Bigger, Stronger, Faster - Week 3

This week in class we watched a film called Bigger, Stronger, Faster. Directed and narrated by Chris Bell, this movie is a real-life documentary of the effects of steroids. Chris is one of three sons in his family and is the only child that does not partake in steroids on a regular basis. In the movie, Chris interviews his two brothers and their families about using these performance-enhancing drugs. These men claim that they feel like it's necessary to take steroids because of what they do. Considering that they wanted to compete in professional weightlifting and wrestling, steroids were the given solution to becoming bigger and better. These guys, as well as many others across the United States, say that steroids are used for performance but also to avoid feeling inadequate in comparison to other stronger men.

In addition to interviewing his brothers, Chris addresses many other examples of "cheating." For example, Floyd Landis, who competed in the 2006 Tour de France and got disqualified, explains his story. He strongly denies any allegations that claim he used steroids. When asked what techniques he has for preparing for a big race, Landis shows Chris his self-made high-altitude chamber in his backyard that he sleeps in. This method pumps more oxygen into his body, therefore, allowing him to perform longer. When introduced to methods like this, we can't help but ask: is this cheating? According to the rules, it is not. But how is it any different than blood doping (which is cheating)? The rules nowadays are strict, but apparently there are some loopholes. Athletes are always trying to become bigger, stronger, and faster; so they will do whatever it takes, following by their own individual morals.

And what about Tiger Woods? He corrected his vision to 20/15 with Lasik eye surgery. Now is this cheating? Most claim that it is not, because it's available to everyone.....right? As you can see, there are way too many forms of "performance-enhancements" to judge what is cheating and what isn't. Most of these methods will all boil down to deciding what is right/moral, depending on the athlete. This is exactly what we saw in the film. Although the main character, Chris, wants to look good like his brothers, he is completely against using anything illegal and unnatural. He has the same aspirations as everyone else, but he just chooses to achieve his goals through normal physical activity.

This film is the perfect example of demonstrating doping in sports. It's illegal but it's legal. It's right but can also be wrong. We will never truly understand what to believe when it comes to steroids. As children, we learn that they're bad and what not. But as we get older and want to improve our image, we begin to notice the benefits of using steroids, while ignoring what we learned growing up. So in conclusion, we become selfish. Besides the set-in-stone rules stated in certain organizations, we go by what we think is best for our own good. And depending on what choices we make, they can eventually affect more than just ourselves.