The Irony of PEDs

The essential basis of being an athlete is the idea that one is capable of taking care of and training your body to perform at a higher level than your competitors. A formula for success would typically involve being healthier than those you’re competing against: whether it be mentally, physically or both. The “unfair” playing field that performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) creates, however, is an issue that sports has essentially been facing forever. The irony here is the fact that, while PEDs can alter the bodies state to a point where one is physically superior to their competitors, the risks associated with many of these drugs is not only unhealthy, but life threatening.

The use of PEDs like anabolic steroids and stimulants are nothing new for the sporting world and the “benefits” of these drugs are no secret to athletes. Steroids build muscles and improve athletic performance. Stimulants increase focus, endurance, and speed. Each of these, however, presents the risk of serious detriment to ones health. These PEDs are capable of increasing the risk for high blood pressure, an enlarged heart, irregular heart rate, heart attack, stroke, dangerously high body temperatures, and intense anger or paranoia.

These drugs may enhance their performance at the time but speeding up the process in which your body recovers would in turn alter the process in which your body normally functions to recover. This would effect ones body later on in life as well as make these athletes addicted to the results they were getting rather than concerning themselves with their health. While many of the athletes that decide to use these drugs are perceived to be top notch athletes who represent the ideal form of health, they are instead trading the temporary benefits of PEDs for the risk of lifelong impacts on their body’s health and function.

• Jacob Groat