Monday, March 4, 2013
Anatomy Reading Reaction and Response 2
View the BBC video on blood doping and then read the article on Lance Armstrong. In the space below, leave a comment. You should react to the article AS WELL AS your classmates' comments. Feel free to pose questions that will invigorate the conversation. To get you started, think about the following question: Do you feel that blood doping should be illegal? What are the ethical issues surrounding blood doping whether it be autologous or homologous?
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It amazes me that people are willing to put their life's at risk with this cause they can get cardiovascular disease which can really hurt them in the long run. I never knew that women have testosterone in them I thought that it was only men. I feel like the test for the cyclist are helpful but also pointless because if they keep doing them then there will eventually be no more cyclist to get metals cause they keep stripping them of their metals, but it should definitely be illegale because if other cyclist arent learning from the mistakes of others then it should be illegal.
ReplyDeleteI find it fascinating that athletes go through so much to gain stamina and strength, even if it harms their body in the long run. I agree with Malika, that blood doping should be illegal, because people look up to cyclists and other athletes and knowing that they are cheating is not only disappointing but wrong. Also, it's sad that they feel like they need to cheat. What's even more sad is those athletes who had to end their dreams because they wouldn't risk their health and take drugs. They are not the people the sport should turn away. - Micayla G
ReplyDeleteTruthfully I find this disgusting. I don't understand what would go through someones head to inject someone else's blood into their bloodstream. There is no way the people doing this did not know the risks they were taking. There is no need for someone to enhance their red blood cells. That certain amount is obviously created for a reason. The thing these athletes need to learn is to stop being lazy. I agree with Micayla. There is no reason to try and beat the system because in the end you're going to get caught. Even if blood doping were illegal (referring to Malika), that would not stop any of those people from finding a new way, which they've clearly been doing once they were caught.-Gelonnie
ReplyDeleteThis article didn't surprise me at all. I appreciate Armstrong's honesty and I understand completely why he had done it. Injecting someone's blood into yourself is a little creepy (Gelonnie) however I am not surprised by this. I'm not surprised because in order to accomplish 1/4 of the tings Armstrong has accomplished you have to be superhuman! And I don't think that athletes are being lazy, I think they're being pressured. The things they do to themselves are extreme, yes. However look at what they're doing! They get paid more than the president does! Armstrong did win numerous races fair and square and I believe that he has nothing to prove to me or anyone else.
ReplyDelete-Herbie
Hi guys, I have to agree with Herbie the article didn't surprise me either. Human are competitive they want to be the best at everything and some don't care what they have to do to get there. Its blood doping is just like another form of steroids. I think a lot of the reason why people use them in addition to being competitive is that they are scared they are too weak so they buff up. The part that really interested me was talking about wanting to make their cortisol levels higher. Cortisol level is like your stress level. This called out to me because on my internship at Southern Jamaica Plaine Health Center, we discussed the infant mortality rate and talked about why black babies are way more likely to die then white babies, to be precise its for year 3 white babies born a black child dies. Researchers don't know the exact cause but a lot of it has to do with stress, and oppression internally, institutionally, interpersonally and with ideologies or "what we know to be true." Anyways these women have high cortisol level with can lead to more premature births or deaths yet athletes want high cortisol levels...!! Isn't that insane ?
ReplyDelete-Teniya
I can honestly say that the world never ceases to surprise me any more. When I say the title of the video "the race to keep up with blood doping sports cheat", I was like, What's blood doping? After reading more into it, Like Herbert and Teniya, all I could say was "of course, why am I even surprised?" We have involved from using steroid to trying to increase blood cells so athletes can train longer. Even while knowing the risks, winning is still seen as everything. I wouldn't necessarily say that I admire Armstrong for being honest because in my mind, there was nothing else he could say, the world already knew the truth. I cannot blame the athletes for looking for new ways to increase their chances of winning because they are pressured by everyone to come home with the medal. Losing can be pretty unbearable when you know you have been training for years above the influence. When someone who starts using steroids or blood doping wins, the "right" thing to do would be to copy them. I don't think this should be legal because it basically goes back to how I feel about steroid use. Everyone has an equal chance at something and cheating isn't always the answer.
