Doping to improve human performance

With the Olympic Games every four years come a host of expectations from athletes all over the world. Some expectations are from the public, others from the family and near ones of the sportsperson participating and yet more come from the coaches and sponsors. Is it any wonder then that the pressure leads to experimenting with performance enhancing drugs?

Doping is forbidden in sports meets and can result in expulsion from the games. However the allure of the big medal is difficult to explain. The sports person will risk everything that he or she has worked for by taking a banned drug to help improve the performance to an elevated level. The 16 year old Chinese swimmer who was the eye of the storm in the recent doping controversy will be able to attest to the pressures that the sportsperson faces.

As there are regular scientific studies involving the testing of drugs that enhance human performance, it is not too difficult to imagine the temptation that a sportsperson feels when he knows he can shave of many seconds from the performance with the help of these drugs. It is human nature to strive to be better after all. So what if that involves getting unexpected help from a couple of pills.