drugs Flashcards
(13 cards)
what are the ways of doping within sport? (7)
- stimulants
- beta blockers
- anabolic steroids
- diuretics
- narcotic analgesics
- EPO
- blood doping
what are stimulants?
raise your heart rate and speed up reactions. they suppress pain and fatigue and the athlete feels alert and confident and can work for longer
what are beta blockers?
what are they used for?
block the action of adrenaline and slow the heart rate and breathing
used to calm nerves before big events
what are anabolic steroids?
how do athletes use them?
build and repair muscle and bone. athletes use them to increase the size and strength of muscles and help recover from training
what are diuretics?
how do athletes use them?
increase the amount of water excreted in urine
athletes use them to lose weight quickly or to flush takes of banned substances from their body
what are narcotic analgesics?
pain killers that hide the pain of an injury
what is EPO?
naturally occurring hormone secreted by the kidneys whose function it is to regulate red blood cell production
what the process of blood doping?
what does this do?
an athlete will withdraw blood a few weeks before an event. the red blood cells are frozen and just before the event they are thawed and injected back into the athlete
this increases the red blood cell count (oxygen) which enables them to work for longer
why do performers take performance enhancing drugs?
- pressure
- win at all costs/desire to win
- think everyone else are/ match competitors
- rewards
- recover quicker (injury)
- lazy
- believe they are a step ahead of testing and can pass them
what are the implications of taking drugs to the athletes and the sport?
- loss of sponsorship/earnings
- against sporting regulations
- unethical
- dangerous to health
- cheating
- brings sport into disrepute
- produces negative role models
strategies to eliminate drug taking
- urine and blood samples
- random testing - improve procedures
- punish coaches and governing bodies
- punish those who missed tests
- permanent bans/stricter punishment
- improve education
- biological passports - electronic record
what is the case FOR performance enhancing drugs being legalised?
- remove dangerous substances
- allow people to take drugs in a controlled manner
- allows a level playing field
- create possibility that more records can be broken - greater enjoyment for spectators
what is the case AGAINST performance enhancing drugs being legalised?
- dangerous side effects
- some people will never be willing to take drugs so there will never be a level playing field
- illegal programmes would still exits
- cost
