What makes athletic performance extraordinary

Sports performance enhancement in competitive sports refers to athletes' use of banned performance-enhancing drugs as a way of cheating; this use is considered unethical and is prohibited by most international sports organizations, including the International Olympic Committee.

2 articles, 1 video, 1 book · about 4 hr 56 min of reading and viewing

The reading path

1. Read
   

   What Counts as Natural Athleticism? - JSTOR Daily · JSTOR Daily · 4 min read

   Wealthier countries have advantages in sports performance enhancement, including a larger pool of athletes, high-tech training regimens, and access to the best professional coaches. These advantages sit alongside sports' celebration of inequalities and hierarchies, even as fair play is essential.

2. Read
   sports performance enhancement · Wikipedia · 60+ min read

   In sports performance enhancement, Bob Goldman, a physician, osteopath and publicist, asked elite athletes whether they would take a drug guaranteeing sporting success but causing death after five years. Approximately half accepted in Goldman's research and previous research by Mirkin, while modern research by James Connor and co-workers found acceptance levels similar to the general population of Australia. An online bodybuilding community study gave examples of social pressures: bodybuilders doped because they felt it was a rite of passage to be accepted into the community and feel validated. Social pressure is one factor that leads to doping in sport, and the assumption that opponents also use performance-enhancing drugs can make it seem acceptable to conform.

3. Watch
   

   274 - Performance-enhancing drugs and hormones—risks, rewards, & broader implications for the public · YouTube · 3 hr 31 min watch

   Derek, a fitness educator and expert in molecules used and misused by bodybuilders and athletes, discusses growth hormone, testosterone, steroids, and other compounds, including their effects and risks.

4. Book
   

   The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance · Bookshop.org

   The Sports Gene by David Epstein argues that rigorous practice from a young age is not the only route to success, exposing flaws in the so-called 10,000-hour rule.

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