Hasan Colak
July 29, 2023
The issue of doping in sports has become a matter of great concern and controversy. Doping refers to athletes’ use of performance-enhancing drugs or substances to gain an unfair advantage in competitions. Athletes often turn to drugs as they strive to enhance their strength, endurance, speed, and overall performance. These drugs encompass a variety of substances commonly used in doping. For instance, anabolic steroids and creatine promote muscle growth and improve performance. Additionally, androstenedione increases muscle strength, while human growth hormone stimulates tissue growth and repair. Athletes may also utilize erythropoietin to boost red blood cell production, enhancing oxygen delivery. Moreover, diuretics increase urine production and promote water loss, which aids in weight loss. Lastly, stimulants are relied upon to improve alertness and focus and reduce fatigue during sports performance.
This issue has an extended historical context, with instances of doping dating back many years. It goes as far back as ancient Greece or even the Roman Empire. According to Robert Alexandru Vlad, a highly accomplished medical professional specializing in pharmacology, “race horses were doped with various blends of substances aimed to increase their speed and stamina; also, gladiators have been mentioned as users of strength-increasing agents.” (Vlad). Maintaining fairness and integrity in sports is crucial, as it ensures that athletes compete on a level playing field and that the outcomes of competitions are determined by skill, talent, and hard work rather than illicit means. One tragic incident that shed light on the dangers of doping was the death of British cyclist Tom Simpson during the 1967 Tour de France. His untimely
demise highlighted the risks associated with using performance-enhancing drugs in sports. It is essential to address this issue of doping in sports effectively to uphold the values of fair play, protect athletes’ health and safety, and preserve the integrity of sports competitions.
Thomas Simpson, also known as Tom Simpson, was a talented British cyclist who grew up in a low-income family. Dr. Gabe Mirkin, an expert in sports medicine, health, and fitness known for books and radio hosting, tells us, “The son of a coal miner, he grew up very poor.” (Mirkin). Tom was born on November 30, 1937, in Haswell, County Durham, and moved to Harworth, Nottinghamshire. His height also fell too short, at 5'6'. He fell in love with cycling at 12 and has been dedicated and successful since then. He tragically died on July 13, 1967. Tom Simpson’s cycling journey was packed with exciting races and impressive wins that earned him the respect and admiration of fellow cyclists. He participated in numerous competitions, showcasing his unwavering dedication and determination to succeed in the sport.
He once participated in the 1956 Summer Olympics. That day, Tom Simpson won a bronze medal at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. The Olympic Games marked the first Olympic Games held in the Southern Hemisphere. The Games took place in November and December. Societal expectations, financial pressures, media scrutiny, and the complex dynamics of international politics challenged him. The number of participants was relatively low, with fewer than 3,500 athletes from 67 countries attending the Games; Britannica, written by expert authors who are both identifiable and credible, said, “The remoteness of Australia and two international crises” (Britannica). To further detail, “Egypt, Lebanon, and Iraq boycotted in protest of the Israeli invasion of the Sinai Peninsula in October. Moreover, a few weeks before the Games’ opening, the Soviet army had entered Budapest, Hungary, and suppressed a popular uprising against the government; the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland boycotted in protest against the Soviet invasion” (Britannica). The reason behind this was the Arab-Israeli
War of 1948, which led to the displacement of many Palestinian Arabs, setting the stage for future conflicts in the region. As the U.S. Department of State mentioned, “The Arab-Israeli War of 1948 ultimately led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs.” (USDS). The displacement of Palestinian Arabs and the ongoing conflicts in the region impacted the number of participants and created a complex political landscape surrounding the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Having achieved a bronze medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne and a silver medal in the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Tom Simpson always wanted to do better in his cycling career. It leads us to the tragedy of Tom Simpson’s Death in the 1967 Tour de France. An article from Yorkshire, a British newspaper based in Yorkshire, England, that specializes in sports, tells us, “Tom was erratic, fun to be with, and an extrovert. Tom could win without drugs, and that is the sad bit. However, one starts, and the other says, ‘I need to beat him so I will take this.’ Tom’s fault was he had to win.’” (Yorkshire). Tom Simpson faced extreme challenges during the race, including scorching heat and demanding conditions that pushed him to his physical and mental limits. Osman Samiuddin, a sports writer with The National in Abu Dhabi, gives us the perspective, “Imagine watching TV that day in 1967, its captive force multiplying every day like some predatory virus, and seeing a human die in sporting pursuit. And then to discover he died from drug usage.” (Osman). To push himself even further, as he was going up Mont Ventoux during the 13th stage of the race, he decided to consume a mixture of Coca-Cola, brandy, and amphetamines.
