Doping

Doping is the use of banned substances or methods to gain an unfair advantage; it is banned for the athletes' health, for fair competition and as an example to the public. Altitude training is allowed; drugs for the same effect are not. Ben Johnson lost his 1988 Olympic 100 m gold (9.79 s) after testing positive for steroids.

Why athletes dope: to boost performance, to cope with pressure, to mask pain, to control weight, to hide other drugs. Categories in the chapter: dietary supplements, and injectable hormones and drugs.

Narcotics (morphine, methadone) hide pain; harms include addiction and overdose. Anabolic steroids (related to testosterone) cause heart, liver and kidney damage, hormonal changes and aggression; needle use risks HIV and hepatitis.

Gene doping is banned and hard to detect. Blood doping and EPO raise red-cell mass for endurance but thicken the blood, risking heart disease, stroke and embolism. Stimulants raise heart rate and blood pressure; diuretics cause dehydration and kidney failure; masking agents cause allergic reactions.

Testing happens in competition (at the venue) and out of competition (without notice, anywhere). Doping control plans testing and protects the identity of samples from collection to the laboratory. WADA was created through an IOC initiative.