Doping in Elite Sport: The Politics of Drugs in the Olympic Movement

The International Olympic Committee began its fight against performance-enhancing drugs nearly four decades ago. Testing has become increasingly more sophisticated, but the problem is far from being eliminated. Doping in Elite Sport: The Politics of Drugs in the Olympic Movement addresses the challenges and complexities of the issue.

The text, edited by Wayne Wilson, PhD, and Edward Derse, is based on papers presented at the 1998 conference, Doping in Elite Sport, and includes:
-a basic scientific explanation of how performance-enhancing substances improve performance and how banned substances are detected;

-a critical examination of the failure to control doping in the Olympic movement;

-a historical timeline of drug use in sport;

-evaluations of the philosophical and ethical issues of drug testing;

-the international politics of combatting drug use in sport; and

-insight as to how three very different countries have handled the issue of performance-enhancing drugs in sport.
Part I, "The Science of Doping, " provides the reader with a basic scientific explanation of how banned substances can improve performance, the process of drug testing, and the detection of athletes' drug use. This section also offers a recommended protocol for drug testing and critiques the differences between the ideal and actual testing practices

Part II, "The History, Ethics, and Social Context of Doping, " reviews the complex social and cultural issues surrounding doping. A thorough chronology of performance-enhancing drug use in sport precedes discussions of the ethical and cultural dimensions of the issue. Included is a comparative analysis of how Canada, Russia, and China - three very different countries - have responded to doping scandals involving their athletes.

Part III, "The Politics of Doping, " critically examines the effectiveness of the IOC and the international sport federations in administering campaigns against doping. Lack of political will, financial interests, and uncooperative bureaucracies all have hindered effective enforcement.

The first anthology on performance-enhancing drugs in sport, Doping in Elite Sport: The Politics of Drugs in the Olympic Movement is a critical examination of the failure to control the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs in the international sports arena. It provides an extensive overview of the real issues in the battle against doping in international sport.