ReplyDelete-Yetunde
*Saw, *evolved
Delete-Yetunde
I agree with Herbie, Teniya, and Yetunde that I was not at all surprised with the video or the article. It is relativity easy for athletes to get access to performance enhancing drugs, so cheating is not very hard. Even though I am not surprised by the video and the article, I am very disappointed. I would like to think that athletes would consider not only their health but also the affects it would have on other athletes. Like Micayla said, this puts pressure on other athletes to use performance enhancing drugs and is not fair that many athletes feel the need to give up because others are cheating. Thus, blood doping should be illegal and tested frequently to ensure that all athletes have an equal chance of winning.
ReplyDeleteThe point of doing what you love is to feel accomplished in what you do and be the best at it that you possibly can. That doesn't mean that you endanger your own body just to beat out everyone else. I actually would assume that would take all of the fun out of winning and being self-fulfilled. I completely agree with Herbert and Yetunde about athletes feeling pressured by media to use drugs and beat out all of the competition. I LOVE how Herbert put it out there that they are basically getting "paid to cheat" in a sense. That is SO true, and Micayla is right to say that it's unfair to those who want to win the "ethical" or morally right way, but hold themselves above the level of cheating that other athletes stoop to. Each person is different and has different circumstances to deal with that make them do what they do, so until I have "walked a mile in their shoes," I shouldn't be the one to judge them.
ReplyDeleteQuestions:
1.Who are the people helping athletes cheat? They have to be really smart and they could be working in the exact same buildings as the scientists trying to stop the blood doping.
2. Why use another person's blood in the first place? Is it like when women go to the sperm bank and select the best looking specimen to be the father of their child? do blood dopers pick people stronger than them to take blood from?
3. We've learned from history that Prohibition only lead to Americans being even more sneaky and trying to get liquor in secret, so if blood doping doesn't stop should we cancel the sport all together or just stop putting so much media and pressure on athletes to be the best?
4. Is it better to abandon your dreams and hold yourself to a higher moral standard, or have everything you've ever wanted but still have regret and guilt knowing what you did was wrong and there's a possibility you will get caught?
5. Some schools have coaches for sports teams that actually push for their team to use enhancement drugs; is that where the idea of it (cheating/blood doping/ enhancement drugs) starts off and is made "ok, or right.?"
These are some burning questions I had. Feel free to answer as many or as little as you want!
~Milan Anderson
Great questions Milan! Number 1,4 and 5 really got me thinking!
DeleteThis actually surprised me because I knew athletes used steroids to become stronger,but never heard of blood doping.I kind of see why Armstrong started blood doping because he was facing other athletes the same as him or better. I think Armstrong did it to make the US happy because he won the US medals and titles. When I first read the article I thought about Gattaca because Vincent wanted to be in the space program, but couldn't. So he used Eugenes blood to help him get in. To Milan's first question, I think its doctors that are helping them.- Peter
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Gelonnie when she says "athletes [who use any of these types of doping] are lazy." Just because they are using these steroids does not mean they wake up being able to cycle when they couldn't the day before. Armstrong is an athlete but he started to rely too much of illegal doping. That is where I have a problem because he won unfairly. It's like when you study hard for a test and someone who cheated does better than you. He is right to say directly what he did but.. I don't think it was was admirable like Herbert had said. The controversy had been going on for a while before this and he was backed into a corner. I think any doping or performance enhancing drug should be illegal to put all players at an equal playing field. To answer Milan's 2nd question, I thought it was just to use blood right away, they didn't want to take out their own blood anytime before a race.
