Doping in Sports: Winning at Any Cost?

A comprehensive introduction to the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) by athletes - from high schoolers to Olympic medalists - that is sure to spark classroom discussion. Explains some of the many types of PEDs, from anabolic steroids to gene therapy. Several types of drug tests are also described, including the fascinating but controversial biological passport, a method that measures long-term changes in the blood: "If the biological passport can be mistakenly interpreted to find an innocent athlete guilty of doping, is the opposite also true? Can it fail to catch athletes who are, in fact, doping?" The book acknowledges the success of several national and international anti-doping agencies but doesn't gloss over the corruption that exists in some of these organizations. For example, it mentions the involvement of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in a recent doping scandal: "In the summer of 2015, two scientists hired by German and British news agencies analyzed previously unpublished IAAF testing records and claimed that the IAAF had failed to investigate more than 800 suspicious blood samples between 2001 and 2012." One chapter takes an honest look at doping among high school athletes, focusing on why teens use PEDs and the challenges that schools face in effectively testing and educating young athletes. Occasional full-color photographs, mainly of the athletes profiled - some guilty of using PEDs, others not - complement the text, while sidebars provide further detail on certain topics, such as a summary of a 2015 study that found that doping "may actually hinder the athlete's performance."

McPherson examines doping culture in professional and amateur sports, documenting its frequent high-school roots, synthesizing information from secondary sources, and quoting anecdotal comments from players affected in various ways. Students will benefit from the well-written and thorough text, but they may struggle with the sparse graphics and unimaginative design. Occasional color photographs put a human face on the issue. Bib., glos., ind.