Fortnightly Review: Drugs in sport

The use of drugs to enhance performance in sport will not go away. Athletes seek every competitive advantage and the rewards of success at top level are great, both financially and in personal glory. Almost all top level competitors are full time and, even if not paid, are to all purposes professional. There is huge pressure to train longer and harder and to take a scientific approach to nutrition and fluid and electrolyte balance, to seek every biomechanical and psychological advantage. It is almost inevitable that some will seek an advantage through drugs. Though there may be little clear objective scientific evidence of a benefit to be gained from drug use, what evidence there is supports the widespread belief among athletes that drugs help. Indeed, many believe that it is impossible to succeed without drugs. Though an athlete's motivation in taking drugs is understandable, we cannot condone it. Firstly, it can be dangerous to the athlete's health and, secondly, it is against all principles of fair competition.