Humans have always been competitive creatures. Few can easily accept defeat or second place. Most paradoxically, this is also true of top athletes and performance athletes, who are supposed to be rugged and used to winning and losing, but for a few of them, losing is unthinkable and they are willing to do almost anything for a win.
When racing or competing against the best, the outcome depends on several factors, including hard training, talent, and physical and mental conditioning. When you are one of the absolute top, even the smallest details make a difference. These details can be improved in a variety of ways, and unfortunately, one of those options is doping. [Doping is the use of prohibited substances or methods to enhance athletic performance. A list of these substances is published by WADA (International Anti-Doping Agency). What substances or methods are involved?
Classification of prohibited substances:
1. Stimulants – stimulants that stimulate the central nervous system. Its action reduces fatigue, arouses aggression, and activates alertness. It has no direct effect on muscular activity.
2. Narcotics – work in the opposite way to stimulants. For example, it depresses the central nervous system by inhibiting the transmission of pain stimuli. This speeds recovery or, for example, allows an athlete to perform despite a painful injury. [Steroids – properly anabolic steroids. Their use increases muscle mass and strength. They are used primarily in strength sports and athletics.
4. Diuretics – substances that increase the excretion of water from the cells (body). Used in sports doping for rapid weight loss. Risk of dehydration!
5. Hormonal substances – artificially increase the levels of desired hormones. The most common are the administration of testosterone, growth hormone, or a substance called EPO, which stimulates the production of red blood cells and provides more oxygen to the muscles.
Prohibited methods:
Commonly used doping methods include blood doping (injecting fresh blood) and the use of oxygen tents. Doping substances are most often introduced into the body in the form of chemicals.