Performance enhancing drugs like anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, erythropoietin, beta blockers, stimulants, and diuretics can provide advantages like increased muscle and strength, faster recovery, steady hands, and endurance, but often have serious health risks. Side effects range from acne and baldness to heart problems, stroke, seizures, and even death in rare cases. While some seek to gain a competitive edge, these substances are banned and dangerous.

1. Performance enhancing drugs
1. Diuretics Drugs
2. Anabolic steroids Are
3. Beta Blockers
Bad
4. Stimulants
5. Human growth hormone
So
6. Erythropoietin Hate
Em

2. Anabolic Steroids
“Derivatives of the hormone testosterone“
Exogenous
Synthetic versions of testosterone. Common examples include
Nandrolone and Danazol.
Endogenous
Naturally occurring substances involved in the metabolic pathways of
testosterone. When testing for drug use, all endogenous steroids have
a normal range. Results outside of this normal range are deemed
positive.

3. Physiological effects
Advantages
Increased muscle bulk
Increased muscle strength
Faster muscle recovery
Disadvantages
Decreased sperm production and sex drive
Increased aggression, irritability and mood swings
Liver disorders
Acne
Baldness (alopecia)
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Raised cholesterol

4. Erythropoietin
“Erythropoietin (often shortened to EPO) is a naturally occurring
hormone, secreted by the kidneys, whose function is to regulate red
blood cell production.”
Advantages
EPO stimulates bone marrow to produce more red blood cells and
therefore haemoglobin.
For this reason EPO is most commonly used amongst endurance
athletes as a higher RBC count means better oxygen transportation
and so a higher rate of aerobic respiration.
The faster the rate of aerobic respiration, the higher the level at which
the athlete can work without utilising the anaerobic systems which
produce lactic acid and cause fatigue.

5. Disadvantages
• There is are major side-effects of using erythropoietin
which have proven to be fatal in previous cases:
• Increased viscosity of the blood (which increases the
risk of heart attack and stroke)
• Fever
• Seizures (fits)
• Nausea
• Headache
• Anxiety
• Legarthy

6. Human Growth Hormone
“Human Growth hormone is produced by the pituitary gland and is essential
for normal growth and development. It is anabolic, meaning it accelerates
protein synthesis and also aids the metabolism (breaking down) of fat stores.”
Advantages
• Increased muscle mass
• Decreased fat stores
• Accelerated muscle recovery
• Commonly combined with anabolic steroids for maximum effect.
• Athletes involved in powerful, strength demanding sports are more likely
to take Human Growth Hormone.

7. Disadvantages
• Abnormally excessive growth in height, especially in younger athletes.
• Growth and swelling of body parts, typically hands, feet and nose.
• Low production of the thyroid hormone which disrupts metabolic rate and
protein production.
• Disease of the cardiac muscle, increasing the risk of arrhythmia and
sudden cardiac death.
• Cardiac Failure.
• High levels of cholesterol in the blood .
• Diabetes.
• Impotence.
• Osteoporosis.

8. Beta Blockers
“Beta blockers are capable of reducing the heart rate and
reducing the blood pressure by dilating blood vessels.”
Advantages
• Reduce nerve-inducing muscle twitches and shaking.
• Good for precision sports like archery and darts which require
a steady hand
• Reduced heart rate

9. Disadvantages
• Drowsiness or fatigue
• Reduced circulation through the hands and
feet
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Depression
• Rarely, more serious side effects, including
memory loss and impotence, can result.

10. Stimulants
Advantages
• Improve reaction time
• Reduce fatigue
• Euphoria
• Confidence boosts
• Intensify aggression
• Improve endurance
• Increased glycogen and fatty acid metabolism

11. Disadvantages
• Tachycardia
• Palpitations
• Hypertension
• Nervousness
• Restlessness
• Insomnia
• Seizures

12. Diuretics
“Diuretics are drugs including Frusemide, Chlorothiazide and
Hydrochlorothiazide. Their purpose is to remove excess water from the
body although each type of diuretic does this in a different way.”
Advantages
Diuretics are not used to enhance performance. If anything they have
a detrimental effect on performance as they cause dehydration.
Diuretics are used for two reasons:
• Firstly to lose weight rapidly in sports which require the athlete to
be within a set weight limit. For example boxers and jockeys.
• Secondly, to dilute the presence of illegal substances and aid their
excretion.

13. Disadvantages
• Dehydration
• Hypotension (low blood pressure)
• Muscle Cramps
• Electrolyte disturbances Muscle weakness
• Seizures Gout (caused by a build-up of uric acid)
• Fatigue