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Year 11
AQA

Prohibited substances and methods

I can identify different types of performance enhancing drugs, their effects, and the reasons for and against taking them.

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New
New
Year 11
AQA

Prohibited substances and methods

I can identify different types of performance enhancing drugs, their effects, and the reasons for and against taking them.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Anabolic agents, stimulants, peptide hormones (EPO) and blood doping can have positive effects on performance.
  2. Diuretics can help aid weight loss or mask other drug use.
  3. Narcotic analgesics can be used to mask pain and allow the athlete to perform even when injured.
  4. Athletes using prohibited substances and methods to gain an advantage over others may do so for fame, money and success.
  5. Athletes using prohibited substances or methods do so at the risk to their health, reputation and career.

Keywords

  • Anabolic steroids - artificially produced male hormones mimicking testosterone and promote muscle and bone growth, and reduce recovery time

  • Blood doping - a technique to increase the amount of red blood cells in the body

  • Beta blockers - drugs that are used to steady nerves by controlling heart rate and have a calming and relaxing effect

  • Stimulants - drugs that have an effect on the central nervous system, i.e. they increase mental and/or physical alertness

  • Narcotic analgesics - drugs that can be used to reduce the feeling of pain

Common misconception

All PEDs are automatically illegal and banned substances.

Not all are instantly illegal or banned. For example, some stimulants are legal such as caffeine which is used by many as a stimulant. Beta blockers are availble on precription and so have certain restrictions.


To help you plan your year 11 physical education lesson on: Prohibited substances and methods, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This is a fantastic topic to ask pupils to debate in order to promote deeper thinking around the subject. You could use the motion that "all PEDs should be made legal" or "we should have separate competitions for people who want to use PEDs" (you may include reference to the 'Enhanced Games' idea).
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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
To enhance something means ...
to reduce the effectiveness.
Correct answer: to improve or increase the quality.
to make sure it remains the same quality as before.
to change something completely.
Q2.
What is a reason the use of some drugs is banned in sport?
Correct answer: It gives athletes an unfair advantage.
They are expensive.
They make the performance better.
They make the sport more fun.
Q3.
If you perform the named sport, what might persuade you to use a performance enhancing drug? Find the best fit.
Correct Answer:archery,a drug that allows you to hold your hand really steady
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a drug that allows you to hold your hand really steady

Correct Answer:power lifting,a drug which allows you to train really hard in the weights room
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a drug which allows you to train really hard in the weights room

Correct Answer:table tennis,a drug which helps you to have really fast reaction times
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a drug which helps you to have really fast reaction times

Correct Answer:marathon,a drug which helps you to deliver more oxygen to your muscles
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a drug which helps you to deliver more oxygen to your muscles

Q4.
"Bending the rules to their limit but not breaking them in order to gain an advantage" is a description of what?
Correct Answer: gamesmanship
Q5.
Which of these drinks would you find the stimulating substance called caffeine?
Correct answer: tea
Correct answer: coffee
orange juice
Correct answer: energy drinks
Correct answer: cola
Q6.
Which component of the blood is responsible for carrying oxygen?
platelets
white blood cells
Correct answer: red blood cells
plasma

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the performance enhancing drug to the reason athletes might choose to use it.
Correct Answer:stimulants,substances that increase alertness, energy and activity
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substances that increase alertness, energy and activity

Correct Answer:beta blockers,medications that reduce blood pressure
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medications that reduce blood pressure

Correct Answer:narcotic analgesics,mask the pain of an injury
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mask the pain of an injury

Correct Answer:diuretics,to lose weight quickly
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to lose weight quickly

Q2.
Which of the statements about performance enhancing drugs is true?
All performance enhancing drugs are banned and illegal.
Correct answer: Many, but not all, performance enhancing drugs are banned and illegal.
All performance enhancing drugs are allowed to be used in all sports.
Q3.
Reducing muscle shakes is a benefit to the performer if they use which PED?
Correct Answer: beta blockers
Q4.
Match the sport in which performers are most likely to use the PED.
Correct Answer:100m sprinting,anabolic steroids
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anabolic steroids

Correct Answer:motor racing,stimulants
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stimulants

Correct Answer:archery,beta blockers
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beta blockers

Q5.
How might PED use negatively impact an athlete if caught using a banned substance?
Correct answer: banned from their sport
Correct answer: lose sponsorship deals
better performances leading to better contracts
Correct answer: titles/medals/awards stripped off them retrospectively
Q6.
Which of these statements questions the morality of using PEDs?
Correct answer: The athlete gains an unfair advantage over the clean athletes.
The athlete may suffer health problems as result of using PEDS.
The athlete may lose their sponsorship deals if they are caught using PEDs.