Amphetamines can be legal when prescribed by a doctor for medical conditions like obesity or ADHD. They come in different forms, such as pills, powder, crystal, and liquid, and can be taken in various ways, including swallowing, snorting, injecting, or smoking. Osman from the National News said that “Police discovered amphetamine pills in his pocket” (Osman).
However, they can also harm the body, including decreased appetite, heart problems, high body temperature, memory loss, mood and emotional problems, hallucinations, and addiction. Berger, a psychiatrist who received his medical degree from the University of California School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years, also mentions how “Amphetamines also cause the brain to release dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that is involved with mood, thinking, and movement. It is also called the feel-good brain chemical.” (Berger). Amphetamines can also harm the body in multiple ways, including “Heart problems such as fast heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and heart attack” (Berger).
Considering the potential harm caused by Amphetamines, that was not the sole factor contributing to his heart attack. Mirkin shares something intriguing, “Three days before his death, he was advised to drop out of the Tour de France because he was vomiting and had diarrhea” (Mirkin). The main side effect of vomiting and diarrhea is a substantial decrease in hydration. Excessive fluid loss can lead to dehydration, which can cause symptoms such as increased thirst, dry mouth, decreased urine output, fatigue, dizziness, and confusion. Also, according to the Guardian, a well-known British newspaper and media organization, they mentioned that this was not Tom’s first time at the Tour de France. As stated, “He rode in five Tours de France before this one, but in the last two, he was put out of the race through injury. He had badly wanted to do well this year to prove himself a reliable team man” (Guardian).
Therefore, when he took Coca-Cola, Brandy, a form of alcohol, and Amphetamines together, they collectively weakened him. As Mirkin points out, “Amphetamines and other stimulants may increase the risk of heat stroke by preventing your brain from recognizing that you are exhausted” (Mirkin). He explains, “It takes a long time for blood salt levels to rise high enough to tell you that you are thirsty; you will be severely dehydrated long before you feel thirsty” (Mirkin). Brandy negatively impacts athletes’ coordination, endurance, and recovery.
HSE, a government department responsible for the regulation of health, safety, and welfare in the workplace, mentions that “Alcohol promotes water loss. It reduces the production of the antidiuretic hormone, causing you to pee more. This, in turn, leads to dehydration.” (HSE). It is plausible that Hyponatremia, a condition arising from low blood sodium levels and often caused by dehydration, might have been a contributing factor to Tom Simpson’s heart attack during the Tour de France. Mirkin elaborates on this: “Fluid moves from an area of low salt concentration into areas with high salt levels, so fluid moves from the bloodstream into the brain, causing brain swelling. Since the brain is enclosed in the skull, which is a tight box, it expands and has nowhere to go, so it is squashed to cause headache, nausea, blurred vision, and eventually death” (Mirkin). The specific reason for Tom Simpson’s death was likely a combination of dehydration, caused by excessive fluid loss due to vomiting and diarrhea, and the consumption of Coca-Cola, Brandy, and Amphetamines during the Tour de France, leading to Hyponatremia subsequently triggering a fatal heart attack.
As the dangers and risks associated with doping become increasingly evident, it is essential to dive deeper into the underlying factors that drive athletes to resort to these harmful practices. By exploring the complex motivations behind doping, we can better understand the pressures, expectations, and competitive environment contributing to this controversial issue in sports. When athletes resort to performance-enhancing drugs, such as amphetamines, they may appear to gain an advantage in their performance. However, it is essential to recognize that doping can harm their health. As highlighted by the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit organization that provides whole-person care to everyone who needs healing and is also committed to clinical practice, education, and research, “Some athletes may seem to get an edge from
performance-enhancing drugs. But doping can have bad effects on health.” (Mayo Clinic). These may include adverse physical effects like cardiovascular problems, increased blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and even heart attacks. Additionally, athletes may experience
psychological and emotional issues such as mood swings, aggression, depression, and an increased risk of suicidal thoughts. Athletes must understand that the temporary gains achieved through doping come at the expense of their long-term well-being and overall health, prompting the question of why current athletes are not learning from the mistakes of those who doped before them.
