Students learn about:

• Use of drugs
  • The dangers of performance enhancing drug use, eg physical effects, loss of reputation, sponsorship and income
  • For strength (human growth hormone, anabolic steroids)
  • For aerobic performance (EPO)
  • To mask other drugs (diuretics, alcohol)
  • Benefits and limitations of drug testing
    
    
• Use of technology
  • Training innovation, eg lactate threshold testing, biomechanical analysis
  • Equipment advances, eg swimsuits, golf ball

Students learn to:

• Justify the reasons drugs are considered to be unethical and carry a range of risks for the athlete
• Argue issues related to drug testing such as:
  • At what level of competition should drug testing be introduced?
  • Which drugs should be tested for?
  • What are the pros and cons of drug testing?
  • What should be the consequences of drug use?
• Describe how technology has been used to improve performance
• Argue ethical issues related to technology use in sport such as:
  • Has technology gone too far?
  • Has access to technology created unfair competition?

Extract from PDHPE Stage 6 Syllabus. © 2009 Board of Studies NSW.