Performance-Enhancing Drugs
Some athletes cheat by taking drugs to gain an edge. Learn the main types of performance-enhancing drug, what each one does, the dangers they carry, and why they are banned.
Justify the choices, the way you are assessed
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An unfair edge
Some athletes try to win by taking performance-enhancing drugs, or PEDs. These can boost strength, speed or stamina, but they are banned: they are cheating, and they can seriously harm health. This module looks at the main types of PED, what they do, and why they are not allowed.
Doping words
Four ideas run through this topic:
Why take them?
Why do some athletes take performance-enhancing drugs?
- To gain an unfair advantage over rivals
- To make themselves healthier
- Because the rules encourage it
- To become slower and weaker
Gain and cost
PEDs may offer a short-term gain, but they carry a heavy cost.
Match the drug
- Anabolic steroids
- Beta blockers
- Stimulants
- Diuretics
- Build muscle and allow harder training
- Steady the nerves and the hands
- Increase alertness and energy
- Make the body lose water
Why they are banned
PEDs are banned for two big reasons. First, they are cheating: they give an unfair advantage over athletes who play clean. Second, they are dangerous: they can damage the heart, liver and mind, and some athletes have been seriously harmed. Sport uses drug testing to catch and ban those who use them.
More drugs
- EPO
- Blood doping
- Narcotic analgesics
- Growth hormones
- A hormone that raises the red blood cell count
- Adding blood or red cells to carry more oxygen
- Mask pain so an athlete can carry on
- Help build muscle and repair tissue
The dangers
Which THREE are DANGERS of taking performance-enhancing drugs?
- Damage to the heart and liver
- Mood swings and aggression
- Becoming dependent on the drug
- Becoming permanently fitter and healthier
- Being allowed in every sport
Caught doping
Put the steps of catching a drug cheat in order.
- An athlete is selected for a drug test
- They give a urine or blood sample
- The sample is tested in a laboratory
- A banned substance is found
- The athlete is banned from the sport
Complete the idea
A performance-enhancing _____ is a banned substance taken to gain an unfair _____. Anabolic steroids build _____, while EPO and blood doping raise the number of red blood cells to carry more _____. PEDs are banned because they are cheating and because they _____ health.
True or not?
Tap the TWO statements that are TRUE about performance-enhancing drugs.
- PEDs give an unfair advantage and are banned.
- EPO and blood doping raise the oxygen the blood can carry.
- PEDs are a safe way to get fit.
- Beta blockers build big muscles.
- Drug cheats are never caught.
What does EPO do?
What does the drug EPO do?
- Raises red blood cells to carry more oxygen
- Builds big muscles directly
- Calms the nerves before a shot
- Removes water from the body
The right call
Decide the right response in each case.
- A coach offers an athlete steroids to build muscle faster. What should the athlete do?
- A cyclist wants to carry more oxygen to their muscles unfairly. Which method might a cheat use?
- Why is drug testing used in sport?
Fair play?
Explain why some athletes take performance-enhancing drugs, and why they are banned.
- Give one reason an athlete might take a PED
- Name one type of PED and what it does
- Give one health danger of PEDs
- Explain why PEDs are unfair