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.
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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.
Words to know 🔑
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 🪜
An interactive activity.
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? 🖍️
An interactive activity.
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 🧭
An interactive activity.
Fair play? ✍️
An interactive activity.