Can you tell me what the point of athletic competition is then?

Well, in a team sport strategy stills plays a big part, esp if everyone is super pumped up. Then its all about who has the best gameplan. In something like boxing then yeah, i guess its whomever has the best chemist. Which isn't any than whomever has the best trainer and training equipment.

Having a better trainer and better equipment doesn't allow you to exceed your natural maximum athletic potential. Using factors that modify your biology directly does.

Most of this thread is missing out what the effect of performance enhancing drugs is. It pushes the body past it's normal limits, causing it extra damage. The athlete cannot properly judge when an injury is coming on or when they have a serious problem while using steroids et al. Now while this may mean that there is an increase in shin splints, osteoporosis, arthritis, spinal damage, torn muscles, stretched tendons etc it also means there is a massively increased risk of heart attacks. Under proper guidance an already fit athlete can benefit from steroid use, but if they have no training programme they could main or even kill themselves with the excessive exercise.

 

Call me picky, but I'd call that an unjustifiable risk.

i think steroids should be allowed cuz i dunno

Having a better trainer and better equipment doesn't allow you to exceed your natural maximum athletic potential. Using factors that modify your biology directly does[/u'].

 

Agreed.

Banned because as soon as you give someone the ability to use something they presume you automatically give them the ability to abuse it too...

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones