I am interested in researching this topic because it is relevant in today's news and impacts me on a personal level because I love competing in sports.  This issue attacks people's moral beliefs and integrity.  I for one think morally the use of performance enhancement drugs is immoral and should not be allowed based off the fact that this is not the real athlete.  Despite this belief I am arguing for the use of PED's because the pros out weigh the cons.  I feel that this topic goes against my values because as an athlete who use to compete, I worked extremely hard and did not take any shortcuts to achieve what I have.  I value hard work and an athlete's determination to go above and beyond his or her body's limits.  PED's would add to someone's limits and I feel that would hurt the integrity of the sport and to me would be cheating.  I do not know of any personal experience I have had with PED's.  I have not used them but I do not know if my opponent's ever did.  I do not have any qualifications that allow me to write about this topic.  I am not an expert on the matter nor thoroughly investigating the topic.  

Performance enhancing drug abuse and cardiovascular risk in athletes: implications for the clinician

In this article the authors talk about the drugs used most frequently by athletes.  The informative piece provides information on the effects of different anabolic agents (steroids that resemble testosterone to help muscle growth) on cardiovascular activity and also the effects of the most popular stimulants used by athletes.  In the studies provided by the article, the athletes were effected in a negative way by the drugs showing liver damage and unusual heart activity.  Due to limiting testing, the long term effects of some drugs have not been discovered and the testing is on going.

The article does not state a claim on whether or not performance enhancement drugs should be allowed in sports, it provides data on tests and shows the effects that the drugs have on the body.  The authors are saying that the products that the drug companies are making and giving to athletes are destroying the human body.  The authors never state a claim on the topic of what they believe so their values or interests were not at stake writing this article.

The main author of this article is Dr. Peter J Angell, who has the credibility to write on a topic such as this one.  He works for the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, graduating from Liverpool John Moores University with a PhD in health physiology.  Dr. Angell has published other articles about health and exercise.  The article and the author have no bias towards the topic and both credibility's are backed up with the evidence.  Around 80 sources are cited, from other articles to various amounts of studies on the effects of these drugs.

Why we should allow performance enhancing drugs in sport

The central claim to this argumentative article is that performance enhancement drugs should be allowed in sports.  With high rewards and minimal risk of being caught, doping is a no brainer for many athletes who want to compete at the top level.  Drug use in sports has been around a long time and allowing them to become legal would create a fair play and in a sense would not harm the spirit of sport.  Athletes should be able to play to the best of their ability and performance enhancement drugs provide athletes a way to achieve the best.

The entire morality of true athletics and moral is put at risk in this article.  The author of the article is stating that using an outside supplement should be allowed in sports and it does not matter on how the individual can perform but on how the individual can perform with help.  The author believes that true athletics is not about the the athlete but about the product being put out on the field  

The author of the article is Dr. Savulescu who earned a PhD at Monash University.  He is currently the Uehiro Professor of Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford.  He is also the editor of the No. 1 journal in bioethics, Journal of Medical Ethics.  The author has a reputable background and is able to speak intelligently on the topic.  The article is also published by British Journal of Sports Medicine. 

Sports drug testing policies: NFL, NBA, NHL, Olympics

The central claim of the article was to outline the drug testing protocol for some major sports.  The article points out the frequency of testing and what type of testing, whether it is by urine testing or blood test.  A list of punishments is provided after each overview of protocol.  Across most of the major sports, testing is a random urine test that happens only several times a year or only during season.  The Olympics have the strictest drug testing policy, requiring athletes who finish in the top five to be tested immediately after finishing.

The article does not state a claim on whether the drug testing polices are sufficient or are insufficient.  The author of the article provides facts about the different leagues and how they handle performance enhancement drugs.  No values or interests are at risk, only that the professional sports leagues are having their policies clearly stated.

The author of this article is Andy Dolich who has over three decades of experience in professional sports.  He has held executive positions in the NFL, NBA, NHL and the MLB.  He has been around professional sports his entire adult life which may cause bias.  Since he worked for the professional sports leagues he may provide the data in a different way than how it really is.  He may be hiding several details in order to stay in good terms with the leagues.  The article is published on NBC's sports page.

The research question is arguable because there are two different viewpoints on the topic.  Some people believe that sports should stay PED "free", while others believe that the professional sport leagues should allow their athletes to use these supplements.  This is a very controversial topic and is brought up in the news every time a big name athlete tests positive to illegal supplements.  I think that PED's should be legalized in professional sports only, this would ban PED's from college athletics and the Olympics.  The sources have disagreed with each other just as much as they agree with each other.  For every article that says PED use ruins the moral and spirit of sports, there is an article saying that PED's does not ruin sports but enhances them and encourages more spirit.  All the sources regarding the safety of PED use show the damage that occurs due to use and non say they are totally healthy.  After the initial research phase, no articles have swayed me to believe something I didn't before.  The article by Dr. Savulescu reinforced my beliefs and provided an alternate way of thinking about the topic.  I may need to revise my research question by finding a specific area within my topic and solidify the question being asked.

