In recent times, the use of forbidden substances designed to improve athletes’ performance are increasing substantially. For this reason, many sports are starting to set new rules and procedures to prevent it from happening. This essay will examine how doping is growing among different sports, and explain some of the causes and possible solutions.
One of the causes why athletes consume banned substances is the low barrier of entry that some big sporting events have, such as the World Cup, The Olympics, or the Superbowl. There is no doubt that in any sport, the ultimate goal is to obtain victory, and therefore, it is natural for an athlete to do whatever is at their reach to win. This has led to some case of athletes doping themselves to execute the best out of their abilities, and in many cases, they get away with it. The policies that surround anti-doping are not applied to everyone and is even neglected in some sports. For instance, in the soccer World Cup, one footballer from each team is selected randomly in half time to be tested for doping. This, I believe, is a process that should be applied to all players before competition starts.
One of the possible solutions is to establish mandatory anti-doping regulation before any competition. Breathing, adrenaline and vital signs are common points of reference for doping, and should be taken from each player to make sure there is no presence of banned substances. Another solution might be to set clear penalties if external substances are found within the body. Examples may include direct elimination or even high penalty fees. This way, athletes are prone to pay more attention to what they consume and the consequences of it.
In conclusion, the abuse of substances meant to improve an athlete’s performance are more accessible than ever. This might be cause because of the low attention it gets in different exports or penalties not being strong enough. However, a good way to tackle this situation is by carrying out doping tests in all the people involved in the particular sport, and applying higher consequences to those who do it.