Should Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Use Be Accepted in Sports?

“Doping in sports raises several ethical issues.

First off, using a prohibited substance can be dangerous to the athlete’s health. While they enhance performance in some ways, most of the banned substances also have negative side effects. From hormone imbalances to heart problems, there are reasons athletes shouldn’t use these substances unless directed by a doctor.

Doping in sports is also flat-out cheating. It gives athletes an unfair advantage (or gives an opponent a disadvantage) that takes away the level playing field.

Similarly, doping does not fit in with the sportsmanlike spirit. Play the Game, an initiative by the Danish Institute for Sports Studies says, “rather than being a contest between persons and their athletic skills, sports contests with doped athletes are likely to be transformed into struggles between the most medically and technologically administered body.”

Coercion is another major ethical problem that arises due to doping in sports. Athletes who dope either directly or indirectly coerce clean athletes into using banned substances, too. Clean athletes feel that they no longer have a chance at winning if they don’t dope, so they go against their best judgement and values to keep a competitive edge.

Finally, corruption and doping go hand-in-hand. Bribing or promising favors to officials in exchange for them turning a blind eye to offenses or changing or omitting test results helps doping athletes get ahead.”

“There are those who are of the mind that there is nothing wrong with using or even encouraging the use of performance-enhancing drugs such as… hGH. Obviously, I strongly disagree with such a premise. Sport is a contest in character, not in chemistry or pharmacology. Not only is doping dangerous to one’s health, it blatantly violates the spirit of sport, and at least in the United States, the use of… hGH for performance enhancement violates federal law.”

“HGH has… been used widespread because it was considered undetectable and the known physiological effects of growth hormone are muscle building as well as lipolytic and therefore providing energy substrates which cheating athletes obviously fancy… If clean athletes are to compete on a level playing field, then hGH detection must be implemented.”

“No one disputes that HGH has some important medical uses – adults with AIDS, children with serious kidney disease can benefit from small, carefully administered doses of HGH. But in the wrong hands, HGH can lead to serious problems. Some of the worst side effects include cancer, heart disease, gigantism, impotence, menstrual problems, and arthritis… If a sports star says it is OK to illegally take… HGH… it is almost certain children will follow. We have to make sure dangerous substances can only get to the small number of people who need them… The widespread growth of human growth hormone in Major League Baseball has put a cloud [over] our national pastime.”

“[HGH is] AGAINST FEDERAL LAW. Baseball has a morals clause – anything that brings disgrace to the game of baseball is against the rules. Cheating is cheating… Using HGH is cheating. Period.”