What differentiates a performance enhancing drug (PED) from other things such that an athlete takes to train such as vitamin pills? What differentiates them to make them banned substances while others are not?

Question

Is it all related to long term side-effects where the sports organization is attempting to keep the athletes safe down the line, or is there a hard line from a scientific standpoint where a drug goes from legal to illegal in the eyes of an organization like the IOC, and if so what’s the line?

In: Biology

Answer 1

basically, it all comes down to what the governing body decides based on research or their judgement or whatever. it’s not always necessarily logical. just because you take PED’s doesn’t mean you can not work out and perform better. those guys are probably working out harder than the people who don’t.

if you play video games. the people who take PED’s are like the top 0.00001% with the ultra rare super legendary drops and have multiple alts so the guild can form the best optimal combo for every single encounter and min/max the hell out of it. the casuals will just never be able to compete, so the GM’s decide to ban that shit.

being an Olympic athlete or top performing athlete is as in part about how much money you can spend on trainers, medical stuff, dietitians, etc and not just working out or practicing. everything they do is super focused.