Doping doesn’t give athletes an edge, study shows

Using steroids or other drugs intended to enhance sporting performance actually has little effect on an athlete’s results or their ability to stay competitive, according to researchers from the University of Adelaide.

A team of UA medical scientists collated data from more than 1,560 Olympic and world records over more than a century, as well as best performance results of top athletes in 26 popular sports such as track and field events, speed skating and ski jumping.

They also collected information from national anti-doping associations, and analysed sports results prior and after 1932, when anabolic steroids became available. They found that times, distances and other results did not improve significantly when drugs became more freely available.