IGCSE PE 0413 · Area 4 · Social, Cultural & Ethical Influences

Performance-Enhancing Drugs (PEDs)

This subtopic is really four lists: why performers take prohibited drugs, what the four types do, what organising bodies do about it, and what happens to a performer who is caught. Students usually know the drug names and lose marks by never saying which activity the drug would help in, or what it costs the performer.

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Syllabus coverage

  • Reasons why some performers use prohibited PEDs: to enhance performance, to keep up with the competition, and fame and increased wealth
  • Types of PEDs and their effects: anabolic steroids increase muscle mass, beta blockers reduce anxiety, stimulants increase alertness, diuretics cause weight loss
  • Suggest physical activities in which these PEDs could give an advantage
  • The role of organising bodies in preventing and reducing use: types of testing and reasons for banning drugs
  • Disadvantages of PEDs: health implications, financial penalty, public humiliation, disqualification or being banned, and effect on other competitors
  • The negative consequences of drugs scandals

Part of the IGCSE PE 0413 syllabus 0413 / 0995.

Performance-enhancing drugs: types, effects and consequencesTypeWhat it doesWhere it would give an advantageAnabolic steroidsIncrease muscle mass and strengthStrength and power events — weightlifting, throwing,sprintingBeta blockersReduce anxiety and lower heart ratePrecision sports where steadiness matters — archery,shootingStimulantsIncrease alertness and reduce fatigueEndurance and high-intensity events where alertnessmattersDiureticsCause weight loss by removing fluidSports with weight categories, or to mask other drugsWhy performers use them: to enhance performance, to keep up with the competition, and for fame and increased wealth.Disadvantages: health implications, financial penalty, public humiliation, disqualification or being banned, and the effecton other competitors.Exam trap:the syllabus asks for the classes, their effects, the reasons for use and the consequences — not for namedathletesor scandals, and not for invented statistics. Blood doping is a separate subtopic.
The four types of prohibited performance-enhancing drugs with their effects, and the activities in which each could give an advantage.

Why some performers use prohibited PEDs

The syllabus gives three reasons, and they often appear as a one-mark or three-mark question, so learn them as a set.

  • To enhance performance — the performer wants to run faster, lift more, last longer or steady their nerves, and believes the drug will do something training alone cannot.
  • To keep up with the competition — if a performer suspects rivals are using drugs, they may take them to stay level, even though they know the risks and the rules.
  • Fame and increased wealth — success brings prize money, sponsorship, a professional contract and media attention, so a performer may take drugs to win and keep the income and profile that comes with winning.
Notice the pattern in the second reason: the pressure comes from other performers. Cambridge often rewards the point that the decision is about not being left behind, not just about getting better.

The four types of PED and their effects

Learn each drug with the effect the syllabus gives it, in the syllabus's own terms. These four effects are worth marks on their own, so get the wording right.

Anabolic steroids work by helping the body build and repair muscle tissue, so the performer's muscle mass increases. Beta blockers slow the heart rate and calm the nervous system, which reduces anxiety. Stimulants speed up the nervous system, which increases alertness and masks tiredness. Diuretics make the body pass more urine, which causes weight loss.

PEDEffect stated by the syllabusWhat that means for the performer
Anabolic steroidsIncrease muscle massMore muscle means more strength and power, and recovery from hard training is quicker, so the performer can train harder and hit harder, throw further or accelerate faster
Beta blockersReduce anxietyThe heart rate and shaking are reduced, so the performer is calmer and steadier when precision and fine control matter
StimulantsIncrease alertnessThe performer feels more awake and reacts faster, and tiredness is masked, so effort can be sustained for longer
DiureticsWeight lossBody mass drops quickly, which helps when the performer needs to be lighter or to reach a weight category
Do not confuse the effects. Steroids are about muscle, beta blockers about nerves, stimulants about alertness and diuretics about weight. Swapping two of these is an easy mark dropped.

Which activities each PED could give an advantage in

Cambridge asks you to suggest physical activities where these drugs would help, so you need at least one activity per drug, with the reason. Use only activities from the syllabus list.

The rule is simple: match the drug's effect to what the activity demands.

