Running Head: Athletic Drug Abuse

Athletic Drug Use: A Review Of Literature Anthony Luckett University Of Texas El Paso

Running Head: Athletic Drug Use

Abstract Athlete drug abuse has and always been prohibited in the sports environment. Even though there are still some athletes that use it. This literature review informs about the drug use of athletes and how didnt different people views on it. Some would say that athletes should be allowed and majority of the others are against athletes using performance-enhancing drugs. The resources in this paper will help you get a better perspective on this topic.

Running Head: Athletic Drug Abuse

Athlete Drug Abuse

The topic that is being researched here is Athlete drug abuse. There has been countless times were Athletes have been caught using disapproved substances which causes that athlete to be banned from there specific sport for a certain amount of time or even permanently. Many Athletes sometimes try to get the extra edge to get ahead of the competition by using performance-enhancing drugs. Which a lot of people in and out of the Athletic world know that it isnt tolerated. Testing positive cannot only hurt you and your athletic career it also can hurt your teammates. Some athletes dont think whats at steak when using drugs, if you and your teammates go out win a big event a receive a trophy the team would have nothing else to do other than to give back the trophy the rest of the team worked so hard for. This is why this topic is brought up so much and it wont stop until they know athletes wont use these substances. This topic is controversial because many see it as being wrong to use performance- enhancing substances, but you still have many that take them. More knowledge will hopefully be gained on this topic with the following questions asked.

1. What are some main reasons why Athletes choose to use banned drugs? 2. Should Performing-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports? 3. What are the different ways to test an athlete for drugs? 4. Are they alternatives for the drugs that they use?

Running Head: Athletic Drug Use

What are some main reasons why Athletes choose to use banned drugs?

Athletes out here feel the need to get ahead of the competition these days. So many result to using all of these performance- enhancing drugs instead of putting in the hard work. More of these drugs really come in to play at the professional level, because everyone youll come across has out standing talent and it much harder to be that person on the top. The author in this article says it best Athletes face enormous pressure to excel in competition(How performance enhancing drugs work by Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. and Kevin P. Allen). Many times all of that pressure can psych a person out and that can also lead to an athlete using performance-enhancing drugs.

There is much other reason why an athlete would use drugs for instants the fame that come with being one of the best athletes. That would be one of the biggest reasons why any athlete would think about using drugs. A star athlete can earn a lot of money and a lot of fame, and athletes only have a short time to do their best work(How performance enhancing drugs work by Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. and Kevin P. Allen). As many say wanting fame makes you do things you dont normally do. There is always that choice to that athlete if that person chooses to take the substance or not, but would that person feel that since of accomplishment and hard work. Thats a question you would have to ask your self and see what you think.

Should Performing-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?

Running Head: Athletic Drug Abuse

Some may ask should performance-enhancing drugs be accepted in sports. As you know many people would absolutely say no about allowing banned substances, but there are still some that says it should be considered. Even by saying drugs are banned in sports there are many athletes who still take them and cheat, and they just have a chance of getting caught. The essence of a sporting contest is that it should be fairly conducted, with the competitor's success or failure being the result of natural talents: speed, skill, endurance, tactical awareness -honed, it may be, by instruction, training and body maintenance in its widest sense(Drugs and Doping In Sport, published in 2001 byMichael J. Beloff, QC)

Its that person choice if they choose to use performance enhancing drugs in there athletic life. The reason for substance banned is showing how hard the athlete can work and progress using natural talent within them and nothing that is going to give them that unfair advantage over the competition. There are actually some substances that are out there that athletes can use. It pretty much just to help the body recover or gives the body any nutrients its missing; its more about health than anything else. 5

Running Head: Athletic Drug Use

The few people that believe that there shouldnt be any banned drugs feel as its a way to explore and get your body to reach something more than you imagine. This is some are asking where is the freedom. A free society isn't really free at all if it doesn't include the freedom to make what some may believe are bad decisions" (Should We Allow Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports? By Radley Balko). As you see the majority has chosen to banned these drugs, but you never know they may come around and change it.

What are the different ways to test an athlete for drugs?

There are a couple ways youre able to test for drugs. There is getting a hair follicle, cotton swab, and urine test. The least effective is the cotton swab because it isnt accurate as the urine test or the hair follicle. First your mouth is one of the fastest healing areas on your body and, its always-shedding skin. The second the mouth is constantly producing saliva. The last reason is because a lot of these drugs dont stick well to saliva. You also cant test all drugs with a cotton swab.

There arent many people who result to the hair follicle because most people dont want to give up any of their hair. So the last and best result would be to use the urine test that is the most effective. The most common method of testing in sports is using a urine sample. For example an athlete at the Olympics is required to give two urine samples often referred to as the A and B samples. They are kept separate at all time

Running Head: Athletic Drug Abuse any will only use the second one if they have too. The A sample is tested chemically for substances on the banned substance list. If a substance is detected in both sample A the sample B is then tested. If both samples are positive for a banned substance then the athlete is asked to explain the findings at a hearing.

Performance-enhancing drugs will always be a controversial topic because everyone has their own entail why these substances should be banned or not, but right now majority has spoken. Thats why this rule has to be enforced; it shouldnt stop the people who believe in getting an extra boost. Maybe that side of that crowd would get the majority votes and show people there more than just natural talents.

Are they alternatives for the drugs that they use?

There is nothing that would compare to athlete doping, but there are little things that would help without using illegally. It is healthy exercise and nutrition alternatives that can help a athlete. Many athletes would think otherwise because nothing of that would compare to performance-enhancing drugs. Of course some athletes that have used would feel like that because how they drug makes you feel inside and everything you are capable of is twice as better.

The proper exercise can get athletes a long way. Believe it or not there are still some athletes who still exercise improperly and wonder why they arent getting the results they wont. Exercising and eating correctly making sure you are getting all your

Running Head: Athletic Drug Use vitamins and nutrients can also be very important for an athlete. Some people wouldnt think that is much of an alternative. With all this legal substances out there one of them are bound to help out. Every college athlete I know take some legal substance that helps them to stay in tiptop shape. So you cant knock something until you try it cause it may help and you may see some results.

Running Head: Athletic Drug Abuse

References

Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. and Kevin P. Allen. How Performance-enhancing drugs work

From http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/athletic-drug-test1.htm

Radley Balko (Jan. 23, 2008) . Should We Allow Performance Enhancing Drugs in

Sports?

From http://sportsanddrugs.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=1200

Michael J. Beloff, (2001) Drugs and Doping In Sport, published in 2001:

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From Drugs and Doping In Sport, published in 2001:

Self Evaluation: If there were one thing I could change about my literature review I would replace one of my research question. To find a questions that kinds of sums up my literature review. I would have given a little more examples in my paper. I would have gone more in depth in some of my questions. Overall Ive proud my paper I work very hard on this literature review.

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