Drugs in sport

Drugs in Sport Drugs aren’t limited to those with addictions. Some athletes take illegal substances to enhance their performance, an activity known as ‘doping’. There are five types of doping classes (banned drugs), the most common being stimulants and hormones. Although they’re performance-enhancing, they have numerous health risks and are banned by sports’ governing bodies. So what’s the difference between these and social drugs?

Doping Most professional sportspeople are regularly drug tested Some sportspeople try to gain an advantage by using performance-enhancing drugs. This is known as doping. Many performance-enhancing drugs are banned by sports' governing bodies. There are 5 'doping classes', which are categories of banned drugs:

Other Types of Doping Blood doping is injecting blood that has been removed from the body a few days earlier, enabling the blood to carry more oxygen. It is banned as it's a form of cheating. It can cause kidney and heart failure. Beta blockers are banned in archery and shooting as they keep the heart rate low and reduce tremble in the hands.

Social drugs Social drugs are usually taken to help people relax, or on occasion to give a feeling of having more energy. Some are banned in many sports and are also illegal. The main social drugs are: