Soc 11-Performance Enhancing Drugs

Question 1

Why do People take PED’S?

Answer 1

-Improve performance
-Some people are encouraged to do so by their coaches or fellow athletes
-The reward of winning(Gold medal in some sports is said to be worth 1million dollars in endorsements)
-Pressure

Question 2

Anabolic steroids

Answer 2

Benefits-Anabolic steroids are used to enhance performance. Taken to increase muscles mass and develop bone growth, therefore increasing strength while at the same time allowing the athlete to train harder and recover quicker.
Side effects-Side effects: increased risk of muscle injury, increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, high blood pressure and even death!

Question 3

Beta Blockers

Answer 3

Benefits: beta blockers can help targets sports where steadiness and precision are required, because they reduce heart rate.
Side effects: nausea, diarrhoea, tiredness, depression, insomnia and nightmares.

Question 4

Narcotics and Analgesics

Answer 4

These are painkillers that are used to help an injured athlete continue to train and perform in big competitions despite their injury or allow an endurance athlete to tolerate a greater level of pain. This can be dangerous for an athlete as their injury may worsen by continuing to perform.
Benefits: these drugs act by depressing the central nervous system and give relief from painful injuries, but allowing the injured player to take part, they can increase the risk of severe or long-lasting injury.
Side effects: Loss of coordination, loss of balance, loss of concentration and emotional effects.

Question 5

Diuretics

Answer 5

Diuretics: drugs that elevate the rate of urine production.
Benefits: this can help performers who need to lose weight. Diuretics may also be used to reduce the concentration of any other banned substance that may be present in the urine.
Side effects: dehydration, which can cause dizziness, muscle cramps, headaches and nausea.

Question 6

Peptide hormones

Answer 6

Peptide hormones: increases the rate of production of red blood cells.
Benefits: Increase muscles growth, assist in recovery from injury and heavy training sessions. Allows the body to carry extra oxygen, and disperse waste products and lactic acid.
Side effects: Blood becomes thicker, which makes it more difficult to pass through the small capillaries and increases the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Question 7

Growth Hormones

Answer 7

Growth hormones (GH): is used to increase their muscles development (very similar to steroids).
Benefits: Increase muscles growth (strength and size). Not as many side effects as steroids.
Side effects: Minimal side effects, can be detected by a blood test and not in your urine.

Question 8

Stimulants

Answer 8

Stimulants: drugs that have an effect on the central nervous system, such as/ or physical alertness. E.g. amphetamines, ephedrine and cocaine, as well as nicotine and caffeine.
Benefits: Increase alertness, enabling people to think more by stimulating the central nervous system. Overcome tiredness. Reduce the effects of lactic acid on muscles.
Side effects: insomnia, irregular/ increased heart beat, high blood pressure and addiction.

Question 9

Blood Doping

Answer 9

Blood doping is a banned process - not a banned drug. Blooding doping involves boosting the number of red blood cells in the bloodstream in order to improve performance.
As red blood cells carry 02 to the muscles, having more of these cells in your blood can improve your aerobic capacity and in turn your endurance.
It is well known that if an athlete trains at high altitude the oxygen carrying capacity of their blood increases. For this reason, athletes born at high altitude have a distinct advantage in endurance events.