For The Love Of The Game - By: Justin Davis

Be it in the Olympics, SEA Games, Asian Games and the Winter Olympics and in many locally organized competitions, running is an event that is always being looked forward to. No matter how strict the rules and securities are and no matter how many times the identities of the athletes are verified, there were numerous controversies that haunt the glorified events. Despite much scrutiny from the media, these controversies were never revealed and made public, much to the worlds disgust.

Despite what coaches have inculcated in every athletes mind that participating in a game is more important than winning, many athletes are tempted to go beyond the boundaries of fair play going to such length as cheating just to win. Whether is it deliberate, pure innocence or coincidence, cheating happens in as simple as a shot or tap in the arm or back, taking a pill for colds, have been around the games dating back to the ancient times.

With regards to pills being taken to boost the stamina and endurance, promote increase in muscular size and among others, medical experts have become part of the team collecting blood and urine samples for analysis of its chemical content. Ironman triathlon participant Nina Kraft was already two miles ahead of her nearest competitor on October 16, 2004 in Hawai. Rather than showing a feeling of triumph, her behavior, being questionably sheepish, left the cheering spectators in wonder. Test result confirmed that she is positive for recombinant erythropoietin, a drug used to treat anemia in patients suffering from chronic kidney disease and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. The use of it is termed as blood doping agent as it revs up endurance in sports events such as distance running, cycling, rowing, racing, walking, cross country skiing, biathlon and triathlons.

Anabolic steroids, often in preparation as clear, liquid nutritional supplement, topical creams and among others, were disguised as flaxseed oil and medicine for arthritis that facilitate the synthesis of skeletal muscles, delay fatigue and create a euphoric feeling for users. These substances are used by athletes in the hopes of improving performance. Strict implementation of drug testing has brought the creation of designer drugs to avoid detection but since drug use is rampant in the world of sports, technology has never stopped to discover and improve equipment and methods of testing blood and urine even for minute traces of drugs in their system.

To true blue athletes, in the end, it is not always about winning but it is how they played the game that they get to feel the true essence of winning because gaining the respect of others is more than being the champion.

About the Author

Experience the euphoria of winning or the bittersweet feeling of losing your fist game by joining the Indianapolis marathon 2011 in your locality. If you are in for a more challenging feat, test your natural stamina and agility through the Indianapolis half marathon 2011, without resorting to energy-boosters that will jeopardize your running career for the rest of your life.

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