ABSTRACT

This chapter reviews what is meant by the term “drug”. Having established how drugs exert their effects and side effects within the body, it reflects on the various circumstances by which athletes may take drugs. The chapter considers why drugs are used by athletes for the purpose of performance enhancement. Drugs are variously classified and described by their: generic name, proprietary name, and mechanism of action. For a drug to exert its effect it must reach its site of action. This will involve its passage from the site of administration to the cells of the target tissue or organ. The principal factors which can influence this process are absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination, known as the pharmacokinetics of drug action. The manufacture and supply of drugs is subject to legal control. This legislation may vary from country to country but the principles are the same.