There are multiple reasons athletes have motivations behind utilizing drugs and need to learn from the previous athletes who doped before them. One of the main reasons athletes take the risk of using drugs is the desire to improve their performance and gain a competitive edge. In the short term, doping has benefits, such as increased endurance, muscle growth, improved recovery, and height. The Mayo Clinic mentions, “These drugs might lower the damage that happens to muscles during a hard workout. That could help athletes bounce back faster from a workout. They might be able to exercise harder and more often.” (Mayo Clinic). These benefits significantly improve an athlete’s chances of success and achievement in that sport. However, in the long run, the consequences of doping can be severe and detrimental to an athlete’s health and career. Even with the knowledge of those severe consequences for their overall health and athletic pursuits, financial gain also plays a significant role in athletes’ decisions to go back to doping. In professional sports, potential rewards are given. For instance, multi-million-dollar contracts and endorsement deals are signed when an athlete joins a team. Therefore, there is pressure on athletes to resort to drugs because they are trying to excel and secure those contracts to achieve extraordinary results and stand out among their competitors. Furthermore, in addition to that, numerous athletes manage to evade detection and get away with doping, as exemplified by current-day athletes like Lance Armstrong, who have successfully escaped the consequences of their doping actions.
Additionally, it is crucial to recognize that athletes are not always willing to take drugs; external factors, such as pressure from the sports entertainment industry, can also significantly influence their choices. To captivate and engage audiences, the entertainment industry in sports can, without intending to create pressure on certain athletes, lead them to perceive drug use as a means to achieve extraordinary performances. This heightened pressure, while unintended, can be seen as promoting the idea that doping is a path to success, risking the athletes’
well-being and tarnishing the principles of fair competition. By captivating audiences and generating revenue, they rely on the abilities of their players to create thrilling moments, break records, and attract fans. Doping can create those fantastic moments, break records, and attract viewers. These extraordinary moments generate excitement and awe and drive ticket sales, television ratings, and merchandise purchases. Robert Alexandru, a researcher interested in pharmaceutical technology, mentions that “Coaches have an important role in athletes’ doping; most of the time, they are responsible for the illegal actions of athletes by offering them the forbidden substances or by acquainting them with people who are involved in doping.” (Robert).
Therefore, the infrequent nature of drug testing raises valid concerns about fairness and integrity within the sports industry. The NBA, National Basketball Association, NHL, National Hockey League, NFL, National Football League, and MLB Major League Baseball are prominent sports leagues in North America. Despite the consequences of the drug’s aftermath, Northwestern, an institution with a strong presence in sports, medicine, and technology, mentions the reasons: “For an NBA player, maybe it knows that he can always come clean, so to speak, and get free treatment. For an NFL wide receiver, maybe it is the possibility that an easily obtained Adderall prescription could improve his reflexes. For an MLB player, it may be that random tests are few and far between.” (Northwestern). Therefore, for pre-employment testing, the NFL is the only professional league that mandates a drug test before players enter the league. In contrast, the MLB conducts testing within five days of players reporting for spring
training. On the other hand, the NBA, NHL, and other professional leagues do not require pre-employment drug testing. According to research by Northwestern, the NBA has specific protocols for handling doping cases among players. “In the NBA, the first positive result for PEDs earns a 10-game suspension; the fourth violation results in disqualification from the
Targeted testing is selective based on criteria or suspicions to detect drug use. One example from Northwestern stated, “In the NBA, all players are subject to four random tests per season, and the league conducts reasonable-cause testing. Similarly, in the NFL, players are tested up to three times per year at random. Surprisingly, in the MLB, players are only subject to the test within five days of reporting for spring training and one other on a randomly selected date, in addition to random tests in and out of season.” (Northwestern). Even though these leagues do Targeted Testing, since there is no official lab test to diagnose ADD or ADHD, athletes can obtain Adderall legally without much effort. Northwestern talks about how easily adaptable it is, “Adderall is allowed with the proper exemptions and a doctor’s note; otherwise, it is banned by every major sporting drug policy, and it frequently causes positive results for amphetamine testing.” (Northwestern).
