Drugs in sport
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can identify different types of performance enhancing drugs, their effects, and the reasons for and against taking them.
Key learning points
- Athletes with a 'win at all costs' mindset may use PEDs to improve performance and gain an unfair competitive edge.
- Anabolic steroids are used to increase muscles mass, train harder and recover from exercise quicker.
- Beta blockers reduce anxiety and muscle shakes, which can be beneficial for precision sports.
- Stimulants impact the central nervous system to reduce fatigue, increase alertness and improve reaction times.
Keywords
Performance enhancing drugs - substances used to benefit and enhance performance in sport, often against the rules
Anabolic steroids - synthetic hormones that promote muscle growth and enhance performance
Beta blockers - a drug used to control heart rhythm and lower blood pressure
Stimulants - drugs used to raise physiological arousal in the body
Common misconception
All PEDs are automatically illegal and banned substances.
The use of some PEDs to enhance performance is perfectly acceptable. Many sportspeople use narcotic analgesics to get through an event or drink caffeine for its stimulating effect. WADA is responsible for determining which PEDs are allowed.
Teacher tip
This is a fantastic topic to ask pupils to debate to promote deeper thinking around the subject. You could use the motion that "all PEDs should be made legal" or "we should have separate competitions for people who want to use PEDs" (you may include reference to the 'Enhanced Games' idea).
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.To enhance something means ...
Q2.What is a reason the use of some drugs is banned in sport?
Q3.If you perform the named sport, what might persuade you to use a performance enhancing drug? Find the best fit.
a drug that allows you to hold your hand really steady
a drug which allows you to train really hard in the weights room
a drug which helps you to have really fast reaction times
a drug which helps you to deliver more oxygen to your muscles
Q4."Bending the rules to their limit but not breaking them in order to gain an advantage" is a description of what?
Q5.In which of these drinks would you find the stimulating substance called caffeine?
Q6.A drug used in sports which require strength and power is called anabolic
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the performance enhancing drug to its definition.
synthetic hormones that promote muscle growth
medications that reduce blood pressure
substances that increase alertness, energy and activity
Q2.Which of the statements about performance enhancing drugs is true?
Q3.Reducing muscle shakes is a benefit to the performer if they use which PED?
Q4.Match the sport in which performers are most likely to use the PED.
anabolic steroids
stimulants
beta blockers
Q5.How might PED use negatively impact an athlete if caught using a banned substance?
Q6.Which of these statements questions the ethics of using PEDs?
To help you plan your 11 physical education lesson on: Drugs in sport, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 physical education lesson on: Drugs in sport, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 physical education lessons from the Socio-cultural influences: ethics and behaviour unit, dive into the full secondary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.