Doping refers to the use of special medications by athletes to forcibly enhance the body's performance during competitive activities or in the training process. The specific properties of a particular doping substance depend on the sport for which it is intended. In general, the pharmacological effects of these drugs can be completely opposite. Doping is usually administered in cycles, but there are also cases of single-use. It all depends on the goals set and the mechanism of action of the specific drug.

Looking at the publications of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Wikipedia: Doping in Sport, one can conclude that doping is practically freely used in all countries. What are the reasons for such widespread use, resembling the use of narcotic drugs? It all comes down to prize places, fame, and money. The mercenary interests of coaches and athletes gradually infect organizations, cities, and entire countries. While hundreds or even thousands of books have been written about how to use doping correctly, rarely do they mention the negative effects on athletes' health https://globalhealthtrials.tghn.org/community/members/742839/.

Due to several cases of athletes using doping that resulted in fatal outcomes, the IOC has been forced to ban the use of certain pharmacological substances both during training and in competitions.

Definition of Doping

There is still no consensus on the exact definition of "doping." This is crucial because athletes' use of doping can lead to certain sanctions and appeals https://rsabet.co.za/soccer/primera-a/. An approximate definition would be: "Doping is a biologically active substance, methods, and techniques used to artificially or forcibly enhance athletic performance, which may have various side effects on the body." For example, blood doping is not a medicinal drug. It involves taking a sportsman's blood, processing it with special methods, and then reintroducing it back into the athlete's body before the competition to increase the overall blood volume, oxygen-carrying capacity, and non-specific stimulation resulting from the breakdown of red and white blood cells The Guardian: Doping in Sport - Latest News.

So, where did the history of doping in sports begin? The history of doping agents in sports dates back to a time when there were no anabolic steroids. The first documented case of doping was recorded in 1865 when special stimulants were used by swimmers from the Netherlands. After the success of the Dutch athletes, sportsmen from all disciplines in every country began trying out these substances. The first modern Olympic Games held in 1896 also became a venue where doping additives such as codeine and strychnine were successfully used. In the 1904 Olympics Associated Press: Doping at the 2022 Winter Olympics, marathon runner Thomas Hicks literally came back from the dead after consuming a mixture of brandy, codeine, and strychnine. However, it was all considered more like a prank. The true era of doping began in 1935 when synthetic testosterone was created. It is believed that Nazi Germany owed its victories in the 1936 Olympics to this preparation. The pattern repeated when Soviet athletes demonstrated incredible results at the 1952 Olympics. The Americans were not expecting such humiliation from their main enemy at that time and decided to develop androgenic drugs as well. And you know what? They succeeded. However, testosterone did not suit all athletes, especially female athletes, due to the strong side effects, such as the development of secondary male sexual characteristics.

In 1968, the situation escalated further. The 1968 Olympics became the most doping-ridden in history. And it didn't matter that in 1967, the Anti-Doping Committee headed by Prince Alexander de Merode was established—the necessary equipment for accurately detecting certain drugs in urine or blood was still unavailable. Money was needed. And who do you think provided the funds? The answer is simple—USA BBC Sport: Doping in Athletics. You may ask, "why?". Well, it turns out that the Americans had equipment that could detect the presence of metandienone in athletes' urine. Many Soviet teams trained on this drug, while the Americans had already switched to stanozolol—an unknown anabolic steroid to the world at that time.