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World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada): Wada Happening with Drugs in Sport?
Dope in sport
It is thought that the term 'dope' comes from the Dutch word 'dop' which referred to the use by Zulu warriors of an alcoholic drink made from fermented grape skins. The warriors would use the drink to boost their fighting ability. In modern times, though, 'doping' has emerged from the illegal drugging of racehorses at the turn of the 20th century.
We can understand the meaning of the term 'doping' as the practice of enhancing performance through artificial or 'foreign' substances. It appears that the use of performance enhancers was common among the athletes of ancient Greece.
In the 1800s, endurance athletes such as cyclists often used caffeine, cocaine, alcohol and strychnine. At the 1904 Olympics in St Louis, marathon runner, Thomas Hicks was aided by raw egg and brandy drinks as well as injections of strychnine, taken during the race, which he won!
Athletes face more rigorous drug testing than ever before. © iStock.com