The use of certain chemicals and substances to enhance athletic performance and gain a competitive advantage; commonly referred to as doping and often illegal. Athletes whose use of these substances is detected, usually by blood or urine testing, are disqualified from competition and may face lengthy suspensions from their sports or loss of amateur or professional status. In addition, sports drugs involve health risks. A number of types of drugs are outlawed under current athletic regulations.
The practice of using performance-enhancing drugs in sports is widely denounced by experts due to its dual negative impact: it poses health risks to the athletes and provides them with an unfair edge over competitors. To counteract this, most sporting events, particularly competitive ones, employ random testing of urine and other bodily fluids to detect any drug abuse.