Doping in Sports: Winning at Any Cost?

McPherson, Stephanie Sammartino

ISBN 10: 1467761486 ISBN 13: 9781467761482

Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books (Tm), 2016

Synopsis

Behind the fame of big-time sports lies a complex web of controversy and deceit. Doping--the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to gain a competitive athletic edge--is common in many sports. While doping can improve performance, it poses huge risks for athletes' health and careers. Some of the world's top athletes, from cyclist Lance Armstrong to professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez, have seen their images tarnished by doping scandals. Still, the pressure to win and high financial stakes drive many athletes to PEDs. Award-winning author Stephanie Sammartino McPherson uncovers the shadowy world of athletes who dope, the people and organizations that help them, and the scientists and officials committed to stopping them.

About this title

Product Description:

In recent years the seedy underbelly of the athletic world has been exposed by scandals involving sports idols and performanceenhancing drugs. Examine the means, motives, and opportunities that drive athletes to take steroids and other stimulants.

Review:

"American sportswriter Grantland Rice famously said, 'It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game, ' but winning is all that matters in contemporary sports, and athletes under tremendous pressure to find any competitive edge frequently turn to performance-enhancing drugs. McPherson notes that ingesting substances for a competitive edge is an old practice. Ancient Greek athletes consumed bull and sheep testicles for their large amounts of testosterone. Roman gladiators used stimulants to maintain stamina and increase strength. The use of PEDs became more common and widespread with the introduction of anabolic steroids. In the latter half of the 20th century, the intense pressure to win and high financial stakes increasingly drove athletes to doping of various kinds to improve performance at the risk of health and career. McPherson discusses how such athletes as Lance Armstrong, Marion Jones, and Alex Rodriguez have seen their images tarnished and careers ruined in doping scandals. A complex, shadowy world of athletes who dope, the people and organizations that help them, and the scientists and officials committed to stopping them is revealed. Her writing is brisk, moving through the history anecdote by anecdote in an efficient review. McPherson's concise, informative overview offers a solid introduction to the issue of doping in the high-stakes world of big-time sports."--Kirkus Reviews

--Journal

"The problem of performance-enhancing drugs often finds its way onto national news as well as inside high-school locker rooms. Monitoring the use of such chemicals has become a complicated dance among scientists, physicians, coaches, law enforcement, and athletes. This book addresses the issue on all levels, including a brief history of doping, beginning in the mid-twentieth century when performance-enhancing drugs were first formulated in laboratories. It also explores why doping can be so difficult to detect and monitor. While much focus is given to use on a professional level and high-profile doping scandals, the book does not shy away from the appeal of performance-enhancing drugs for school-age athletes, and their impact on young users. The price of success for an athlete's health, reputation, and integrity provides a comprehensive argument for deterrence. Building on the notion that misinformation is the enemy of prevention, the book seeks to make a strong case against doping through frank discussion and honest answers to sticky questions."--Booklist

--Journal

About this edition

• Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books (Tm)
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1467761486
• ISBN 13: 9781467761482
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 104