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performance-enhancing drug
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performance-enhancing drug

Also known as: PED
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Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are substances used illicitly to improve athletic performance. These can include anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, and erythropoietin. While PEDs may offer benefits like increased muscle mass, strength, and endurance, they also carry significant health risks. These risks can include heart problems, liver dysfunction, mental alterations like aggression and depression, and even death.1234

The use of such substances in sports dates back to ancient times, with athletes consuming various concoctions to gain an edge. Today, organizations like the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) work to ban and detect PEDs through rigorous testing. The debate continues regarding fairness, athlete health, and the ethical implications of PED use in sports.54267

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8 Britannica Sources
  1. performance-enhancing drug
  2. Sports and Drugs - Con 2: Despite any benefit in injury recovery, PEDs are dangerous and can still yield an unfair competitive advantage.
  3. sports - Human performance and the use of drugs
  4. Sports and Drugs - Examples:
  5. Sports and Drugs
  6. Olympics: A Survey of Banned Substances
  7. PED
  8. Sports and Drugs - Discussion Questions

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