Doping and Consequence

Doping and Consequence
Final Draft
ENC 3211-01
Tajuanda Parkes
January 3, 2013

Abstract
The intension of this report is to inform about the many substances that are used by athletes, professional and amateur. The discussion about why, they are used and who should be responsible for issuing them. I am looking to find insight into the massive aggression in using them and some of the physical effects of the substances. I will look at the glory, fame and prestige that come from winning and agony and despair from getting caught. The fall from grace and the fallout caused by the using these illegal substances. Proponents of accepting performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in sports argue that their harmful health effects have been overstated, that health risks are an athlete’s decision to make, that using drugs is part of the evolution of sports much like improved training techniques and new technologies, and that efforts to keep athletes from using PEDs are overzealous, unproductive, unfairly administered, and bound to fail. Opponents argue that PEDs are harmful and potentially fatal, and that athletes who use them are cheaters who gain an unfair advantage, violate the spirit of competition, and send the wrong message to children. They say PED users unfairly diminish the historic achievements of clean athletes, and that efforts to stop PED use in sports should remain strong.

There are many questions surrounding the new case of doping in cycling that bears to mind the reason for doping. Many banned and illegally used substances are still in circulation in sports today, due to physicians and trainers that insist on going around regulations and continue to use these substances. Why do athletes do it? I am looking to answer some questions, gain insight to the doping game. I am also looking to find out who provides these banned, illegal substances and why if there is potential to be caught and exposed. Is the public humiliation worth the trouble to win, only to later lose? The theme is to find out why there is a need for these substances and if they are banned why are they still available? Is the pay off of winning worth the possibility of losing everything, including their dignity and respect? Should these substances be legalized, to take the edge off of “cheating”? I hope to find answers to in my research of doping in sports.
In the current news, Lance Armstrong has seen his world crumble behind allegations and subsequent positive testing for use of performance enhancers. Unknown to most outside the cycling circle is that in 2002, Armstrong and his team mates were under investigation for using banned substances. It was a grueling 12- month investigation that ended with no evidence found to further investigate, that was during the 2000 Tour de France. That was somewhat the beginning of the down spiral in his career, and his legacy. As time passed, there were more and more allegations about his doping from old teammates, reporters and the authors of the book, “"L.A. Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong", David Walsh and Pierre Ballester opened up to another hill of accusations and twisted knowledge from those inside his circle, his “so-called-friends”.
Now today, a few weeks since it was first made breaking news, Armstrong still has some ex-team mates that are choosing to blow more of the proverbial whistle on more of his activities during hi cycling days. There are other cyclists who are in the same hot seat as Armstrong and face a ban for life from the sport. Cyclist, Remy di Gregorio is the next to fall from grace. He was expelled from team of Cofidis, under scrutiny about alleged doping. “Cofidis, a professional cycling team, said its cyclist Remy di Gregorio "had allegedly attempted to resort to the use of doping substances to improve his performance" and therefore it was suspending him as a precaution.” (Dheepthi Namasivayam and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN).
It seems that there is growing concern for the use of these banned substances, but the real question is: If everyone is using or attempting to use these performance enhancers, why not make it legal with stipulations for use? This is really big deal in the cycling world, but not so long ago it was very big deal in professional baseball and the United States Courts. Now that these cyclists face sure disaster from their sport, its fans and other cyclist, what lies ahead for them in their personal lives because of the fall from cycling grace? What lies ahead for Lance Armstrong was the removal of himself from the position of CEO, of his Livestrong charity; he has been ousted as spokesman for NIKE and Anheuser-Busch and stripped of his 7 Tour de France titles. What else can possibly become of the de-funked star? Well, there is the possibility of jail time if found guilty and charged with using illegal substances and there is sure to be more, team mates, physicians, and “friends” that will be shelling out more information, told in confidence, that will soon hit the air waves and continue with the tidal wave that Lance once rode.
