Introduction

In this course, doping (performance enhancing drugs, or PEDs) is used as an example of how contemporary issues in sport might be studied. Doping is used to illustrate how you can think about the debates involved in an issue and this will help you develop appropriate skills to discuss other contemporary issues in sport.

Critical thinking is an essential part of studying issues in sport and fitness and the aim of this short course is not to cover the science behind PEDs but instead you will explore the types of arguments used for and against PED use and different ways of approaching an issue. The definition of ‘doping’ used in this course is the use by an athlete of a prohibited substance or method (World Anti-Doping Agency, 2021). While a prohibited substance is probably easily understood, a prohibited method needs a little further explanation. For example, a prohibited method might include genetic manipulation to gain advantage.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course E315 Contemporary sport and exercise issues.