The need to be the best

Competitors feel immense pressure to excel in their chosen sport. They only have a short career over which they can earn a lot of money and fame and the best way to do this is to win. Training gets results but it is widely believed that drugs can boost competitors efforts even at the expense of their health and sporting careers. 

There are 5 main categories of banned substances

• Anabolic steroids - these help athletes to build muscle, and to recover faster after training; 
• Peptide hormones - these are substances that occur naturally in the body, such as erythropoietin (EPO), which increases the number of red blood cells in the blood ensuring increased oxygen delivery to the muscles.
• Strong analgesic painkillers - such as morphine and other opiates; 
• Stimulants - drugs like amphetamines and cocaine can raise the heart rate and may improve performance; 
• Diuretics - chemicals that help the body to lose fluids, which may be useful in helping boxers and jockeys to reach their ideal weight.