PEDActivities from the syllabus listWhy it would give an advantage
Anabolic steroidsWeight Training for Fitness, Rugby Union, Track and Field Athletics (sprints and throwing events)Strength and power decide the outcome, so more muscle mass means heavier lifts, more powerful tackles and longer throws or faster acceleration
Beta blockersGolf, Table Tennis, Artistic GymnasticsThese activities need steady hands and fine control under pressure, so reduced anxiety means a smoother putting stroke, a more reliable serve or better balance on the apparatus
StimulantsTrack and Field Athletics (sprints and middle distance), Cycling, Cross-Country Running, Association FootballThese activities demand sustained effort and fast reactions, so increased alertness and masked tiredness allow the performer to keep going and respond more quickly
DiureticsJudo or Taekwondo (weight categories), Dance, Artistic GymnasticsDiuretics cause rapid weight loss, so a performer can reach a weight category or keep body mass low where being lighter helps

What organising bodies do: testing and banning

Organising bodies — the international federations, national governing bodies and the event organisers — are responsible for stopping drug use. The syllabus names two areas of their work.

Types of testing. Testing can be done in competition, where a performer is tested after an event or selected at random during it, and out of competition, where testing is done without notice at training or at home. Samples are normally urine or blood, and testing can be random, targeted at a performer suspected of use, or applied to everyone at a major event.

Reasons for banning drugs. Drugs are banned to protect the health of the performer, because the side effects can cause lasting damage; to keep competition fair, because a drug user has an advantage over a clean performer who has trained honestly; to protect the reputation and image of the sport, since the sport depends on sponsors, media and spectators trusting the result; and to act as a deterrent, so the risk of being caught stops performers from starting.

Testing questions want the type of testing and why it works. "Out-of-competition testing has no notice, so a performer cannot plan a cycle of drugs around a known test date."

The disadvantages of PEDs

The syllabus names five disadvantages. Learn them as five, because questions usually ask for a specific number of them.

DisadvantageWhat it means in practice
Health implicationsThe drugs carry serious side effects and long-term damage — heart problems, liver and kidney damage, hormonal changes, high blood pressure and, for some drugs, dependence. The harm can continue after the performer stops competing
Financial penaltyFines, legal costs, loss of prize money that has already been won, and the loss of sponsorship and funding deals when a positive test becomes public
Public humiliationThe positive test and the ban are reported by the media, so the performer is shamed in front of the audience, other performers and their own family, and the reputation built over a career is destroyed
Disqualification or being bannedResults are removed, medals and titles are taken away and records are deleted, and the performer is suspended from competition for a period or for life, which ends the career
Effect on other competitorsA clean performer loses races, places, medals and the prize money and selection that come with them to someone who cheated; some competitors feel they have to use drugs to keep up

The negative consequences of drugs scandals

A drugs scandal is a problem for the sport, not just for the performer, and questions about scandals want the consequences spread beyond the individual.

For the sport or event: its reputation is damaged, spectators and media question every result, and sponsors and funders withdraw or refuse to renew, which reduces the money available for the whole sport.

For the event and its results: medals and placings may be reallocated years later, which devalues the competition for those who took part honestly, and the event is remembered for the scandal rather than the performance.

For other performers: clean competitors lose the recognition, prize money and selection they earned, and the sport's highest performers are all viewed with suspicion.

For young performers: the scandal presents drug use as a route to success, and young performers may copy it or lose their belief that honest training is enough.

For the audience: spectators lose trust in what they are watching and may stop attending or watching, which reduces income to the sport.

Turning knowledge into marks

A state question needs the fact alone: "Anabolic steroids increase muscle mass."

A suggest question needs the drug linked to the activity and the demand: "Diuretics could give an advantage in Judo, because the performer needs to make a weight category and the drug causes weight loss."

An explain question needs the reason behind the mark: "Beta blockers reduce anxiety, so a golfer's heart rate and shaking are reduced and the putting stroke is steadier under pressure."

For disadvantages, aim for the five named groups and add the consequence to each: a fine is the financial penalty, a lifelong ban ends the career.