The complaints and investigations are not only coming in the world of cycling, but the Olympics have been a long time customer of athletes using performance enhancers to help in their quest for the gold. In a most recent report from the 2012 summer games there were accusations of a 16 year old swimmer, who broke the record and topped a male swimmer time in the 110 meters that was tested because it was unheard of for a girl to out swim her counterpart male. The swimmer a young Chinese girl, “Ye Shiwen knocked five seconds off her personal best and broke the world record by more than a second as she stormed to gold in the 400m individual medley”; that was the caption of Ye Shiwen in the www.dailymail.co.uk/news, under her picture. This athlete did it the right way, the long way and still fell under scrutiny, because of her age, gender, and disbelief that it could have been done. She has had to prove her innocence and testing, if that fair and should any governing body ask for a test because of results?
Now, one can see how attaining glory has negative connotations, instead of the infamous innocent until proven guilty, athletes are guilty until proven innocent with a negative test results.
As I began to research this topic, I was surprised to see that there are a great number of banned substances that are readily available for use. I could only ask the questions, “Why they are available and what the other purposes of these banned substances are?” So, I will begin with some of the substances and try and find out the cause and reason for the use.
Anabolic steroids, commonly called "roids," juice, hype or pump, are powerful prescription drugs. They are controlled substances that people abuse in high doses to boost their athletic performance. Anabolic steroids are not the same as steroid medications, such as prednisone or hydrocortisone that are legitimately used to treat asthma and inflammation of the skin or other parts of the body. Anabolic means body building tissue. Anabolic steroids help build muscle tissue and increase body mass by acting like the body's natural male hormone, testosterone. (Anabolic Steroids and Sports: Winning at any Cost). The anabolic steroid seems to be like an entry level drug that is used by beginners and is the easily administered, whether by doctor or yourself. This drug is found to be like the male hormone testosterone, which is a mass tissue builder enhancement found in males. The steroid has some misconceptions about the results it will give, like increased muscle size and body mass, but it will not increase skill level or agility. Later in the research I will touch on the advantages of using this steroid.
Some athletes frequently take two or more anabolic steroids together, mixing oral and/or inject able types, and sometimes adding other drugs, such as stimulants, painkillers, or growth hormones. This is called "stacking." The athlete believes that different drugs will produce greater strength or muscle size than by using just one drug. What they don't know, or choose to ignore, is the damage to the body that abuse of these drugs can cause. (Anabolic Steroids and Sports: Winning at any Cost).
The widespread use of anabolic steroids among athletes is in the hopes of improving performance. Although drug testing is widespread, new designer drugs are made specifically to avoid detection. However, technology continually evolves; blood and urine samples from years earlier are now being retested with new science and exposing athletes who used illegal substances in the past.
Another highly used performance enhancer is a supplement called creatine. Creatine is used like a dietary supplement. It is used instead of the anabolic steroids which has many side effects with its use. Creatine on the other hand has fewer side effects, but it does have side effects also. Creatine has been joined with muscle injuries and kidney problems as to the short term effects on the body. There hasn’t been much study of the long term use and the effects on the body. Creatine and other supplements are not approved by the FDA and are not held to the same strict regulations as other drugs. Creatine and certain other dietary supplements are banned by the NFL, NCAA and the Olympics. New York State law bans the sale of dietary supplements containing the stimulant ephedra. (Anabolic Steroids and Sports: Winning at any Cost). While there is a constant need for athletes to use these performance enhancers, there also is the increased risk of doing bodily harm to oneself while using them.
What are some of the advantages of using anabolic steroids? Anabolic steroids are a chemical derivative of testosterone, the "male sex hormone." Properly used, anabolic steroids can aid in the treatment of blood disorders, connective tissue disease, some cancers, intractable arthritis, some sexual dysfunctions and other serious illnesses. But, because of their potentially serious side effects, they must be prescribed and used only under close medical supervision. Under both federal and New York State Law, anabolic steroids may only be prescribed by an authorized prescriber after a face-to-face examination of a patient. (Anabolic Steroids and Sports: Winning at any Cost). As you can see the advantages of using steroids are purely medical and aids in the treatment of serious illnesses. On the other side of that coin is the advantage of increase strength, bigger muscles, and increased stamina for athletes, that is there purpose to increase and give more than a normal body would. This a line divide that many have to decide, “Do I want to win at the cost of hurting my body and in the long run is or was it worth it later in life after sports?” The physical effects from using these drugs and supplements are great, at the time, but when time has gone and the glory has faded what will those athletes look like, feel like in the years later, after the glory is gone. These are residual questions that looking at retired athletes, shows signs after the use of these substances. It equates to weight gain, attitudes and behavior issues (related to the discontinued use, i.e. “roid rage”).
