Anti-doping measures always a step behind from technological advancement, is it a flawed system?

p Running Head : Anti-doping Measures and Technology Advancement

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February 26 , 2009

Introduction

Many athletes and sportsmen and women in the world have at one time or another toyed with the idea of using performance enhancing drugs in to maximize their chances of winning in the competitions (Houlihan , 2002 . The use of these drugs is often referred to as doping It is unethical as it gives users advantages over other athletes who are not using the drugs thus lack of equality in the competition

. Apart from this , they pose a serious threat to the health of the users . Examples include steroids , testosterone , strychnine , Benzedrine , erythropoietin among others . Adding to the list of doping are technology techniques such as gene modification and ionized shirts , tough these shirts have not yet been classified in the doping list . Performance enhancing drugs have for a long time been a major concern to sports organizers who have constantly tried to stop the habit . Doping has existed in the sports world for as long as possible . According to Dimeo (2007 , the first performance enhancing substances were used as early as 1807 . However most were herbs and liquids that were eaten or drunk . The first real use of performance enhancers were seen in 1904 in the Olympics . However formal doping tests only started in the late 1960s when sports organizations saw the need to place an equal platform for all athletes to ensure fair competition . Performance enhancers were banned from the...