DOPING IN SPORTS
Doping is the use of prohibited substances or methods to enhance athletic performance and gain
an unfair competitive advantage. The practice violates the spirit of sport based on fair play, ethics,
health, and equality.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) defines doping as the presence, use, possession, trafficking,
or attempted use of prohibited substances and methods listed in the WADA Code.
Doping undermines the integrity of sports and poses serious risks to athlete health and safety.
The use of drugs to enhance performance is considered unethical and is prohibited by most international
sports organizations, including the International Olympic Committee.
History:
In Ancient Times: In ancient civilizations, performance enhancement was linked to war, hunting,
religious rituals, and athletic competition.
Ancient Greece
Olympic athletes consumed herbal tonics, wine mixtures, hallucinogenic mushrooms, sesame seeds,
figs, and bull testicles to boost strength and stamina.
Spartans used special diets to enhance endurance for battle.
These practices were not illegal because no regulatory system existed; enhancement was culturally
accepted.
Ancient Rome
Gladiators used stimulants, animal blood, herbal potions, and strychnine mixtures to stay alert during
combat.
Charioteers and soldiers consumed special herbs to increase aggression and reduce pain.
Ancient China
Ancient warriors and athletes used ginseng, herbal tonics, and stimulant teas to maintain focus and
vitality.
Ancient Egypt
Pharaohs and soldiers used wine-based stimulants and ritual herbs to enhance strength before battles.
Timeline of Doping in Ancient Sports
Period Event / Practice Purpose
~3000 BCE (China) Use of ginseng for stamina Healing & combat performance
~1500 BCE (Egypt) Herbal stimulants before rituals & war Strength & endurance
~800–500 BCE (Greece) Diets, animal extracts, mushrooms Athletic + battle preparation
~100 BCE – 200 CE (Rome) Stimulants for gladiators Endurance & pain resistance
Doping in Olympic Games (Modern Era)
A participant in an endurance walking race in Britain, Abraham Wood, said in 1807 that he had
used laudanum (which contains opiates AFEEM) to keep him awake for 24 hours while competing
against Robert Barclay Allardyce.
The winner of the marathon at the 1904 Games, Thomas Hicks, was given strychnine (nerve
contraction and pain relief) and brandy by his coach, even during the race.
Early recorded problems and first bans — 1904 to 1928 Dangerous use of stimulants produced
high-profile medical incidents in early modern competitions (for example extreme stimulant use by
cyclists and runners).
In 1928 the IAAF became one of the first federations to prohibit stimulants.
The only Olympic death linked to athletic drug use occurred at the Rome Games of 1960. During
the cycling road race, Danish cyclist Knud Enemark Jensen fell from his bicycle and later died. The
inquiry found that he was under the influence of amphetamine, (Stimulant) which had caused him
to lose consciousness during the race.
The first Olympic athlete to test positive for the use of performance-enhancing drugs was Hans-
Gunnar Liljenwall, a Swedish pentathlete at the 1968 Summer Olympics, who lost his bronze
medal for alcohol use, "two beers" to steady his nerves.
IOC medical oversight and first Olympic controls — 1967–1968: The IOC established a Medical
Commission and a first prohibited list in 1967.
Formal doping controls were introduced at the 1968 Winter and Summer Olympic Games, marking the
start of organized in-competition testing.
Steroid era and state programs — 1970s–1980s Anabolic steroids became widely used in strength
sports.
Creation of WADA and harmonization — 1999–2000s The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was
established in 1999 to produce a single prohibited list, harmonize testing and rules worldwide, and
fund scientific research; adoption of WADA’s code in the 2000s professionalized global
anti-doping governance.
Scientific advances, biological passport and retesting — 2000s–2010s Advances included
development of the Athlete Biological Passport and improved laboratory methods; long-term
storage and retrospective retesting of samples led to numerous delayed sanctions and medal
reallocation, revealing that detection often lagged behind misuse.
