Atheletes' Performance Enhancer Testing

Research and Opinion Paper: Performance Enhancer Testing

Performance enhancing drugs are used by athletes to improve their performance in sports. Drugs such as anabolic steroids, stimulants, diuretics, analgesics, cannabinoids, hormones, glucocorticosteroids and androstenedione are used by athletes and are illegal (Freudenrich, 2000 ). The use of drugs is illegal because they can cause serious health problems. Also, use of drugs is considered unfair advantage over other competitors also called “cheating.” Therefore, performance enhancer testing is done to determine whether the athletes are using illegal drugs; through urinal test or blood test. Today, according to Richard Lezin Jones from New York Times, more and more high school athletes are using illegal performing enhancing drugs. Thus, random drug testing should be conducted to high school athletes in order to decrease and stop the use of dangerous illegal drugs.

Everyone likes to win, especially athletes who are constantly competing. Professional athletes are pushed and pressured to win, as well as high school athletes. High school athletes are pressured to perform well to earn fame, college scholarship, trophies and more. In order to perform well, they have to practice day and night. When athletes practice and compete, their body ache because of too much work out. The use of analgesics (heroin, morphine, pethidine), which are types of painkillers, relieve pain. Taking painkillers because of pain is not wrong, and athletes such as high school athletes need to take painkiller for their painful bodies. Hence, randomly testing high school athletes is not necessary because they know what they are taking (analgesics, painkillers). They are not harmful but helpful in their daily athletes’ lives.

However, performance enhancing drugs can cause serious health risks. For example, analgesics such as heroin, morphine and pethidine can seem like innocent painkiller medicines but they can actually cause health problems. According to Craig Freudenrich (2000), they can reduce pain, but they can also help athletes train/work harder and longer by masking pain. As a result of false sense of security, the person can encounter risk of further health problems. Therefore, high school athletes should be randomly tested in order to protect them from harming themselves, with strict laws. They should be educated about the side effects and consequences.

Moreover, performing random testing for high school students can be costly. According to Joseph C. Franz from IAA Magazine, schools can pay up to $88,000 annually; expense for drug testing the students. Why randomly test high school athletes for drugs and spend all that money? Instead schools can use that money toward education; hiring good teachers, adding courses (classes), buying books, computers and materials for students. Randomly testing students is not okay because it is too expensive.

On the other hand, drug testing is necessary because it helps save lives. High school athletes can be saved by simple drug tests. If an athlete is using drugs such as steroids, he or she can encounter serious health risks. Steroids can help athletes’ performance but can also cause liver cancer, heart attack, depression, aggression and more (Freudenrich, 2000). Concerned with the increasing use of illegal drugs by high school athletes and the side effects of the drugs, they should be tested for their own good. The state or the county should sponsor and support drug testing to high school athletes in order to save them from dangerous drugs. To help them, random testing should be okay to be conducted.

Testing high school athletes for performing enhancer drugs can be considered invading their privacy. Once the random testing is mandatory the athletes will be constantly tested and asked questions. The athletes will have to report information, any specific details about their daily schedule. The administrators will be on them, telling them what to do and not to do, and controlling their career.