A2 Biology Topic 7

Performance enhancing drugs

Banned substances and practices
Anabolic steroids
Hormones and releasing factors
Beta-2 agonists
Hormone agonists
Diuretics
Blood doping
Gene doping
Stimulants
Narcotics
Beta blockers
Is it an infringement of athletes human rights to be required to give blood and urine samples?
Page reference: 178-179 Edexcel A2 Biology (concept) textbook
Steroid hormones
Pass through the plasma membrane and stimulate protein synthesis


Steroid
hormones
Other steroid
molecules
Mechanism of action of steroid hormones:
cell surface membrane
steroid hormone
receptor
Hormone enters
cell and binds with
receptor
hormone-receptor
complex
enters nucleus
nuclear
membrane
Complex binds to DNA
and acts as a
transcription factor
Switches on a gene for
synthesis of a protein
Testosterone
Stimulates protein synthesis

Results in bigger and stronger
muscles
Anabolic steroids
testosterone
nandrolone
Natural testosterone is quickly
broken down.


Testosterone is modified to
produce drugs that remain for
longer in the body


These synthetic anabolic
steroids are illegal.
Side-effects of using anabolic steroids
21 year old body builder: A and B Severe
acne conglobata C After 8 weeks off
steroids and with antibiotics


Infertility due to disruption of normal
hormone production:
- disrupted menstrual cycle
- reduced sperm production
-impotence

In addition:
- liver damage
- high blood pressure
- heart attacks
- increased aggression

Peptide hormones
Peptide hormones do not
enter the cell.

They bind to receptors on
the cell surface membrane.

They also act to switch
genes on or off.
Human erythropoietin
Mechanism of action of peptide hormones:
peptide hormone
receptor
cell surface membrane
Inactive secondary
messenger eg. cAMP
Secondary messenger
activated: initiates a
protein kinase cascade
acts as a transcription
factor which switches
on gene for a specific
protein
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin is synthesised in the
kidneys

Causes the synthesis of enzymes
required for synthesis of red blood cells
(erythrocytes) in bone marrow.

Useful for treating anaemia.

Use of erythropoeitin
Increases number of blood cells and
therefore enhances oxygen supply to
muscles.

Improvement of 10% in aerobic
performance

Use is popular with endurance
athletes and cyclists


Side-effects of overuse of erythropoietin
Excess of red blood cells can lead
to strokes and heart attacks .

Attacks most common at night
due to low heart rate.

Thought to have caused the
unexpected deaths of 18
european cyclists between 1987 -
1991 .

Abuse difficult to prove as it is
naturally occurring.
Ethics of performance-enhancing drugs
Creatine is not banned:
Classed as a nutritional supplement
Can cause kidney damage and high blood pressure
Erythropoietin is banned:
Is a naturally occurring hormone
Can cause strokes and heart attacks
Blood doping banned:
Donating, storing and transfusing own blood before
competition
High altitude training not banned:
Increases number of red blood cells.
Caused by natural increase in erythropoietin production.
Is everything acceptable in
the pursuit of sporting
excellence?
Isnt it the choice of the
athlete to risk using drugs
or not?
Do use of performance-
enhancing drugs improve
or ruin competition?
Are there circumstances
when drug use is
acceptable?
Problems with deciding on what is illegal: Ethical questions:
Essay
Read pages 182 183 (of concept approach textbook) and
answer question 2 on page 183:

Describe an absolutist and a relativist ethical position on the
proposal to set a maximum total red blood cell count for athlete
rather than measure erythropoietin levels.