Cheating in Sports
Steroids vs. Blood Doping
(Cheating in Sports) When it comes to cheating in sports, there aren’t actually a lot of ways to cheat. But the two most popular ways of cheating in modern day society is the use of steroids, and the process of blood doping. Although these two forms of cheating are both performance enhancers, they differ in multiple ways; ways such as the goals that the user wants to obtain by cheating, the function of each type, or the athletes’ reasoning for cheating. An IB Times Reporter states what blood doping actually is: “EPO, or erythropoietin, is a hormone naturally produced by human kidneys to stimulate red blood cell production, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency. Cyclists and other athletes use EPO to raise their red blood cell counts, which increases the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to muscles, improving recovery and endurance.” As explained by this reporter, blood doping, or the injection of the hormone EPO, is well known to be used by competitive cyclists, and one of the most infamous blood dopers is Lance Armstrong. Now steroids on the other hand, are a lot bigger of a deal in sports, simply because a lot more athletes use them, no matter what the sport. Some of the most famous athletes such as Barry Bonds(MLB), Lance Armstrong(Cyclist), Marion Jones(Track Runner), Roger Clemens(MLB), and Shawne Merriman(NFL) have all used steroids, which is what makes steroids so infamous. Kristen Philipkoski has written a report on gizmodo.com explaining what steroids are: “Steroids were developed as medical treatments and they come in two varieties. Anabolic steroids are the kind you hear about the most. But athletes who are addicted to winning often use them illicitly.” Blood doping is most commonly used in order to obtain the upper hand in the sport. The sport that it is most commonly used in is cycling. This is because the goal of cycling is to get to the finish line before the competitors do, and that
(Cheating in Sports) When it comes to cheating in sports, there aren’t actually a lot of ways to cheat. But the two most popular ways of cheating in modern day society is the use of steroids, and the process of blood doping. Although these two forms of cheating are both performance enhancers, they differ in multiple ways; ways such as the goals that the user wants to obtain by cheating, the function of each type, or the athletes’ reasoning for cheating. An IB Times Reporter states what blood doping actually is: “EPO, or erythropoietin, is a hormone naturally produced by human kidneys to stimulate red blood cell production, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency. Cyclists and other athletes use EPO to raise their red blood cell counts, which increases the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to muscles, improving recovery and endurance.” As explained by this reporter, blood doping, or the injection of the hormone EPO, is well known to be used by competitive cyclists, and one of the most infamous blood dopers is Lance Armstrong. Now steroids on the other hand, are a lot bigger of a deal in sports, simply because a lot more athletes use them, no matter what the sport. Some of the most famous athletes such as Barry Bonds(MLB), Lance Armstrong(Cyclist), Marion Jones(Track Runner), Roger Clemens(MLB), and Shawne Merriman(NFL) have all used steroids, which is what makes steroids so infamous. Kristen Philipkoski has written a report on gizmodo.com explaining what steroids are: “Steroids were developed as medical treatments and they come in two varieties. Anabolic steroids are the kind you hear about the most. But athletes who are addicted to winning often use them illicitly.” Blood doping is most commonly used in order to obtain the upper hand in the sport. The sport that it is most commonly used in is cycling. This is because the goal of cycling is to get to the finish line before the competitors do, and that
Cited: Page • Philipkoski, Kristen. "What Are Steroids?" Gizmodo. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2013. • “What Is Blood Doping? Everything You Need To Know About EPO And Other Performance-Enhancing Drugs Lance Armstrong Says He Used." International Business Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2013.