Sports Doping: From the Laboratory to the Playing Field

11 April 2011

Former baseball player Barry Bonds leaves a federal courthouse last Friday during his trial in San Francisco, California

FAITH LAPIDUS: This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I’m Faith Lapidus.

BOB DOUGHTY: And I'm Bob Doughty. Today, we tell about sports doping – the use of drugs or other substances to improve athletic performance.

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FAITH LAPIDUS: Sports have long been part of popular culture. In the United States, some athletes are as famous as movie stars or rock musicians. Their lives are described not only in the news media, but in films and literature. Sports have found their way into everyday expressions. One example is: “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.” That saying has been used for years to define honor in sports. But today, many people question the honor of some athletes.

BOB DOUGHTY: Barry Bonds holds the Major League Baseball record for most homeruns in a single season. He also holds the record for the most career homeruns. Last month, he went on trial in San Francisco, California. He was accused of lying to a federal grand jury about his reported use of performance-enhancing drugs. He has repeatedly denied knowingly taking such drugs.

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FAITH LAPIDUS: When many Americans talk about sports doping, they think of anabolic steroids. Most sports organizations have banned the non-medical use of anabolic steroids. But some athletes continue taking them. They believe steroids help them when competing.