The use of performance-enhancing drugs undermines the integrity of the Olympic Games. It is impossible to determine precisely how many athletes use them, but it is estimated that a substantial percentage do. According to an anonymous Soviet coach, “perhaps 90% of athletes, including ours, use drugs” (CASA 40). One of the reasons it is difficult to determine how many athletes are doping is that at international events like the Olympics, the methods used to detect drug use are simply not effective. So even if only a few athletes are caught, many benefit from their use of performance-enhancing drugs. It is regrettable and unacceptable that such high-level competitions are marred by drug use by athletes. Ineffective drug testing at the Olympics is a problem and testing methods need to be improved. There are many types of performance-enhancing drugs. Anabolic steroids are a common form of performance-enhancing drugs. As of the 2000 Olympics, there were a total of thirty-six different types of anabolic steroids (Zorpette 17). Anabolic steroids can be defined as “synthetic versions of testosterone, modified so that they can be taken orally or so that they persist in the body” (Zorpette 17). The use of anabolic steroids is prohibited by all "major sporting organizations", such as the professional sports organizations of each country, as well as by international committees, such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which organizes the Olympic Games (Simon 74 ). Anabolic steroids improve athlete performance by stimulating muscle growth. By increasing muscle mass, a person gains physical advantages, such as the ability to run faster and jump higher (Cosell 310). Like everything...... middle of paper...... New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991. "Dope & Glory". Sixty minutes II. CBS. WCBS, New York. April 10, 2001. News Services and Staff Reports. "U.S. pros drug tested for Olympics." The Washington Post February 24, 2001, final edition: D2.New Services and Staff Reports. “USOC moving toward drug testing professionals.” The Washington Post March 1, 2001, ed. final: D2.Simon, Robert L. Fair Play. Boulder: Westview Press, 1991. CASA (Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse) National Commission on Sports and Substance Abuse. Win at all costs: doping in Olympic sports. New York: Columbia University National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 2000. Vorce, Jeff. Personal interview. January 29, 2001.Zorpette, Glenn. “Chemical games”. Scientific American presents: Building the Elite Athlete November 27. 2000: 16 - 23.