Performance Enhancing Drugs

Many star athletes have been proven to be taking performance enhancing drugs. The Soviet athletes were believed to be on a state-sponsored performance enhancing drugs program in the mid 1900s. The lengths, athletes go to achieve sporting glory, are unparalleled and sometimes their motivation can lead them to taking drugs that help them perform better than any other athlete in the arena.

To ensure a safe and fair playing field the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was founded with its headquarters in Montreal, Canada. The agency is funded by several countries and mainly the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The main objective of WADA is to fight doping.

Performance enhancing drugs can be divided into different categorizes, but they all perform the same basic role that is enhance the functioning of the athlete. Athletes from varying sporting categories are known to resort to consuming drugs that give them an edge over the competition. In spite of strict anti-doping policies, athletes still try to hoodwink the authorities by taking drugs.

Stimulants
One of the most common category of drugs is the stimulants. Drugs under this category stimulate the body to perform at peak levels, they increase strength, agility and make the body immune to fatigue for a period of time. Caffeine is also a stimulant and there are advanced drugs available in the market which are 10 times powerful than caffeine. Others are Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (NRIs), Norepinephrine Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors (NDRIs), Yohimbine, Modafinil, etc.

Steroids
Almost everyone who is into competitive sports or follows sports has heard about the use of steroids as a performance enhancing drug. Steroids have been widely used by athletes to increase body mass, reduce body fat and increase performance levels. Some of the banned steroids are androstenediol, mestanolone, methylnortestosterone, prostanozol, etc.

Hormones
The strength and development of the human body is attributed to hormones, testosterone is one such hormone which is supplemented by athletes to put on muscles and stimulate growth. Hormone therapy is also used as a way to enhance performance in many athletes. Prominent female athletes have been accused of taking hormone injections to increase strength and stamina. Some of the banned substances are Growth Hormone (GH), Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1), Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), etc.

Diuretics
These are mostly used in sports which have weight restriction like boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, etc. Athletes want to lose excess weight so they can compete in certain weight categories are known to abuse over the counter water pills (diuretics). These diuretics alter the body's balance of fluids and electrolytes thereby allowing the person taking diuretics to lose weight fast. Some of the banned diuretics are Acetazolamide, Bumetanide, Indapamide, Chlorothiazide, etc.

Painkillers
An injury can hamper an athletes performance or rule out participation, both the scenarios are unacceptable to many athletes. Hence the prevalent use of painkillers, which allow athletes to perform at their optimum levels surpassing their pain thresholds. Narcotic medications like Physeptone (Methadone) and Valoron (Tilidine) are some of the banned substances that are used as painkillers by some athletes.

Performance enhancing drugs might improve the functioning of the user but they do have certain side effects associated with them, and which is the main reason behind sporting authorities actively working against the use of such substances. Another reason for a ban on such substances is to ensure a level playing field for all the participants.