Now, let us look at who is using these banned, illegal substances and find out the reasons for the use. Today, in the current news there is a storm in the Cycling world. One of the world’s greatest cyclist, and 7 times Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong has come under fire. He is not the first rider to use the substances and he was not the first to get caught using them either. Perhaps, he is the most famous rider that has been caught up in this scandal, but he surely won’t be the last. See, Lance was fighting cancer and was using the substance for medical purposes and unbeknownst to him, the drug contained a banned substance at least that is the story he is going with. Here is a piece of the scenario surrounding Lance Armstrong’s’ use of the steroid, “Anabolic steroids are a chemical derivative of testosterone, the "male sex hormone." Properly used, anabolic steroids can aid in the treatment of blood disorders, connective tissue disease, some cancers, intractable arthritis, some sexual dysfunctions and other serious illnesses. But, because of their potentially serious side effects, they must be prescribed and used only under close medical supervision. Under both federal and New York State Law, anabolic steroids may only be prescribed by an authorized prescriber after a face-to-face examination of a patient.” (www.nyhealth.gov). so, from hearing this it begs the question of did his physician prescribe this drug to him and was the consequences really weighed out to determine if the use would be worth the risk?
Another legend who was caught using in the MLB was Lenny Dykstra. This goes back to the year 2000, when the all-star was assumed and did use the anabolic steroid, performance enhancer, although, no matter the reason for the use it was and is still illegal. Lenny Dykstras’ circumstances seemed to be purely for the lack of working out and exercising, it still wrong. Here’s a report I found on the circumstances leading to his use, “Since approximately 2000, the Commissioner's Office has been aware that Dykstra used anabolic steroids during his playing career. At that time, senior vice president for security Kevin M. Hallinan, his deputy Martin Maguire, and then-executive vice president for baseball operations Sandy Alderson met with Dykstra and his doctor in an attempt to increase their understanding of steroids. Hallinan said that Dykstra admitted to using steroids, saying that he used them to "keep his weight up" during the season. According to Hallinan, Dykstra said using steroids eliminated the need for him to work out during the season.” (Mitchell Commission Report, espn.com). Whatever the reason for the use, it still comes down to enhancing to have an advantage and that is what makes the uses of anabolic steroids illegal. It takes a disadvantage on those who go through the workouts and practices naturally without the use of any aids.
Then there is the infamous Barry Bonds deal. Bonds was said to have used a cream for arthritis and was unknowingly using a steroid that was in the cream. Not only was he using a cream for an arthritic elbow, he also used a clear liquid, that was given to him by his trainer, Greg Anderson, while with the San Francisco Giants. Although it is or was not clear as to what the clear liquid was, it was known unspoken. Whatever the reasons for the use, finally admitting, Bonds told his story to the grand jury. Although Bonds, was geared for retirement after breaking the homerun record, set by another steroid, juiced user Mark McGuire, what came during the investigation would lead Bonds to charges of obstructing justice and perjury.
Now after the world games are over there is always something that leads, judges to request a test on an Olympic athlete that appears to be juiced, to outperform a male counterpart. This was the case in the 2012 Summer Olympics and namely swimming. There is a girl from China who is 16 years old and swims like a fish and faster than the world record holder Ryan Lochte. The article after the Olympics were over surely put doping in the minds of every athlete involved in the sport and put the country in the headlines. The report from dailymail.co.uk... “Ryan Lochte may be speedy... but this 16-year-old Chinese girl is even quicker! Bizarre scenes as swimming prodigy smash world record and even beat U.S. champ's time over last 50 metres…” (Williams, David Faulkner & Katherine and Gye, Hugo). Never-the-less, the Chinese girl, swimmer was put through a drop test and the results soon after proved that there had been no use of banned or illegal enhancers used. The Chinese girl, Ye Shiwen has told that she has a rigorous workout and that she works out three maybe four times a day. It is her hard work and dedication to her country that has allowed for her to train this way and take home a gold medal for her country.
Ok, now that we have shown who the users are or could be, let explore the consequences of using these illegal, banned substances. Are these choices punishable by imprisonment, fines, public humility and the overwhelming opinion of their peers?
