As it pertains to sports, a performance-enhancing drug is any
substance which is used to augment the athletic ability of an individual. Often referred to simply as PEDs, these
drugs have long been utilized in athletics, from high school to a professional
level. Common examples include
anabolic steroids, human growth hormone (HGH), amphetamine, and many other
substances which have been banned in most professional and amateur sports. Although they have been proven to
enhance the athletic ability of individuals, PEDs come with a plethora of
negative side effects, ranging from deepening of the voice to liver damage.
The primary criticism of PEDs is the unfair advantage they provide
to individual athletes with respect to their “unenhanced” competitors. However, if PEDs were legalized in
sports, it would eliminate the advantage that any player could obtain over
another, as everyone would have equal access to the substances. Sports, especially professional ones,
are by nature extremely competitive.
Enhancements are made in many ways, which are far
from limited to just drugs. Who is
to say getting a leg up on an opponent through a PED is any different than
having the advantage of better facilities and trainers than other
athletes? There are many different
ways in which athletes gain an edge on the competition which could also be
considered unfair.
Certain PEDs can undoubtedly have a negative impact on a person’s
health. However, it is each
person’s right to determine the risks that they are willing and able to take in
all other aspects of life, so it should be no different when it comes to
increasing their performance on the field or the court. If someone deems the potential rewards
of taking PEDs greater than the risks, it is their right to do what they want
with their body. There is no
potential of harming anyone but themselves. Also, the sports industry is a business by nature, and PEDs
have the potential to increase the entertainment value of every sport. Viewers would be fascinated by longer
home runs, high-flying dunks, and faster athletes. Some of the most captivating sports stories have been
brought about by the use of PEDs.
The race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998 and Barry Bonds’
home run spree a few years later remain as two of the most popular moments in
baseball history, both of which were catalyzed by the implementation of PEDs. By doing things which were previously unimaginable,
they fascinated fans across the world and brought baseball’s popularity to a
whole new level.
The line between legal and illegal substances in professional
sports is already very gray and impossible to explicitly define. An athlete such as Dwyane Wade can
receive a Cortisol shot in his knee to help him play through the pain in the
NBA playoffs, yet it is illegal to take certain drugs (such as HGH) which would
help him to actually heal faster. Legalizing
PEDs would allow athletes to play and feel their best while entertaining the
fans to the best of their abilities.
It would also save time and money, as the investigative committees would
no longer be necessary. Many
people believe PEDs to be immoral and unsportsmanlike without basis. Professional sports are all about doing
whatever it takes to gain an advantage over your opponent. Performance-enhancing drugs should be
legalized in all professional sports, as they would increase the quality of sports
and remove all suspicions of “unfair” play.
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