Systemic revelations, intelligence and whistleblowers — 2010s Investigations exposed organized and
institutionalized doping in some countries and sports, prompting bans, greater use of intelligence
and whistleblower protections, and reforms in enforcement and forensic approaches.
The entire Russian track and field team was banned from the 2016 Olympic Games, as the Russian State
had sponsored and essentially sanctioned their doping program.
Causes and Motivations Behind Doping
Performance Pressure Desire to win medals and break records
Financial Incentives Sponsorships, rewards, contracts
Psychological Pressure Low confidence, fear of failure
Influence of Coaches/Support Staff Institutionalized doping cases
Rehabilitation & Recovery Enhancing healing post-injury
Lack of Ethics & Awareness Poor values or ignorance of rules
Type of Substance/Method Purpose/Effect
Anabolic Steroids Increases muscle mass and strength
Stimulants (e.g., Amphetamines) Enhances alertness, reduces fatigue
Blood Doping / EPO Increases oxygen-carrying capacity
Peptide Hormones Boosts endurance & recovery
Beta-Blockers Used in precision sports (shooting, archery)
Diuretics & Masking Agents Hide traces of drugs in testing
Effects & Consequences of Doping
A. Physiological and Health Effects
Liver and kidney damage
Cardiovascular diseases, stroke, hypertension
Hormonal imbalance, infertility, depression
Sudden cardiac death in extreme cases
B. Psychological & Social Effects
Aggression, anxiety, addiction
Loss of integrity, damaged public reputation
C. Impact on Sports and Society
Sports Culture Decline in moral values
National Image Tarnished reputation and bans
Career Consequences Suspension, lifelong bans, loss of awards
Anti-Doping Measures and Prevention
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was established on November 10, 1999, in Lausanne to
promote and coordinate the fight against doping in sport internationally.
The HQ of WADA in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
WADA’s primary role is to develop, harmonize and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across
all sports and countries. Their key activities include scientific and social science research; education;
intelligence & investigations; development of anti-doping capacity; and monitoring of compliance
with the World Anti-Doping Program.
Vision: A World where all athletes can participate in a doping free sporting environment.
NADA was formed on 24 November 2005 with its HQ in New Delhi.
Key Preventive Strategies
Level Measures
Policy & Governance Universal WADA Code, prohibited list updates
Testing & Monitoring In-competition & out-of-competition testing, biological passport
Penalties Suspensions, medal stripping, legal action
Education & Awareness Workshops, athlete training programs
Research & Technology Advanced testing and anti-doping labs
Examples and Case Studies: Global Cases
Lance Armstrong (USA – Cycling)
Achievements: Won the Tour de France seven consecutive times (1999-2005).
Doping Violation & Punishment: In 2012 USADA found he used EPO, blood-transfusions and
other banned methods. He was given a lifetime ban from Olympic and cycling-governed sports and
stripped of all results from August 1, 1998 onward (including the seven Tour titles).
Kamila Valieva (Russia – Figure Skating)
Achievements: Junior World Champion; world record-holder in short program, free skate and total
score; part of Russian team that won gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Doping Violation & Punishment: Tested positive for trimetazidine (a banned substance) on 25 Dec
2021. On 29 Jan 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) imposed a four-year ban retroactive
to 25 Dec 2021 and disqualified all her results from that date, including the Olympic team gold.
Indian Cases
Nirmala Sheoran (India – Sprint Athletics)
Achievements: Qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics in 400m & 4×400m relay; won gold at the
2017 Asian Athletics Championships in both 400 m and relay (later disqualified).
Doping Violation & Punishment: First banned in 2019 for 4 years for steroid use and biological
passport irregularities (results void Aug 2016–2018).
In Feb 2024 she received another eight-year ban for a second offence involving anabolic steroids &
testosterone, extending ineligibility into 2031.
Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu (India – Weightlifting)
Achievements: Two-time Commonwealth Games Gold medallist (2014, 2018) for India in women’s
weightlifting; set records.
Doping Violation & Punishment: In April 2023 she was handed a four-year ban after testing
positive for a banned substance (International Weightlifting Federation had suspended her earlier in
2018).