Stimulants in sports (Essay Sample)

Stimulants in Sports
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The World Anti-Doping Code prohibits using some substances during a competition because of their potential to enhance performance in sporting events. The world anti-doping agency (WADA) prohibits substances that are performance enhancing, dangerous to athlete’s health and are contrary to the spirit of sports. The prohibited substances include narcotic analgesics, anabolic steroids, psychomotor stimulant drugs and miscellaneous central nervous systems stimulants (Boghosian, Irene Mazzoni and Rabin 613). Substances categorized as stimulants include drugs that elevate the alertness and physical activity by boosting the heart rate and brain functions. Their effect on the central nervous system alters the both physical and mental state (Colman 19). Some of the commonly misused stimulants include amphetamines, Ritalin, and Adderall which result in a euphoric effect due to the stimulation of the central nervous system (Greydanus 20). The euphoric effect may be characterized by a false feeling of power, strength and enhanced motivation. Using such stimulants is a health risk, and it promotes cheating and it should be discouraged in sporting activities.
There are numerous health effects emanating from the use of stimulants. Some of the adverse health effects such as using substandard stimulants and exposure to HIV/ AIDS are not obvious to the users. Stimulants have adverse effects when taken for non-therapeutic reasons especially when athletes obtain them through underground networks. Such stimulants they may not be manufactured to the standards required for licensed products. It is also likely that they are produced in unsterile and unlicensed laboratories (Colman 25). Some stimulants can be injected intravenously, and it can expose them to the HIV/AIDs. It is common for athletes to share needles, syringes, and other equipment heightening the risk of HIV transmission. If a person shares such equipment to inject stimulants into the vein, traces of blood from an infected user may be transferred into subsequent user’s bloodstream.
Stimulants also have other adverse health effects. For instance, Amphetamines in smoke form is very potent having a long-lasting and extremely addictive effect. Stimulants also distort the user’s perception of reality and result in impaired judgment. They may consequently cause athletes to continue participating in a sport while injured, and it may lead to worse injuries and also expose others to risks. The stimulant can also lead to loss of muscle mass resulting in fatigue and injury. Other health effects include increased blood pressure, heart rate, insomnia, convulsions, hallucinations, heart attack and heart rhythm abnormalities. Other adverse health effects in the long term include dyskinesia’s characterized by involuntary jaw and facial movements, ruptured blood vessels, nerve damage and addiction leading to compulsive repetitive behavior and delusions similar to schizophrenia (Washco 2).
Apart from the adverse health effects, stimulants give some athletes an unfair advantage over others. Stimulants enable athletes to get more strength and energy and to recover faster than those who do not use stimulants. It is true that some athletes have better nutrition, natural supplements, coaches, equipment, and nutritionists than others. It is imperative to give athletes a level playing field by ensuring that their performance is as natural as it can be. It is because the unfairness in the world already provides varying opportunities and resources for athletes. Allowing athletes to use stimulants would aggravate unfairness because not all athletes would have the same opportunity to purchase and correctly use stimulants (Ryan 4).
Opponents of anti-doping policies indicate that the WADA claim that it focuses on cheating rather than harm. They indicate that banning such stimulants supports risky activity amongst athletes. They cite that many athletes take unsafe performance enhancers that are produced and sold in the black market. They indicate that criminalizing stimulants rob athletes of the opportunity to take safe performance enhancers in safe dosages making sports safer. Opponents suggest that athletes be allowed to take non-harmful stimulants in a bid to uphold their welfare. They indicate that legalizing usage would reduce health risks and the coercive force to take unsafe enhancers. In as much as this argument is well intentioned, it is rather unrealistic because it does not consider fairness in respect to athletes that are unwilling or unable to use stimulants (Foddy and Savulescu 514). Sporting is based on competition and it is thus imperative to create a level field. Allowing athletes to use performance enhancers would thus give some an unfair advantage over others. It would also defeat the spirit of competition that is essential in inter-country sporting activities such as marathons.
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