ReplyDelete-Kayla Higgins
Lance Armstong let me down a whole lot. I read his book titled "It's Not About the Bike" where he discusses his miraculous recovery from testicular cancer and his seven Tour de France victories (it's a great book). Does the fact that Armstrong had cancer and a 3% chance of survival change anyone's opinion about his decision to dope? Anyway, I'm an athlete, I look up to athletes, and Armstrong was becoming a role model to me. Then I found out that during his entire comeback to the sport of cycling, he was doping with his teammates. He let me down. I will say whoever came up with the idea of autologous doping is pretty smart. Storing your own blood and injecting it before working out to increase endurance is genius but it's the ultimate form of cheating. I wouldn't be able to play the sport I love knowing I'm cheating and I don't understand how professional athletes, who millions of little kids look up to, can live with the fact they're playing against the rules and letting their fans down. -Eamonn
ReplyDeleteAlso, to respond to Peter's point on why Armstrong started doping, I think he started because he thought he could use his cancer as an excuse. Cancer made him weak, and steroids would bring him back to his regular level of strength. -Eamonn
DeleteI actually disagree with most of the people that posted on this blog and I support blood doping and think that it should be legal. In almost every sport the athletes are endangering themselves by just participating. Athletes are knowingly taking risks all the time in order to be better players on the field, so I don't think risks from blood doping are any worse than the risks of playing a sport that endangers the body. Also, the main reason most people watch sports is for entertainment and blood doping allows athletes to be even more incredible and more entertaining.
ReplyDeleteAnd to answer Milan's question about using other people's blood, I believe people use other people's blood because more blood can carry more oxygen, regardless of whether or not it was made in the person's body.
I realize the people say making blood doping illegal makes it fair for athletes because of an even playing field. This is often not the case because in many sports random drug testing lets some people get away with taking blood doping because they are no tested while they are guilty. If blood doping was legal every athlete would have the same option to take the risk if they choose to, which would make it fair for all of them.
-Jerry Manning
I feel as though blood doping will never be able to be contained. As much as science progresses and adapts to find new ways to detect blood doping, that will never stop athletes from doing it. The risks of doing it are endless but that does not seem to affect the decision of athletes who take it. However, I disagree with Jerry that it should be made legal. it is both unsafe and unfair to athletes that do it and those who don't. Sports should be a place for natural talent to be displayed. if blood doping is legalized, what will happen to the idea that "practice makes perfect?" It seems as though it would become "blood doping makes perfect."
ReplyDelete-Brooke
I think that it is very shocking that people are willing to use blood doping because 1) it is unfair to the people they compete with and 2) it has many side effects. I agree with Brooke that no matter what happens people will always use blood doping because many people want to win titles and be victorious. I disagree with Jerry about legalizing blood doping because it is legalizing something that could eventually kill the person taking it. I also think that it is unfair to the people who are actually training to become the best because they are becoming a better athlete by working hard, not cheating. The article says that they think that people will begin to stop blood doping after Armstrong admitted to it, but I disagree. I think that people will now think that it is okay to use blood doping, win a title, be a well known athlete for a few years, and then admit to their crime. I think more athletes are more likely to follow in Armstrong's footprints because they know know that they will only be stripped of their titles and nothing else. If blood doping has so many possible fatal side effects, why do you think people are willing to risk their lives by using blood doping? Is winning an award really more important than life itself? -Kathryn Zablocki
ReplyDeleteI agree with Eamonn and Kathryn that it is about working hard to get the results and not cheating. If I did this I would be so ashamed of myself and would never show my face in public ever again. Blood doping and using performance enhancers just proves that people are dishonest and should not be looked up to. Athletes have to gain respect the honest way and trustworthy way and no other. No shortcuts or cheats. Just going to the gym to do some running, weight lifting, and other activities of that nature.
ReplyDelete-John Esposito
I guess you can say that I agree with everyone. Blood doping is bad in general. Its bad because it will help your body then and now to help improve yourself but in the long run it just damages your body than what you had before. I also agree with Herbert and the others that say athletes do these enhancement drugs to please us as the viewers.If we didn't put so much preasure on them, hoping they would win every game they have, they wouldn't have to turn to drugs it help them.To answer Milan's 2nd question I think its doctors that do it and also I think that its their coaches too. They make it seem like that the players would do their country justice if they got better at what they play, like they are fighting in a war and we are on the losing side. But we aren't, its just a game if you don't win get over it there is another one coming in the future. Also to answer Milan's 3rd question I agree that its like the Prohibition era, they want something they can't have but they do it anyway, whether they get caught or not.
