Looking at How Athletes Are Connected to Performance-enhancing Drugs

Introduction

Athletes and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) seem to go hand in hand these days. There are very few days in a month when another athlete is not being scrutinized in the media for using substances to gain an edge over their competition. This is not a new phenomenon. The use of performance-enhancing drugs has been prevalent for decades. Fans often put more pressure on these athletes to perform than they realize. This pressure to excel is what leads many to PEDs. Perhaps it is time for fans to stop turning elite athletes into gods among men and start seeing them as humans who will have both good and bad days.

The History and Continuation of PED Use

When examining a timeline of PED use, it becomes very clear that this is neither a new problem nor one that is disappearing. In 1886, a Welsh cyclist named Arthur Linton died during a race from Bordeaux to Paris. Some believe he died of typhoid fever, but other information suggests he was killed by trimethyl, a combination of alcohol, strychnine, heroin, caffeine, and cocaine. This demonstrates the lengths to which some athletes were willing to go to be the best, and fans do not help this problem. Recently, tennis star Maria Sharapova revealed she failed her drug test, highlighting that this issue persists. Some athletes, like Lance Armstrong, have been stripped of past titles and are now more famous for their doping scandals than for winning any championships.

Reasons Behind Doping

According to Dick Pound, the former World Anti-Doping Agency Chairman, there are five main reasons why athletes resort to performance-enhancing drugs, considered by most fans to be the worst form of cheating (The gain game: Why do sports stars cheat?, 2012). These reasons include the desire to win at any cost, financial security, pressure from coaches, pressure from the nation they represent, and finally, doping because they believe they will never get caught. Such motivations reveal the complex web of personal and external pressures that athletes face.

Anti-Doping Policies

In an attempt to tackle this problem, many sporting organizations have implemented Anti-Doping policies. The NBA, NFL, and MLB now test for various types of PEDs, including human growth hormone (HGH). The Olympic committee has also enforced strict measures, ensuring that if any athlete is caught doping, they cannot compete. This presents a significant issue for the Russian team, which expected to have at least sixty-eight athletes banned from the 2016 Rio Olympics. This underscores the magnitude of the doping issue across all sports.

Fans' Role in the Doping Dilemma

Fans desire to see star athletes perform amazing feats, and once that happens, they crave even more. They envision athletes who cannot be injured, who are unstoppable, and who are virtually untouchable in their sport. This is problematic because the constant demand for more contributes to the already pervasive doping problem among professional athletes. Fans often view doping as the worst action an athlete can take, deeming it the ultimate form of cheating. This creates a double-edged sword for athletes, who need fan support to gain the financial backing that comes with being a celebrated athlete. Many, like A. Rod, relish the fame for the attention and money it brings and will do anything to maintain it.

Understanding the Human Aspect of Athletes

Fans need to understand that athletes are not a different species evolved beyond the desire for money and power. Like most people, they want more and more. One way to achieve this is through drugs. However, these drugs are illegal for a reason—they can be deadly. In large amounts, an athlete could die from a simple overdose or from the false sense of invincibility they provide. Athletes feel invincible and will do anything to remain the best. When an athlete is at the top, they receive more money, more fame, and more of everything. Once they have more, they do not want to let it slip away.

Conclusion

Shouldn't we treat athletes like the humans they are? They are already under enough pressure to perform night after night, year after year. Yet, fans continue to push for more and more, only to turn their backs on these athletes if they are caught doping. If less pressure were placed on them to be perfect athletes, allowing them to feel okay with making mistakes while doing their best, perhaps they wouldn't feel the need to dope anymore. However, this might be completely wrong, as coaches could be pressuring athletes to play better, nations could be imposing expectations for world competitions, and fans could just be adding to the already mounting pressure. It seems that as long as the world is competing and athletes are pitted against better athletes, doping will remain a serious problem in the sporting community.

References

The gain game: Why do sports stars cheat? (2012). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/18466420