Does the Existence of Steroid Addiction Alter the View That Steroid Use in Sport is Cheating?

Abstract

It is widely accepted that doping in sports is, by definition, cheating. If we allow that cheating is advantage-seeking behavior utilized by one party in an agreement-defined activity that disallows that behavior, then taking drugs when others do not is cheating. The focus of this definition is on the intentions and purpose of the actor, which is primarily about advantage seeking. This article will argue that the effect of anabolic steroid addiction on the volition of the actor caeteris paribus invalidates the adequacy of cheating to describe this behavior.