To start with the most current evident and highly publicized fall by cyclist, Lance Armstrong. Lance was the face of an organization, LIVESTRONG and the Tour de France, before his crash began. He had raised and donated much of his time, talents and personal disclosure of his own battle with cancer. He literally was the poster boy of cycling and beating cancer, being a survivor. This was until it was uncovered about his usage and his battle with cancer. His story is unfolding in the courts now, with charges of using and the fallout is just beginning.
According the NPR, sources indicated that charges were close to being brought against a number of individuals, which included fraud, witness tampering, mail fraud, and drug distribution. One source, NPR says, said there were ‘no weaknesses in the case’. (Daniel Benson, Feb. 8, 2012). Armstrong had been under investigation dating back to 2002, with all judgments going in his favor, until now. Armstrong has been stripped of all of his Tour de France titles, resigned from his own charity and stands to the possibility of felony charges of fraud. All of his rides are questioned and fear in the cycling circle may cause problems for other riders, as did with his team USPS.
While retiring from the sport that caught them cheating, most athletes have gone on to a life without any history of them in the books for accomplishments. As with Barry Bonds, Len Dykstra, Mark McGuire and a host of others, they live in shadows of shame and some have resorted to grave things that only darken their past perfect performances. The shame that follows being caught can sometimes be more that the athlete can bear and a less traveled path is taken.
There are many others that have been punished for their involvement in using banned, illegal substances, far more than we have seen in the news. This seems to be a very popular choice in the world of global sports and punishments in other countries can be far more severe than in the United States, still they are not deterred. Many athletes have gone to great lengths to preserve their good name and honor in their respective sports, but do not be fooled, they too are doping. The process and investigations can be slow, but they are steady and have positive results from the majority of those tested and yet athletes are not deterred.
To wrap up the greatest losses, in sports at being caught, in Major League Baseball, there have been some greats who will probably never make it into the baseball hall of fame because of their use and denial f the use. In cycling, many have had their titles taken and the endorsements that came with winning. Particularly, Lance Armstrong has lost his endorsements, his charity, and his financial backings for training, winning and contributions for his charity foundations. Unmentioned previous, another baseball great, who upon retiring was a shoe-in for the hall of fame, pitcher Roger Clemons, may never get farther than the ballot itself because of his use of performance enhancers.
This would beg the question that if everyone is or has used these performance enhancers before, why not legalize it? “In baseball, legalized steroids could go a long way toward solving the contentious issue of Hall of Fame voting. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sosa will all be on next year’s ballot, and none are expected to earn entry because the Hall’s voters have so far kept out players found guilty or even suspected of using steroids. It’s a problematic approach, however, because a player who isn’t suspected of steroid use could be just as guilty as one who is.”(Smith, Chris Forbes Staff Writer).

Reference
Mitchell Report (December 13, 2007). Players listed in the Mitchell Commission report. Retrieved November 29, 2012 from, Web site: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3153646
Namasivayam, Dheepthi & Smith-Spark, Laura (2012, July 10). French Tour de France cyclist arrested amid doping claims. Retrieved November 7, 2012 from, Web site: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/10/sport/france-cyclist-raid/index.html
New York Health (n.d.) Anabolic steroids and sports: Winning at any cost.
Retrieved November 7, 2012 from, Web site: http://www.health.ny.gov/publications/1210/
Smith, Chris (2012). Why it's time to legalize steroids in professional sports. Forbes, Web site: http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2012/08/24/why-its- time-to-legalize-steroids-in-professional-sports/
Wadler, Gary I, (2008, June 28). Dr. Gary Wadler of the world anti-doping agency gives his answers to your questions (Part I)," .Retrieved November 7, 2012 from, Chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Prohibited List and Methods Sub-Committee Web site: http://www.usada.org/
Williams, David Faulkner & Katherine and Gye, Hugo (2012) Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen smashed world record by a second and her own personal best by five. www.dailymail.co.uk.
Quinn, Elizabeth (2011, October 24). Steroids - anabolic - androgenic steroids in sports: Steroid use continues despite health risks to athletes Retrieved December 4, 2012 from, Web site:
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/performanceenhancingdrugs/a/AnabolicSteroid.htm