ReplyDeleteIm on the fence for my thoughts on illegal doping. i look at Lance Armstrong and see a guy, like Eamonn mentioned, who overcame cancer and went on to win 7 huge cycling tournments. As i learn about him blood doping it makes his story to me less miraculous and amazing. Yes he overcame a disease that kills more than too many but it wasnt really him winning it was dope which was intelligently placed in blood and then injercted into the body before working out to make for a higher endurance and a better performance. I give him sympathy because of what happend but he did let me down, and its unfair and extremly dangerous to other athletes competing against dope useres. I look at it this way... if i was boxing with someone who was using performance enhancing drugs would i find it fair? I say absolutly not, not only is it not fair its flat out dangerous. Although frowned apon, these drugs will always be around and athletes will always use them as adrianna said.
ReplyDeletethat was me ms leavitt with that last reply i forgot to put my name-eric
DeleteThe reading was very interesting, there were many things that i didnt know like how testosterone could be found in women. The reading amazed me that people were willing to risk their lifes. To answer the question i dont think blooding doping should be illegal, i just believe it should be known about the consequences like about sex education. However professional athletes it should be banded. They should be all equal. However i do agree with Herberts comment, i wasnt surprised that athletes do that. As athletes you kind of have that urge for wanting to win all the time. Also i do agree with Brookes comment practice makes perfect not blood doping. Blood doping would ruin the game. Erics right drugs will always be around so we should just look down on them and hopefully they will get the hit of not doing it. And agreeing with Adrianna it would ruin ones self. My question is how did Armstrong doctor not notice his use of steriods earlier? -jade
ReplyDeleteIf there are so many risk when taking this illegal enhancements, than how is Lance Armstrong in good condition. I think that they should have put more up on the article about Lance Armstrong. He is a person who was negatively affected by using these illegal drugs. I would be a little more interested if I got to read about what he is going to do after losing 7 medals. As for Milan's 3rd question, I think that will never happen. A sport would not just be cancelled because of some bad people.
ReplyDeleteMark
When I first heard about the allegations with Lance Armstrong I didn't want to believe it. He is such a well known and looked up to athlete. When I found out he was doping, a part of me was angry because it's cheating. Looking back at all the times he accepted those medals knowing he did it illegally. But a part of me respects him for coming out about it so soon. He could have hid behind the scenes but instead he decided to just come out and talk about it. What he did was wrong, blood doping is wrong. I respectfully disagree with Jerry's point that blood doping would make sports more entertaining. There are plenty of athletes that play to their full potential using just their talent that would be much more entertaining to watch because you know it's actually them playing and not the doping. It also is a little sad though to realize that blood doping probably never will be stopped, and athletes will continue to cheat to make themselves look and feel better about themselves.
ReplyDelete-Michela
I do not agree with "blood doping" because I think that athletes should be natural or they're not really athletes. I agree with Michela that it would be more entertaining to watch an athlete when you know it's their natural abilities. I think that this is also sort of gross because of the storing and injection of others' blood. I also agree with Yetunde where I'm not that surprised at this. Athletes will always be trying to enhance their bodies and endurance no matter what it takes to do so.
ReplyDelete-Jess
I agree with Jess, when she says it is more entertaining to watch athlete who can play the sport on their own without drugs. In Lance Armstrong's case I feel like due to the cancer he had he felt like he could get away with blood doping. Getting his titles removed was probably the worst feeling seeing how it was all over the news but he should not have been doing this in the first place. Blood doping reminded me of the Gattaca because the main character was using someone else to get a head and be able to do what he wanted to. Lance Armstrong is an example of how being yourself isn't enough anymore, you have to do the unthinkable, like blood doping, to actually get ahead. In January when the whole story broke out I was following it, and one of the racers with Lance Armstrong came onto CNN talking about how Lance would say you have no chance of winning unless you actually do drugs or other things, in this case blood doping. Lance Armstrong was such a let down.
ReplyDelete-Caitlin Florentino