However, the lack of an official lab test for diagnosing ADD and ADHD creates a potential loophole for athletes to obtain Adderall without much scrutiny. It raises concerns about the misuse of such drugs and the risks involved as athletes seek advantages in their
performance through doping. Athletes turn to doping to gain advantages like muscle growth and improved athletic performance, but their risks are considerable. Doping can lead to various health issues, including heightened risks of heart attacks, liver abnormalities, high blood pressure, psychiatric disorders, and infertility, among other concerns. Nevertheless, it is crucial to consider Osman’s perspective: “However, sport is not about equality but about a particular kind of inequality, inequality in performing particular skills built on the cultivation of talent through hard and admirable effort” (Osman). While this viewpoint challenges the notion of absolute fairness, it highlights the importance of recognizing talent cultivation and the hard work behind an athlete’s achievements. Striking a balance between promoting fairness and managing the risks associated with doping is crucial to maintaining the integrity and well-being of athletes in sports.
Doping in sports poses a significant threat to the principles of fair competition and the overall well-being of athletes. In order to address the issue effectively, accountability must be a priority. Sports governing bodies, organizations that make rules and oversee sports to ensure they are played moderately; anti-doping agencies, groups that catch athletes who cheat by using banned drugs or methods in sports; and WADA, a global organization that coordinates the fight against cheating in sports by overseeing anti-doping efforts worldwide, play pivotal roles in enforcing rules and regulations. By providing incentives for fair competition, such as rewards for clean athletes and improved testing protocols, we can motivate athletes to compete honestly.
However, challenges with little accountability persist, and meaningful solutions are necessary. Stricter penalties, transparent investigations, and whistleblower protection can positively change the anti-doping landscape. By collectively addressing and changing incentives, we can safeguard the integrity of sports and ensure that achievements are earned through talent, dedication, and hard work. If we can also show fans that it is not acceptable for them to support teams that knowingly harm their players permanently, we can only truly uphold the values of fair
play and honesty in sports. By learning from past experiences and implementing proactive measures, we can create a future where doping is minimized, and fair competition prevails in the world of sports.
Works Cited
Berger, Fred K. “Substance Use — Amphetamines: Medlineplus Medical Encyclopedia.” MedlinePlus, medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000792.htm#:~:text=Harmful%20Effects%20of
%20Amphetamines&text=Heart%20problems%20such%20as%20fast,or%20violent
%20behavior%2C%20depression%2C%20and.
Elmore, Bart. “What Coke’s Cocaine Problem Can Tell Us about Coca-Cola Capitalism.”
OUPblog, 15 Jan. 2015.
blog.oup.com/2014/03/coke-cocaine-coca-cola-capitalism-business-strategy/.
“Exploring Topics in Sports: Why Do Athletes Risk Using Performance Enhancing Drugs?: School of Professional Studies | Northwestern University.” Northwestern.edu, 12 July 2015. sps.northwestern.edu/stories/news-stories/why-do-athletes-risk-using-PEDs.php.
“From the Archive, 14 July 1967: Simpson Dies after Collapse on Tour.” The Guardian, 13 July 2012.
www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2012/jul/14/archive-1967-simpson-death-tour-de-fran ce.
“How Alcohol Affects Sports Performance.” HSE.Ie, 1 Sept. 2022.
www2.hse.ie/living-well/alcohol/health/physical-health/sports-performance/#:~:text=Redu ced%20aerobic%20performance,combine%20to%20reduce%20aerobic%20performanc e.
“Learn about the Risks of Performance-Enhancing Drugs.” Mayo Clinic, 2022. www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/performance-enhancing-drugs/art-2 0046134.
Mirkin, Gabe. “Dr. Gabe Mirkin.” Dr Gabe Mirkin on Health, 1 Aug. 2022. www.drmirkin.com/histories-and-mysteries/tom-simpson-heat-stroke-and-amphetamines. html.
“Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 9 Mar. 2011. www.britannica.com/event/Melbourne-1956-Olympic-Games.
Samiuddin, Osman. “Doping: At What Cost to Be the Best in Sport?” The National, The National, 2023.
www.thenationalnews.com/sport/doping-at-what-cost-to-be-the-best-in-sport-1.365948.
“The Arab-Israeli War of 1948.” U.S. Department of State, 2001–2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/cwr/97178.htm.
“Tom Simpson — the Cyclist Who Pushed Too Far.” Yorkshire Post, Yorkshire Post, 13 July 2017. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/tom-simpson-the-cyclist-who-pushed-too-far-1773612.
Vlad, Robert Alexandru. “Doping in Sports, a Never-Ending Story?” Vol. 8, no. 4, 29 Nov. 2018.
pp. 529–534, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6311632/, https://doi.org/10.15171/apb.2018.062.
