Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Drugs in Sport

Hi all, the issue of drugs in sport is very relevant to our study of ethics in sports medicine. Many drugs or therapies that have been developed to treat illness, help people recover from injury or improve patients' wellbeing can also be used to improve the performance of athletes. Pain killers have been used for centuries to improve people's wellbeing, yet they can also be used to help athletes perform while injured. Steroids and growth hormones can be used to accelerate tissue repair or overcome growth problems. Of course these very effects also benefit athletic strength and performance. Substances or methods used to improve respiratory function in patients with lung or breathing problems will also improve CV endurance.

At which point does the noble cause of treating an ailing patient become the unfair cause of cheating to win gold medals???

Try the link to asada, The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency, to get lots of information on prohibited substances, drug testing protocols and athlete education on drug related issues.

No comments:

Post a Comment