Preformance enhancing drugs in sports today.

Performance enhancing drugs have been a bane in the field of sports for a very long time , as athletes have tried to gain unfair advantage through its use , and suffered due to the side effects . Two factors have led to a belief that the use of performance enhancing drugs is becoming widespread among sportsmen . The first factor is the developments in the field of science that have led to the finding of a larger number of performance enhancing drugs . The second factor has been the dramatic increase in the financial rewards that accrue [banner_entry_middle]

to successful sportsmen and hence the incentive to attempt to use any means to succeed . Measures have been introduced to discourage the use of performance enhancing drugs in the field of sports , but anecdotal evidence suggests that these measures have in no way reduced the use of performance enhancing drugs in the field of sports (Athletes and Performance-Enhancing Drugs

Overview of Performance Enhancing Drugs

Strychnine , heroin , cocaine , and morphine have seen use as performance enhancing drugs , but probably was more harmful than in providing an enhancement of performance . During the Second World War amphetamines were used widely by soldiers to avoid fatigue , due to the toll of a long war on their physical capabilities , and as such represents the first use of performance enhancing drugs in the form of stimulants (Athletes and Performance-Enhancing Drugs

The stimulant group of performance enhancing drugs includes amphetamines , caffeine , B-agonists , phenylpropanolamine , and ephedrine Stimulants work on the Central Nervous System , and speeds up certain parts of the brain and body . This capacity of the stimulants makes it useful to sportsmen like athletes and weight lifters , as it quickens reflexes , improves confidence , and reduces an athlete ‘s sense of fatigue . The side effects due to the use of the stimulants include anxiety and psychosis

The anabolic-androgenic steroids makes up the next group of performance enhancing drugs , and include stanozolol , methanedie , nandrolone clostebol , oxandrolone , and testosterone . Anabolic steroids are the synthetic equivalents of testosterone , which is the naturally occurring male hormone . Chemical modifications enhance the muscle building capabilities , and reduce the unwanted androgenic effects of the drug Anabolic steroids provide the benefits of increased muscle bulk , and the increased ability to perform high intensity physical training . There are several side effects that come from the misuse of anabolic steroids , and the more severe side effects include , faulty sperm production hypertrophic cardiomyopathy , and sudden death . The additional problem with this class of performance enhancing drugs is that non-elite athletes use them too , in their attempts to build up their muscular looks , and increase their physical capacities

Narcotic analgesics like morphine , pethidine , buprenorphine , methadone pentazocine , dextropropoxyphene , dextromoramide , and diamorphine are also used to enhance performance , because of the increased pain threshold and euphoria that result from their use

The latest entry into the performance enhancing drugs has been the peptide and glycopeptide hormones with erythropoietin most commonly used . Recombinant human erythropoietin was made available through scientific advancements for the purpose of treating anemia . The significant factor… [banner_entry_footer]