Drugging refers to the use of illegal substance in a bid to enhance performance in contests. Sportspeople use such drugs as a shortcut to success where they hope to outdo their competitors, leading to unfair competition. Regulatory sports boards across the globe refer to the use of performance-enhancing drugs as drugging, and they are against such practices because they are not ethical.
The practice began a long time ago when people discovered that they could take drugs to enhance their performances. This realization was way back when chariot racing was a sport, and it has gone on to interfere with games to this day. Authorities all over the sporting world are doing their best to curb this practice by penalizing and disqualifying sportspeople found to be using such drugs. The main reason behind such reactions is that these drugs pose health problems to those who use them.
Drugging also gives some sportspeople an unfair advantage over others, and they end up winning competitions that they should not have if they had not used drugs. Using such performance-enhancing drugs is in violation of the very spirit of sport which advocates for the best man to win in a fair manner, rather than by cheating.
Chemicals used in drugging
Steroids
Steroids have for the last two decades taken center stage when it comes to the issue of drugging, and they get viewed as an epidemic out to wipe out the spirit of sport. Research conducted on these chemicals shows that they have a limited effect on the physical and mental well-being of sportspeople and that the results are reversible.
Further studies show that the effects can get minimized if the chemicals get administered under medical supervision. Some side effects of steroids include infertility, high blood pressure, and acne amongst others. It gets believed that as steroid users reach the age of fifty, more research can get conducted to show whether these drugs do have long-term effects on the human body.
Authorities are against the use of steroids as they give users an unfair advantage regarding strength and endurance.
Stimulants
These drugs work by altering the nervous system to affect the mental functioning of the brain. As such, an athlete will maintain a high level of excitement during physical activity, and it takes a long while for fatigue to set in. In this manner, when the other players are worn out from physical activity, an athlete on stimulants will keep going and will probably win unfairly.
These chemicals fall second on the drugging list after anabolic steroids, and they include caffeine, modafinil, and cocaine. Though caffeine is a known stimulant, it is yet to be classified as a drugging substance and banned from sports. These elements are known to increase performance in sportspeople, and though some users claim that there are no addiction effects, others are unable to let go of using the drugs.
Anabolic steroids
These chemicals get used to enhance the development of bones, to induce puberty in males and to treat chronic conditions amongst others. They help people deal with medical conditions, but of late, they are getting misused as sportspeople look to them as they try to increase their physical strength by taking them.
Some sportspeople are using these drugs as they try to increase their muscle mass and endurance. These chemicals can have very damaging effects on the body such as liver damage and high blood pressure and taking them without medical approval is not wise.
Drugging gives sportspeople an unfair advantage over the competition, and this is not just. Authorities should test sportspeople to ensure fair game and to prevent sportspeople from taking chemicals that are damaging to their health.