Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports Illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs is widespread in all areas of sports—professional, collegiate, and even high school. While there are many reasons why athletes choose to use these drugs, the cost of such use, both to the athlete and to society, can be extraordinarily high. It is important to understand why performance-enhancing drugs are used and what the consequences of their use are for the athlete and society. One of the reasons athletes choose to use performance-enhancing drugs is to bulk up. Athletes have size guidelines that must be adhered to. If one wants to be a defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL), he cannot weigh 175 pounds; so some athletes will use performance-enhancing drugs to gain weight. Another reason athletes will choose to use illegal drugs is to provide more oxygen to their muscles. When your blood and muscles are full of oxygen, your body can function better. An athlete who has used a performance-enhancing drug to deliver more oxygen to his muscles can perform for longer periods of time. A third reason an athlete chooses to use an illegal drug is to stimulate the body. The reasons why an athlete should keep their body stimulated are to reduce tiredness, stay alert and maintain aggression. It's the same as when a person drinks coffee in the morning to cheer themselves up. A final reason an athlete would use performance-enhancing drugs is to mask an injury. For example, if a quarterback breaks a toe during a South Eastern Conference championship game, there are two options: one, the quarterback can be taken out of the game or two, the coach can give the quarterback an injection to eliminate the pain, allowing the quarterback to return to the game. In this case the quarterback would most likely choose the injection due to the importance of the game and would most likely feel unconscious pressure from fans, his teammates, and coaches to do so. Often the decision to use it is made without considering the risk. Athletes who decide to use performance-enhancing drugs don't focus on side effects. They don't realize that gaining weight quickly and unnaturally is unhealthy. They are risking having mood swings, aggressive behavior or even life… middle of paper… they use performance enhancing drugs for many reasons, justifying the benefits while ignoring the risks. We as a society do not condone drug use in sport, but at the same time we look the other way at the star athlete by slapping him on the hand and warning him not to do it again. I believe that as long as society continues to believe that being the best player and having the best team is the number one priority, the use of performance-enhancing drugs will only get worse. We will only have the upper hand on the use of illegal drugs in sport when we, as a society, see sport for exactly what it is, simply a game. Works Cited Edwards, K. (2005, January 8). During an interview on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports.MacAuley, D. (1996, July 27). Drugs in sport. British medical journal. Downloaded January 7, 2005 from Western International University Online Library, Info Trac, http://www.apollolibrary.com/Library/databases.aspx?db=0McCaffrey, B. (2001). The United States must lead reforms to eradicate drugs in sports. Drugs and sports. Downloaded January 7, 2005 from the library