Prohibited Substances and Methods
Doping in sport: the banned substance categories and what each does, blood doping as a banned method, beta blockers as a restricted drug, and why doping is banned for being unfair and dangerous.
Justify the choices, the way you are assessed
Free interactive practice on the decisions the assessment actually asks you to justify.
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The banned edge in sport
Some athletes have tried to gain an edge with banned drugs and methods, and sport works hard to stop them. The exam wants you to sort these into the right groups and explain why they are banned. This module works through the prohibited substance categories, blood doping as a banned method, beta blockers as a restricted drug, and the reasons behind the ban.
Doping words to know
Learn these categories before you sort them.
Substance against method and restricted
The exam rewards putting each one in the right group.
Sort by category, give a ban reason
In the exam, sort a doping question by category before you judge it. Some are banned substances taken into the body; one well-known form is a banned technique, not a drug at all; and one kind is only restricted, allowed when a doctor has a genuine reason to prescribe it. Work out what each does for the performer, then give a reason it is banned: an unfair advantage, a serious risk to health, and a poor example to others.
Match the effect
- anabolic agent
- stimulant
- peptide hormone EPO
- diuretic
- builds muscle and strength
- increases alertness and reduces tiredness
- boosts the oxygen carried to the muscles
- removes water and can mask other drugs
Match the group
- blood doping
- beta blockers
- anabolic agents
- gaining an unfair edge
- a banned method, not a substance
- a restricted drug, allowed with a medical reason
- a prohibited substance category
- a reason doping is banned
Which is a method, not a drug?
Which of these is a prohibited method rather than a substance taken into the body?
- Blood doping
- A stimulant
- An anabolic agent
- A diuretic
True about doping
Select the TWO true statements about prohibited substances and methods.
- Anabolic agents build muscle and strength
- Beta blockers are a restricted drug, allowed with a medical reason
- Blood doping is a prohibited substance taken as a pill
- Doping carries no health risks at all
Count the test samples
At a competition, 5 samples are taken from each of 6 athletes for drug testing. Multiply the samples per athlete by the number of athletes to find the total number of samples. What is the answer?
Order the drug test
Put the steps of a drug test in order, earliest first.
- The athlete is selected for a drug test
- A sample is taken and sealed
- The sample is sent to a laboratory
- A banned substance is found, or the athlete is cleared
Complete the rules
A banned substance taken to improve at sport is a performance-enhancing _____. A drug that builds muscle and strength is an _____ agent. Boosting the oxygen the blood carries by a banned method is blood _____. A restricted drug that calms the body is a _____ blocker.
Spot why doping is banned
Tap the TWO reasons performance-enhancing drugs are banned.
- they give an unfair advantage
- they can seriously damage health
- they make sport cheaper to run
- they are required by every sport
Sort the case
Read each case and choose the best answer.
- An athlete takes a drug to build extra muscle and strength. Which category is it?
- An athlete has blood stored and then re-injected before a race to carry more oxygen. What is this?
- Why are beta blockers only restricted rather than fully banned?
Explain doping and its ban
Explain the categories of prohibited substances and methods and why they are banned.
- Name some prohibited substance categories and what each does
- Explain the difference between a prohibited method and a restricted drug
- Give two reasons doping is banned