A History of Drug Use in Sport

1876 - 1976: Beyond Good and Evil

Paul Dimeo (University of Stirling, UK)

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English

Routledge
11 July 2007

History: specific events & topics; Sociology: sport & leisure; Drug abuse in sport

This book offers a new history of drug use in sport. It argues that the idea of taking drugs to enhance performance has not always been the crisis or ‘evil’ we now think it is. Instead, the late nineteenth century was a time of some experimentation and innovation largely unhindered by talk of cheating or health risks. By the interwar period, experiments had been modernised in the new laboratories of exercise physiologists. Still there was very little sense that this was contrary to the ethics or spirit of sport. Sports, drugs and science were closely linked for over half a century.

The Second World War provided the impetus for both increased use of drugs and the emergence of an anti-doping response. By the end of the 1950s a new framework of ethics was being imposed on the drugs question that constructed doping in highly emotive terms as an ‘evil’. Alongside this emerged the science and procedural bureaucracy of testing. The years up to 1976 laid the foundations for four decades of anti-doping. This book offers a detailed and critical understanding of who was involved, what they were trying to achieve, why they set about this task and the context in which they worked. By doing so, it reconsiders the classic dichotomy of ‘good anti-doping’ up against ‘evil doping’.

Winner of the 2007 Lord Aberdare Literary Prize for the best book in British sports history.

By: Paul Dimeo (University of Stirling UK)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 9mm
Weight: 272g
ISBN: 9780415357722
ISBN 10: 0415357721
Pages: 168
Publication Date: 11 July 2007
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , A / AS level , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Paul Dimeo is Senior Lecturer in Sports Studies at the University of Stirling.

Reviews for A History of Drug Use in Sport: 1876 - 1976: Beyond Good and Evil

Featured in The Financial Times, September 29, 2007 Featured in The Observer, August 5, 2007 'A History of Drug Use in Sport doesn't deal in such sensational tabloid lines but instead offers an academic approach to the subject. While at times this does make for heavy reading, it does also provide a thorough and detailed look at the problem. For anyone who watched the Tour recently and wondered how we got to this situation, this book is probably the best place to start. '- Duncan Mackay, The Observer This book will be great interest to sportsmen as well as students, researchers and practitioners in the sport and exercise disciplines whether they work in the laboratory or in the field since it is about a popular topic in sport. It could be valued as a reference book, because its targets to avoid easy answers to difficult questions in the controversial subject of drug use in sport. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine Dimeo, a lecturer in Sports Studies at the University of Stirling, presents evidence that the spread of doping had its roots in the seemingly innocent scientific inquiry into ways to perfect the 'ideal' of the elite sportsman. Jim Ferstle, SJA