DOPE OR DOPEOR Written by Shikhar Gupt愀਀ Edited by Ella Eseigbe & Amy Lu漀਀ NOPE? Designed by Antonia Solar NOPE? The Contentious History of Performance-Enhancing Drugs inSports nitida) to compete in races since football, began using these From Ben Johnson to Brittney ancient times. For millennia, the substances to enhance their Griner, the use of performance- Andean Native Americans of Peru strength and increase their muscle enhancing drugs (PEDs) have long have consumed coca tea or mass. Some of the most famous been a source of high-profile chewed coca leaves to boost their athletes of the time, such as controversy in the sports world. resistance to altitude sickness [1]਀㠀 Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, PEDs are substances used to were found guilty of using anabolic improve athletic performance, and steroids, which not only tarnished their use often raises critical Emergence of Modern PED猀਀ legacies but also the reputations of ethical and health concerns. This While PED usage continued, the sports regulatory agencies around article delves into the history and 1960s-1980s marked a turning the world as well.਀⨀ current state of PEDs in sports, point as East Germany infamously drawing on famous cases and sponsored doping programs, which events to explore the evolution of The Ben Johnson Scandal aimed to create elite sports teams PEDs use and the ongoing ethical by administering anabolic steroids (1988⤀਀ debate surrounding substance use and other drugs to athletes [2]. The Ben Johnson scandal during in sports਀㠀 Athletes from East Germany the 1988 Seoul Olympics was a became a dominant force in watershed moment for the world of international competitions, with Ancient Use of PED猀਀ sports. Johnson, a Canadian backlash from the community. The The use of PEDs can be traced sprinter, tested positive for consequences of these programs back to ancient times, as plants stanozolol, an anabolic steroid that were profound, not only for the were the source of many of the promotes strength and lean muscle athletes themselves but for the first stimulants. Records of Norse growth [3]. This discovery international sporting community. mythology include references to disqualified Johnson from the PEDs appeared at the forefront of boosted fighting ability via the competition and sent shockwaves sports news, and international anti- usage of the hallucinogen throughout the sporting world. doping campaigns gained traction਀㠀 bufotenin, a drug sourced from the Subsequent testing at the fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) Olympics revealed that at least half At the same time, anabolic fungus. Norpseudoephedrine, a of the athletes who trained in Seoul steroids, such as synthetic psychomotor stimulant found in the used anabolic steroids to enhance testosterone, were gaining African plant kat (Catha edulis), their performances, prompting popularity in professional American was used to boost energy. West widespread outrage and worldwide sports. Athletes, particularly in Africans have been using cola media coverage [4]. These bodybuilding and American plants (Cola acuminita and Cola 35