In most sports and physical competitions, the governing bodies use athlete drug testing to maintain a level playing between participants. With the physical demands put on players and competitors, the temptation to use pharmaceuticals to augment performance is high and some individuals choose to take advantage. Because of this, many sports organizations and both national and international governing bodies require regular athlete drug testing of all who are choosing to participate in competitions. Without this requirement the edge in competitive sports would quickly tilt in favor of those who have artificially augmented their performance with illicit substances rather than natural muscle power and endurance. Apart from maintaining fair competitions, these policies also protect the health of the athletes involved. Both those using performance enhancing substances and those they're competing against stand a larger chance of health risk than is considered necessary for participation.

There are no performance enhancing drugs in the world which are able to augment a person's physical capabilities without an equal or greater risk of permanent damage to their body. It is because of this that athlete drug testing is so strictly enforced amongst professional competitors. Athletes already endure some of the harshest physical conditions around and adding the additional strain to a person's heart, lungs and other vital organs simply isn't worth the short term gain that these drugs provide. When other side effects are considered, increased aggression, potential sterility and worse, few professional sports organizations want to be associated with the image which would be created as a result. In spite of all the negatives, some athletes see no other way to excel in their sport and they still choose to use illicit drugs to achieve an edge over both their teammates and their opponents.

As one might expect, performance enhancing substances are capable of boosting an athlete's strength, stamina and speed. While the costs are high, the ability to outshine opponents and teammates alike often lures competitors in with promises of fame and glory. Being able to lift a few extra pounds or run a little faster may not seem like a big deal, but in sports which rely on that speed and strength, an extra tenth of a second can be the difference between winning and losing. If that improvement can't be achieved naturally it can often seem easier to simply take a pill or a shot in order to reach that goal. While there are some competitive arenas in which certain substances aren't banned, most professional sports strictly monitor their use and many have a zero tolerance policy for athletes who are caught with those substances in their systems.

A few famous athletes have been caught and reprimanded as a result of athlete drug testing. Many of them have been made into examples by the governing body of their sport and in the professional sports world they end up becoming synonymous with failure because of it. Even with the risk of the social stigma, the health risks and the loss of their position within their sport, some athletes still choose to make the wrong choice in the hopes that they won't be caught. The only places where any control is still maintained is within college and high school athletic programs, but even in the world of amateur competition some people would rather have a moment of glory than compete on the same level as everyone else. This could be why as time goes on athletes at even the lowest levels of competition are becoming bigger, faster and stronger than their predecessors in an effort to outshine those around them and stand out in their sport.