Performance Enhancing Drugs Changed the Way We View Sports Forever

"Did you hear the news coach? Asafa Powell broke the world record in the 100m. He ran 9.74." said two track athletes as they walked into my office.

"Wow, that's incredible." I said.

"Yeah, I wonder what drugs he's on?" they replied.

Performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) have stolen the awe of great sports achievements. Sports like track & field, cycling, and baseball have been permanently placed into a cloud of suspicion.

Every time you hear of an amazing feat in sports the accusations are quick to follow. PEDs have taken away the amazement that we used to feel when witnessing an incredible performance, or a long-time record being broken.

We can pour all the money that we want into drug testing, but the cheaters always seem to be one step ahead of the testers. Just look at human growth hormone. This widely available drug has been banned in all major sports, but there is not an accurate test for it.

HGH does have some tell-tale signs, like elongation of the face, and increases in head size. That is one reason many people have taken such an interest in the size of Barry Bonds baseball cap. The bottom line is drugs like HGH will always exist. They will never totally clean up sports, which is a realization that the public is finally starting to understand.

Now there have been some big drug busts in the last few years that have hopefully deterred athletes from cheating. The Balco investigation, Justin Gatlin, and the cheating scandals in the Tour de France have made many professional athletes think twice about cheating.

For the athletes it becomes a game of risk and reward. The rewards can mean fame, prestige, and a spot in the record books. The biggest rewards can also be financial as athletes vie for a bigger share of the millions of dollars available in professional sports.

On the flip side of the coin cheaters are opening them selves up for a huge amount of risk. Cheaters in track & field and cycling have been forced to return their prize money from races they have won and automatically receive a two year ban from the sport for a first offense. A second offense can mean a life-time ban.

Other than the potential financial and career risks, known cheaters have to face the scrutiny of the sports world. You only have to look at figures like Marion Jones, Barry Bonds, and Mark McGuire to see that it only takes the suspicion of steroid use to get vilified in the public eye.

I am optimistic that sports will be cleaner in the future. Unfortunately sports have lost part of their innocence, and that innocence will never be replaced.