Performance Enhancing Substances in Sport

Gr 9 Up—The drawbacks and health risks of performance enhancing drugs are thoroughly discussed. While the content is more appropriate for the playing field beyond high school and college, there is valuable information here to share with high school athletes. The narrator is pleasant to listen to and easy to follow. The program is divided into chapters about ergogenic substances, side effects, illegal drug use in sports, drug testing, consequences of doping, and the Olympics and drug usage. The information is a mix of interviews with experts who are either researchers in the field of medicine or involved in the world of sports, short video clips from the sports world, and still photos followed by a summary of the key points at the end of each chapter. The interviews are voiced over short video clips. The message is clear: performance enhancing drugs pose serious health risks, cause the athletes to suffer monetarily, and cause the sport itself to lose credibility and sponsorships. This is an important message for all athletes, regardless of the level of sport that they are playing.—Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI