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Articles on Performance enhancement

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A variant of Piezo1 may boost tendon strength and, subsequently, athletic ability. Yellow Dog Productions/The Image Bank via Getty Images

Your mighty tendons help you sprint, jump and move – a genetic mutation in one key protein may increase athletic performance

The discovery of the role that the protein Piezo1 plays in touch and body awareness won the 2021 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. Piezo1 may also be a significant player in motor function.
A waxwork of Captain America on display at Madame Tussauds in Bangkok, Thailand. Nuamfolio/Shutterstock.com

Doping soldiers so they fight better – is it ethical?

Doping is condemned in sports. But what about in the military? Should soldiers be allowed or even encouraged to take drugs that make them superior fighters and more likely to complete a mission?
Two news outlets have alleged there was widespread cheating in endurance sports between 2001 and 2012. Peter Mooney/Flickr

The science of doping and how cheating athletes pass drug tests

Organisers of the World Championship in Athletics will be on their toes after recent revelations of mass doping by endurance athletes. Here’s what you need to know about doping and how to evade it.
Alex Rodriguez is back on the Yankees’ roster following his one-year suspension for using banned performance enhancing drugs. Reuters

A-Rod may get his millions but his future remains murky

Alex Rodriguez, the New York Yankees’ erstwhile third baseman, has had an interesting career in more ways than one. His use of steroids has resulted in a sullied reputation and a one-year suspension without…
The last time the Wallabies played the Argentina Pumas they lost – was an incomprehensible national anthem part of the problem? AAP Image/ Dave Hunt

Want to win? Let music give you the edge

Let’s hope the Wallabies are inspired by a rousing rendition of the national anthem as they prepare to face their old enemy the All Black’s at tomorrow’s Bledisloe Cup match. The Kiwis invariably come…
It’s like putting a V8 engine in your heart – it’s not built to be sped up at that rate. Image from shutterstock.com

Health warning about body-sculpting drug clenbuterol

The growing number of Australians illicitly using the drug clenbuterol to lose weight and build muscle mass are putting themselves at risk of heart attack, researchers say. Clenbuterol is legally prescribed…
Many more Australians want to build the ‘body beautiful’ and we want to do it in a hurry, increasingly through the use of performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs). shutterstock

Muscling up: are steroids an emerging criminal threat?

High-profile claims of links between elite sports and organised crime in Australia – such as those outlined in last year’s Australian Crime Commission (ACC) report – have put performance and image enhancing…
About 80% of the world’s caffeine is consumed in the form of coffee. jennybach

Health Check: does caffeine enhance performance?

Unlike many drugs, caffeine may be taken legally by people of all ages, which helps make it the world’s most widely used stimulant. Approximately 80% of the world’s caffeine is consumed in the form of…
Is our current form of hyper-competitive sport transgressive of fair play? Art-Of-2

We’re getting tougher on doping cheats – but why?

What’s the point of anti-doping? And what’s the point of sport in the early 21st century? Is the current system of anti-doping good for our kids, our athletes and is it good for sport? Is it even good…
In light of relevations into doping in Australian sport, should more be done to protect and inform professional athletes? Phil Roeder

We need an advocate against ASADA’s power in doping control

Should an athlete advocacy organisation be established to help athletes navigate the minefield of banned and permitted substances in sport? We believe it should be. Last week’s report by the Australian…
An ASADA investigation has been launched into the alleged use of supplements by Essendon players last year. AAP/Ben Macmahon

Essendon faces a doping investigation … but what are peptides?

By now you’ll have heard the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) is investigating Essendon Football Club. At this stage, there has been speculation about the injection of “peptides” by players…
Pasta and other carbohydrate-rich foods can boost muscle glycogen stores. chrismar

Carbo loading for sport is simple … when you know how

During the London Olympics, and beyond, many endurance athletes will attempt to increase their muscle glycogen stores by carbohydrate loading. This is because, despite its importance, glycogen is a fuel…

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