Drugs and Drug Testing in Sports
There are different kinds of drugs that are available in the market.
Most of these drugs are legal and used in different health problems that
would help improve the patient’s or the consumer’s condition.
But there are drugs that are commonly used by the athletes who are
involved in various sports. These drugs help the athletes to perform
better especially if they have an upcoming competition. Their coaches
see to it that they take supplements such as amino acids, protein,
vitamins, and minerals. These substances would truly help the athletes
enhance their performance and have a bigger chance in getting that medal
that they are aiming.
Unfortunately, some athletes are not just taking supplements or
vitamins. Others are also using stimulants, steroids, and anabolic
substances. They even abuse or often overdose themselves with
painkillers. What’s worse about this is that illegal street drugs have
also made its way to the locker rooms of these athletes as well. For a
couple of hours, these drugs make the athletes feel like they have an
increased strength as well as physical size. Although they are aware of
the negative effects of these drugs once it wears off, they are still
determined to go against the sport rules since they want something that
could make them feel energetic and full of stamina even if they do not
have ample sleep or rest. Other reasons why some athletes take the
mentioned drugs is because they want something that would help them cope
up with the athletic as well as academic stress, particularly for the
college athletes.
Because of this, several efforts from college schools particularly the
NCAA have drug testing programs that would protect the safety and the
health of the student athletes. Aside from that, the NCAA drug testing
program also ensures that no athletes participating in the events are
induced by these artificial and illegal drugs during the competition.
They also do not tolerate the athletes to have their body be pressured
by these chemical substances as well.
Some of the drugs that should not be used by the athletes include
stimulants, anabolic steroids, diuretics, as well as anti-estrogens. Of
course, street drugs are also prohibited including marijuana, heroine,
and tetrahydrocannabinol. This is according to the banned drug list from
NCAA drug testing program.But aside from NCAA, there are also other
efforts to prevent the athletes from using these so-called “sports
drugs” including the National Center for Drug Free Sport and more.
The whole process of drug testing starts by getting a urine sample from
the athlete. Although the procedure sounds and looks so simple, it must
undergo strict regulations so that the urine sample will not be tampered
before it arrives at the laboratory. However, because drug testing
happens annually or scheduled a few weeks before the competition, some
athletes who are using prohibited drugs prepare their bodies so that
they can neutralize the effects. That is why the drug testing program
nowadays do not schedule or only give short notices so that the athletes
would be surprised and would no longer be able to prepare for the test.
Several athletes have already voiced out their opinions regarding the
drug testing program. They said that their privacy was being invaded and
even putting athletes like them at risk. |
