substances
Disagree
I Health risks
J Unfair advantage/against ‘contract to compete’/cheating/negative deviancy
K Not all performers have access to doping methods/ensures level playing field for all performers/some are successful without using drugs
L Consequences if caught eg shame/loss of earnings/poor image of sport
Only credit if clearly referring to consequences (rather than strategies), eg if caught
M Negative role models for children
N Encourages drug taking from early on/more athletes/perception ‘if you don’t take it, you won’t make it’/peer pressure to take drugs
Elite sport involves trying to find the true physical potential of human beings.
In 2013, American cyclist, Lance Armstrong, was found guilty of doping and was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.
Outline the strategies sporting organisations use to limit the use of banned substances by performers.
(Total 6 marks)
A Random/out of season testing /no warning tests/ testing
B Reform/devise structured approach/strong anti-doping culture/clear guidelines on website/’100% ME’ campaign
C Better coordination between organisations/shared policies/policies eg WADA/World Anti-Doping code/NADO/UK Sport Ethics Department or equiv
D Education programmes for athletes/coaches
E Punishments/life bans/strip guilty athletes of medals
F More funding for testing programmes/improved technology for testing/ testing centres
G Use of positive/negative role models/name and shame
H Funding/sponsorship received by athlete to be returned if found guilty/ contracts contain clauses if caught doping
I Use of athlete biological passport
J Use of the media to portray an appropriate image/sports marketing experts
E and H - Only credit if clearly referring to strategies (rather than consequences), eg reduce by…
Some performers break the rules and use banned substances to enhance their performance.
Describe the physiological reasons why a performer may use anabolic steroids. [3 marks]
Aid / use / assimilation storage of protein.
Do not accept increase endurance or perform longer.
Decrease in fat in the muscles.
Able to train for longer / higher intensity.
Faster recovery time / to train more frequently / quicker repair of muscle tissues.
Increase muscle size / strength / mass.
Sporting organisations work together to develop elite performers and to ensure that they understand doping regulations.
Explain the advantages and the disadvantages of all sports, in all countries, testing for performance enhancing drugs. [4 marks]
Advantages
Uphold the traditions of sport / sporting ethics / cheats are caught / all competitors are equal / no country has an advantage / no performer has an advantage.
Standard list of banned substances / same testing procedures / similar punishments.
Random tests are more effective / testing not limited by where the athlete is based.
Shared costs between all sports.
Performers not able to ‘pick and choose’ sports based on drug testing procedures / no basis
for legal complaints of being unfairly treated.
Disadvantages
Difficult to get all countries / sports to agree.
Expensive / limited number of testing facilities / not available in all countries.
Testing can produce incorrect results / inconsistent results / difficult to keep up with new drugs.
Difficult to agree which PED should be included in banned lists.
Professionals have the right to decide on their own development needs.
Money used for testing could be used for education about dangers of drug taking.
‘The use of performance enhancing drugs should be allowed in sport.’
Evaluate this statement. [3 marks]
Arguments for allowing PEDs (sub max 2)
* It levels the playing field if everyone took them/it would be fairer as all athletes would have the option to take them. (1)
* Drug testing is time consuming/expensive/ can be ineffective so this would be eliminated if everyone was allowed to take them. (1)
* If taking PEDs is permitted, health risks could be more closely monitored, making it safer. (1)
* It would make sport more exciting/entertaining to watch as performance standards would increase. (1)
Arguments against allowing PEDs (sub max 2)
* Not everyone could afford to take PEDs therefore the playing field wouldn’t be level. (1)
* It would force athletes who may not want to take PEDs to take them in order to keep up with competitors/talented athletes could be lost to the sport because they don’t wish to cheat/take the possible health risks. (1)
* It could lead to long term health implications as athletes would be taking them for longer periods of time. (1)
* Spectators may be put off sport knowing that what they are watching is not natural ability/is chemically enhanced performance. (1)
Accept any other appropriate evaluation of the statement.
Max 3 marks
