Why do some athletes take performance-enhancing drugs, and what are the effects and consequences?
The types of performance-enhancing drugs and their effects on the performer and on sport, the reasons performers take them, the risks and consequences, and the arguments for and against drug taking in sport.
A focused answer to OCR GCSE PE Component 02 on drugs in sport: the main types of performance-enhancing drugs (anabolic steroids, beta blockers, stimulants, diuretics, narcotics, EPO and peptide hormones), their effects, the reasons performers take them, the health and sporting consequences, and the arguments for and against.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
OCR wants you to identify the types of performance-enhancing drugs and their effects, explain why performers take them, describe the risks and consequences, and discuss the arguments for and against drug taking in sport.
Types of performance-enhancing drug
Why performers take drugs
The risks and consequences
The health risks are severe and depend on the drug: anabolic steroids can damage the heart, liver and kidneys and cause mood swings and aggression; stimulants can cause heart problems; EPO thickens the blood and raises the risk of clots, strokes and heart attacks; diuretics can cause dehydration. The sporting consequences include bans, fines, disqualification and loss of medals or titles, damaged reputation and lost sponsorship, and in some countries a criminal record.
Arguments for and against drugs in sport
A few arguments are sometimes made for allowing drugs (it would be a level playing field if everyone could use them, athletes should control their own bodies, and it might reduce the cost of testing), but the arguments against are far stronger: doping is cheating and unfair, it carries serious health risks, it sets a bad example to young people, it damages the integrity and image of sport, and it pressures clean athletes to dope to compete. This is why doping is banned and heavily tested.
Why drugs in sport matters
Doping is the most serious form of deviance (linking to ethics and deviance) and is driven by the same commercial pressures that fund modern sport (linking to commercialisation). It threatens fair competition, athlete health and the public's trust, which is why anti-doping testing and education are central to elite sport.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR 20194 marksName two types of performance-enhancing drug and, for each, describe one effect it has and a sport in which it might be misused.Show worked answer →
A Component 02 item testing knowledge of the drug classes. Award marks for the drug, the effect and the sport.
Examples (any two): anabolic steroids increase muscle mass and allow harder training, misused in power and strength sports such as sprinting or weightlifting; beta blockers steady the heart rate and reduce anxiety and tremor, misused in precision sports such as archery, snooker or shooting; stimulants increase alertness and reduce tiredness, misused in many sports for a competitive edge; EPO (erythropoietin) increases red blood cell count and oxygen-carrying capacity, misused in endurance sports such as cycling; diuretics cause water loss (used to make a weight category or to mask other drugs).
Markers want the correct effect and a sensible sport for each named drug.
OCR 20226 marksDiscuss the reasons some performers take performance-enhancing drugs and the consequences of doing so for the performer and for sport.Show worked answer →
A 6-mark extended-response item, marked across knowledge, application and judgement.
Reasons: the pressure and rewards of winning (money, fame, medals, sponsorship); the belief that opponents are doping so it "levels the field"; pressure from coaches or a doping culture; the belief they will not be caught; and to recover faster from injury or hard training.
Consequences for the performer: serious health risks (heart, liver and kidney damage, mood swings, addiction); bans, fines and loss of titles and medals; damaged reputation and lost sponsorship; a criminal record in some countries.
Consequences for sport: it undermines fair competition, damages the sport's image and integrity, sets a poor example to young people, and costs money on testing and enforcement.
A top answer weighs the temptation against the serious risks and reaches a judgement, for example that the rewards explain why some dope but the health dangers and the harm to sport make it indefensible.
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Sources & how we know this
- OCR GCSE (9-1) Physical Education J587 specification — OCR (2016)