Drug Misuse in Sport: Types of Performance-Enhancing Drugs and Their Effects - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

13 original exam-style questions - 3 pages of questions with a full mark scheme - free printable PDF.

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This topic is chapter 8 of GCSE Physical Education: Socio-cultural influences Practice Book.

6.8 Drug Misuse in Sport: Types of Performance-Enhancing Drugs and Their Effects

AQA 8582 · Calculators not allowed · about 25 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer all questions. Write full sentences for any question worth 3 marks or more. Time guidance 35 minutes.

Tick one box. Which of the following is a reason a performer might use a banned substance, given the context of elite sport?

A) To improve teamwork in training
B) To gain an unfair competitive advantage
C) To increase the size of the stadium audience
D) To reduce the number of training sessions

(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)

State one main effect of stimulants when misused by performers, naming the effect in the context of competition such as sprinting or cycling.

(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)

State one physical effect of anabolic steroids that may benefit a weightlifter during competition.

(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)

Name one sporting example where β blockers might be misused and state the effect they produce that makes them useful in that sport, using the context of precision tasks such as archery.

(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)

State one function of diuretics when misused by athletes in weight-category sports such as boxing.

(Total for Question 5 is 1 mark)

Discuss and evaluate why athletes continue to dope despite the health, legal and reputational risks, using examples from professional sport and making a reasoned judgement.

(Total for Question 6 is 6 marks)

Name the peptide hormone often misused in endurance sports and state its primary performance effect in the context of distance running or cycling.

(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)

State one risk to a performer who is caught doping, beyond health harms, using the context of professional sport and sponsorship.

(Total for Question 8 is 1 mark)

Describe how narcotic analgesics might be misused by a contact sport athlete, for example a rugby player, and name one immediate effect.

(Total for Question 9 is 2 marks)

Explain why a weight-category boxer might deliberately take a diuretic before weigh in, using the context of preparing for competition.

(Total for Question 10 is 3 marks)

Explain why an archer might misuse β blockers before a major competition, making clear how the drug effect links to a performance advantage.

(Total for Question 11 is 3 marks)

Explain why some sprinters might use stimulants before a final, making clear both the immediate physiological effects and how those effects could improve sprint performance.

(Total for Question 12 is 3 marks)

Explain why an endurance cyclist might be tempted to use EPO during a multi-stage race, linking physiology to the sporting demands of cycling.

(Total for Question 13 is 4 marks)

Mark scheme · 6.8 Drug Misuse in Sport: Types of Performance-Enhancing Drugs and Their Effects

Question 1

B1 B
Answer: B (to gain an unfair competitive advantage)

Question 2

B1 increased alertness/reduced perception of fatigue, oe
Answer: Increased alertness and reduced perception of fatigue.

Question 3

B1 increased muscle mass and strength, oe
Answer: Increased muscle mass and strength.

Question 4

B1 example: archery or shooting; effect: reduce heart rate and hand tremor/calm nerves, oe
Answer: Archery or shooting; they reduce heart rate and hand tremor and calm nerves.

Question 5

B1 rapid weight loss by increasing urine output or masking other banned substances, oe
Answer: They cause rapid weight loss by increasing urine output and can help mask other banned substances.

Question 6

Level 3 (5-6): A well developed evaluation that identifies multiple reasons why athletes dope, explains the influence of incentives and pressures, considers the strength of counterarguments about risks and deterrents, and reaches a clear, supported judgement about why doping persists.
Level 2 (3-4): Clear explanation of some reasons why athletes dope and some consideration of risks or deterrents, with limited judgement or balance between arguments.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple statements about why athletes dope or that it is risky, with little development or no judgement.
Level 0 (0): No relevant content.
Indicative content:
- High rewards and incentives: financial prizes, sponsorships and fame create strong motivation to win and recover quickly.
- External pressure: coaches, teams, national expectations or fear of losing selection can push athletes toward doping.
- Perceived low detection probability: athletes may judge the chance of being caught as small or believe they can evade tests.
- Short career span and injury risk: the need to perform during a limited career or return quickly from injury can encourage risky choices.
- Counterarguments: health harms, bans, loss of reputation and legal consequences act as deterrents, and improved testing raises detection risk.
- Evaluation/judgement might weigh that while risks are significant, the immediate and large rewards, combined with pressure and belief in evasion, explain why some athletes still choose to dope.

Question 7

B1 EPO (erythropoietin); increases red blood cell count and oxygen carrying capacity, oe
Answer: EPO, which increases red blood cell count and oxygen carrying capacity.

Question 8

B1 disqualification, bans from competition, or loss of sponsorship and reputational damage, oe
Answer: Disqualification or bans from competition and loss of sponsorship or reputational damage.

Question 9

B1 they mask pain, allowing an injured athlete to continue playing, oe
B1 immediate effect: reduced perception of pain and temporary increase in ability to play despite injury, oe
Answer: Narcotic analgesics mask pain, allowing an injured rugby player to continue playing; the immediate effect is a reduced perception of pain and a temporary ability to perform despite injury.

Question 10

B1 diuretics increase urine output, causing rapid loss of body water and therefore weight, oe
B1 this can help the boxer meet the required weight category at the official weigh in, oe
B1 also diuretics can dilute urine samples and may mask presence of other banned substances, giving an additional motive, oe
Answer: Diuretics increase urine output so the boxer loses body water and weight quickly, helping them meet the required weight at weigh in; additionally diuretics can dilute urine which may mask other banned substances.

Question 11

B1 β blockers reduce heart rate and reduce tremor by blocking adrenaline effects, oe
B1 a lower heart rate and steadier hands reduce movement of the bow and arrow at the moment of release, improving precision, oe
B1 therefore using β blockers can give a measurable accuracy advantage in precision sports like archery, oe
Answer: Beta blockers block adrenaline so heart rate and hand tremor are reduced; this steadier physiology reduces movement of the bow and arrow at release, improving accuracy, so the archer may gain a measurable precision advantage.

Question 12

B1 stimulants increase central nervous system activity, raising alertness and reaction speed, oe
B1 they reduce perceived fatigue and can increase aggression or focus, aiding explosive efforts, oe
B1 quicker reaction and maintained power over a short race can improve start and acceleration in a sprint, giving a competitive edge, oe
Answer: Stimulants raise central nervous system activity so alertness and reaction speed increase and perceived fatigue falls; this can sharpen the start and sustain explosive power through the acceleration phase, improving sprint performance.

Question 13

B1 EPO increases red blood cell production, raising haemoglobin concentration, oe
B1 more red blood cells increase the bloods oxygen carrying capacity, oe
B1 higher oxygen delivery to muscles improves aerobic capacity and delays fatigue, important over long stages, oe
B1 therefore a cyclist could gain a clear endurance advantage over many hours of racing, making EPO attractive despite risks, oe
Answer: EPO stimulates red blood cell production so haemoglobin rises; this increases oxygen carrying capacity of the blood and delivers more oxygen to working muscles, improving aerobic capacity and delaying fatigue across long stages; consequently a cyclist can gain a clear endurance advantage in multi-stage racing.

Drug Misuse in Sport: Types of Performance-Enhancing Drugs and Their Effects - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

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