Menu Close

Articles on Performance enhancing drugs

Displaying all articles

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, seen here after competing in the women’s free skate program at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, tested positive for a banned substance. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Russian Olympic figure skater Kamila Valieva’s drug test: The substances and their potential performance effects

A doctor and lifelong figure skater explains what was found in Valieva’s drug test, what effects the substances might have and how performance enhancements might benefit a figure skater.
Maria Sharapova’s fundamental skill is the same whether she takes the banned substance meldonium or an allowed natural enhancer such as beetroot extract. AAP/Filip Singer

Sharapova, drugs and the nature bias

We have an intuitive bias against “artificial” drugs in favour of “natural” drugs, but that distinction is not only false, it is dangerous.
Usain Bolt (centre) won the highly anticipated men’s 100m event at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing. EPA/Hu Wong

Why are we so opposed to performance-enhancing drugs in sport?

In sport, there seems no reasonable justification for drawing a line in the sand that places drug use on one side and the other performance enhancers on the other.
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.
An Australian study found certain elite athletes were more at risk of taking drugs than others. Lee Morley/Flickr

Sports stars do take drugs – but not as much as the rest of us

Our study found that 8% of the 1,684 elite Australian athletes we surveyed said they had used at least one of six illicit drugs – including ecstasy, cocaine and cocaine – over the previous year.
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…

Top contributors

More