Key terms you must be able to define

Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)
Prohibited substances taken to improve performance in physical activity.
Anabolic steroids
PEDs that increase muscle mass, giving greater strength and power.
Beta blockers
PEDs that reduce anxiety, allowing steadier, more precise control under pressure.
Stimulants
PEDs that increase alertness and mask tiredness.
Diuretics
PEDs that cause weight loss by increasing the amount of urine passed.
In-competition testing
Testing carried out at an event, after a performance or by random selection during it.
Out-of-competition testing
Testing carried out without notice at a training venue or at home.
Ban
A period of suspension from competition, or a permanent suspension, imposed on a performer who is found to have used prohibited drugs.
Drugs scandal
A public case of drug use in a sport, whose consequences reach beyond the performer to the sport, the event, other competitors and the audience.

Applied to your sport

Cambridge requires you to apply this knowledge to physical activities. Use these as models, then write your own for the sport you play.

Weight Training for Fitness

Anabolic steroids increase muscle mass, so a performer using them can lift more and recover faster from heavy sessions than a clean performer training the same way.

Golf

Beta blockers reduce anxiety, so a performer's hands are steadier and their putting stroke is more consistent under pressure — the drug is banned even though no muscle power is involved.

Cycling

Stimulants increase alertness and mask tiredness, so a performer could sustain effort for longer in a long road race, which is why testing takes place after races and at training without notice.

Judo or Taekwondo

Diuretics cause weight loss, so a performer could use them to reach a weight category quickly — giving an advantage over an opponent who made the weight honestly.

Track and Field Athletics

A positive test can mean a sprint or throwing medal is taken away and a ban imposed, so a scandal affects the whole event and the clean performers who finished behind the drug user.

Flashcards

Click a card to flip it. Mark honestly — the tracker uses this.

Q1State three reasons why some performers use prohibited PEDs.
To enhance performance; to keep up with the competition; for fame and increased wealth.
Q2What is the effect of anabolic steroids?
They increase muscle mass, giving greater strength and power.
Q3What is the effect of beta blockers?
They reduce anxiety, so the performer is calmer with steadier, more precise control.
Q4What is the effect of stimulants?
They increase alertness and mask tiredness, so effort can be sustained and reactions are quicker.
Q5What is the effect of diuretics?
They cause weight loss by increasing the amount of urine passed.
Q6In which activities could beta blockers give an advantage, and why?
Golf, Table Tennis or Artistic Gymnastics — activities needing fine control under pressure, where reduced anxiety gives steadier hands and better balance.
Q7In which activities could diuretics give an advantage, and why?
Judo or Taekwondo, which have weight categories, and Dance or Artistic Gymnastics — weight loss helps a performer reach a weight or keep body mass low.
Q8Describe two types of drug testing.
In-competition testing, after an event or by random selection during it, and out-of-competition testing, carried out without notice at training or at home. Samples are urine or blood.
Q9Give three reasons why organising bodies ban drugs.
To protect the performer's health; to keep competition fair for clean performers; to protect the sport's reputation with sponsors, media and spectators; and to deter others from starting.
Q10State the five disadvantages of PEDs.
Health implications; financial penalty; public humiliation; disqualification or being banned; effect on other competitors.
Q11Give one consequence of a drugs scandal for the sport or event.
Its reputation is damaged, so sponsors and funders withdraw or refuse to renew, and the money available to the whole sport falls.
Q12Give one consequence of a drugs scandal for other competitors.
Clean performers lose races, medals, prize money and selection to someone who cheated, and all the sport's top performers are then viewed with suspicion.
0 of 12 marked as known

Exam-style questions

8 questions, 24 marks. Write your answer, then reveal the mark scheme and tick each point you actually made. Answering honestly here is what makes the rest of the site useful.

