Why do some athletes take performance-enhancing drugs, and what are the effects and arguments for and against?
Drugs in sport: the reasons performers take performance-enhancing drugs, the main types of drug and their effects on performance and health, and the arguments for and against drug taking and how sport tries to prevent it.
A focused answer to Eduqas GCSE PE Component 1 on drugs in sport: the reasons performers dope, the main types of performance-enhancing drug and their effects on performance and health, the arguments for and against drug taking, and how sport tries to prevent it.
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What this dot point is asking
Eduqas wants you to explain why performers dope, name the main types of performance-enhancing drug and their effects on performance and health, and discuss the arguments for and against drug taking and how sport tries to prevent it.
Why performers take drugs
Doping is a form of deviance (linking to ethics and sporting behaviour): it breaks the rules and the spirit of fair competition.
The main types of drug and their effects
The arguments for and against, and prevention
The arguments against doping are strong: it is cheating and unfair, it seriously damages health, it sets a bad example to young people, and it harms the image and integrity of sport. Arguments sometimes put for doping (a "level playing field" if all could use them, or athlete choice) are heavily outweighed by the harm and unfairness, so sport bans performance-enhancing drugs.
Why this matters
Drugs in sport is the clearest example of deviance (linking to ethics and sporting behaviour), driven by the same pressures that commercialisation creates (linking to commercialisation and the media). It also connects to physiology: EPO and blood doping work by raising the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, which links to the cardio-respiratory system. Eduqas rewards correct drug types with their effects and risks, and a balanced judgement on prevention.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas 20194 marksName two types of performance-enhancing drug, and for each describe its effect on performance and one risk to health.Show worked answer →
A Component 1 item testing types of drug. Award marks for each type with an effect and a health risk.
Anabolic steroids: increase muscle mass, strength and power and allow harder training and faster recovery. Health risk: high blood pressure, heart and liver damage, and aggression ("roid rage").
Stimulants: increase alertness, reduce tiredness and raise heart rate, helping in sports needing speed and reaction. Health risk: raised heart rate and blood pressure, heart problems, and the masking of injury or fatigue leading to harm.
Markers reward two correct drug types, each with a performance effect and a health risk. Beta blockers, diuretics, EPO and peptide hormones also score if explained correctly.
Eduqas 20226 marksDiscuss the arguments for and against allowing performance-enhancing drugs in sport, and evaluate how effective drug testing is at keeping sport clean.Show worked answer →
A 6-mark extended-response item, marked across knowledge, application and judgement, so it needs balance and a conclusion.
Arguments against (the main case): drugs are cheating and unfair; they damage health; they set a bad example to young people; and they harm the image of sport.
Arguments sometimes put for (to discuss, not endorse): a "level playing field" if everyone could use them, and it being the athlete's own choice. These are heavily outweighed by the harm and unfairness.
Evaluate testing: random and out-of-competition testing, the athlete whereabouts system and improving laboratory methods catch many cheats and deter others, but new and masking drugs and the rewards of winning mean some still evade detection, so testing is partly effective but not complete.
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Sources & how we know this
- Eduqas GCSE (9-1) Physical Education C550QS specification — Eduqas (2016)