09:21 AM CDT on Sunday, October 28, 2007

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Fans, the media and sports governing bodies believe that we can rid sports of steroid use. Athletes always will be a step ahead of the testing labs in concealing substances because of the multibillion-dollar industries that have been built on their sweat and their obsession. They will seek out the next great "thing" – a vitamin, a training technique, a new shoe, a drug. Athletes have used performance enhancements and supplements for centuries. We cannot change the nature of the beast.

So what if we just decriminalized and destigmatized performance-enhancing drugs – indeed, called them "training supplements"? Training supplements such as protein powder, creatine, good nutrition and Gatorade. By accepting these currently banned substances as mainstream, doctors, parents, athletes and coaches could acquire a greater knowledge and understanding of them. Use could be made much safer, clinical trials could be performed and dangerous overuse curbed.

The technology exists to test for levels of most of the substances on the "banned drugs" lists. What if we declared that certain levels of them in the body were acceptable, while excessive amounts would result in penalties? Athletes could satisfy their drive to be faster and stronger. Drugs could move from the black market to the legitimate sports-medicine community. Athletes could stop experimenting on themselves.

It would be safer to take the substances, and with medical monitoring, there would be fewer negative side effects. And we could stop vilifying athletes and feel some relief because we no longer would have to keep pushing against this inevitable evolution of what sports has become. Tracks gets faster, nutrition gets more specific, and training techniques improve.

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