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

One (e.g. anabolic steroids) has been clearly shown to result in a performance benefit while the other gives you expensive urine (vitamin supplements) and has no tangible athletic benefit on performance.

There is also a grey area for some substances, where use is not banned but amounts above a certain level are. Caffeine is a good example. You can have a couple cups of coffee equivalent, but if you start popping caffeine pills that will get you sanctioned.