StateAO11 mark
State one reason why a performer might use a prohibited performance-enhancing drug.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Any 1 of these score full marks. The examiner only needs 1 distinct point - pick the ones you actually made.
Examiner tip: One reason, one mark. Do not describe the drug — the command word is state.
IdentifyAO12 marks
Identify two types of prohibited performance-enhancing drug.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Any 2 of these score full marks. The examiner only needs 2 distinct points - pick the ones you actually made.
Examiner tip: Names only, one mark each. Do not write about blood doping — it is a separate subtopic.
StateAO12 marks
State the effect of beta blockers and the effect of diuretics on a performer.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: One mark each, in the syllabus's own wording. Getting the two effects the wrong way round scores nothing.
ExplainAO23 marks
Explain how anabolic steroids could give an advantage to a performer in Rugby Union.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Three marks means drug effect, then the demand of the activity, then the benefit. Naming the drug without the effect scores nothing.
DescribeAO13 marks
Describe the role of organising bodies in reducing the use of prohibited drugs.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: The syllabus names types of testing and reasons for banning. Cover both, otherwise you cap yourself at two marks.
ExplainAO24 marks
Explain the disadvantages to a performer of using prohibited performance-enhancing drugs.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Four of the five named disadvantages, each with its consequence. The fifth is the effect on other competitors, which this question does not ask for.
SuggestAO24 marks
Suggest two prohibited drugs and give a physical activity in which each could give an advantage, explaining why.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Any 4 of these score full marks. The examiner only needs 4 distinct points - pick the ones you actually made.
Examiner tip: Two drugs, two activities, two reasons — any two complete chains. The activity must come from the syllabus list and must fit the drug's effect.
EvaluateAO25 marks
Evaluate the negative consequences of a drugs scandal on a sport or event.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Five marks means four distinct consequences plus a judgement. Keep the consequences inside the sport and the event, not just the performer who was caught.

Exam technique for this topic

  • Learn the four drug effects in the syllabus's exact wording: increase muscle mass, reduce anxiety, increase alertness, weight loss.
  • When asked to suggest an activity, name the activity and the demand it makes. The reason is the mark, not the sport alone.
  • For disadvantages, learn the five named groups as a checklist — health implications, financial penalty, public humiliation, disqualification or being banned, and effect on other competitors.
  • In scandal questions, move beyond the performer. Write about the sport, the event, other competitors, sponsors and the audience.
  • Use only activities from the syllabus list — Golf, Judo or Taekwondo, Cycling, Weight Training for Fitness and Track and Field Athletics are all safe choices.

Why students lose marks here

A student wroteBeta blockers help you run faster.
Why it loses marksThe effect has been swapped. Beta blockers reduce anxiety, so they help with precision and control, not with speed or endurance.
The answer that scoresBeta blockers reduce anxiety, so they would give an advantage in an activity needing fine control under pressure such as Golf, where a steadier hand and a slower heart rate make the putting stroke more consistent.
A student wrotePerformers take drugs because they want to win.
Why it loses marksToo general to score. Cambridge wants the named reasons — to enhance performance, to keep up with the competition, or for fame and increased wealth.
The answer that scoresOne reason is to keep up with the competition: a performer who believes their rivals are using prohibited drugs may take them to avoid being left behind, even though they know the health risks and the ban that follows a positive test.
A student wroteTesting is when they check the performer's urine after a competition.
Why it loses marksThis describes only one type of testing. The syllabus asks for types of testing, so you need more than the sample method.
The answer that scoresTesting can be in competition, where a performer is tested after an event or selected at random, or out of competition, where samples are taken without notice at a training venue or at home; in each case the sample may be urine or blood, and selection may be random or targeted at a particular performer.
A student wroteThe only person who suffers from drug use is the performer who took them.
Why it loses marksThis misses the disadvantages to others and the consequences of a scandal, both of which carry marks.
The answer that scoresThe performer faces health damage, financial penalties, public humiliation and a ban, but clean competitors also lose races, medals and prize money to someone who cheated. A scandal damages the sport's reputation, costs it sponsorship and media income, and presents drug use to young performers as a route to success.
A student wroteDiuretics help a performer to gain weight and get stronger.
Why it loses marksDiuretics cause weight loss, not weight gain, and they add no strength. The effect has been invented.
The answer that scoresDiuretics cause weight loss by making the body pass more urine, so they would give an advantage in an activity with weight categories such as Judo, where the performer must reach a set weight before competing.

Where this fits in IGCSE PE 0413

This page is one topic of Cambridge IGCSE PE 0413 / 0995. IGCSE PE 0413 is the course home: every area and every topic in Cambridge's own order, the papers you sit and what each one tests, and the exam-practice tools. The full topic list, with each topic linked to its revision page, is on the IGCSE PE 0413 syllabus page.