TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Stimulant
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? injection, pill, tablets, crystalline powder
CLINICAL USE Amphetamines are substances taken to boost energy, mood and confidence, and to suppress appetite. They were commonly prescribed for weight loss but are now reserved for limited treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy and Parkinson's disease.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED Helps athletes build muscle mass, improve their endurance, increase their wakefulness and recover more quickly from injury.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE cycling, speed skating
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? Danish cyclist Kurt Jensen (collapsed and died of a heart attack from an amphetamine overdose at the 1960 Olympics); British cyclist Tommy Simpson (died of heart failure aggravated by amphetamine at the 1967 Tour de France); German cyclist Jan Ullrich (1997 Tour de France winner); Argentine female high jumper Solange Witteveen; Philadelphia 76ers centre Stanley Roberts

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Anabolic Agent
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? capsules
CLINICAL USE Androstenedione is an over-the-counter supplement available in the United States (but banned in Canada) that is used to boost the production of testosterone.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED It boosts blood levels of the male sex hormone testosterone, helping athletes to build muscle mass, improve their strength and endurance, and recover more quickly from injury.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE baseball, body building
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? Mark McGwire (he admitted to using the drug when it was not listed on baseball's banned substance list); Anaheim Angels reliever Derrick Turnbow; U.S. National Judo champion Hiram Cruz

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Peptide Hormone
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? injection
CLINICAL USE The drug is used to treat people with chronic kidney failure and cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Darbepoetin may be used for patients on dialysis.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED Darbepoetin boosts the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to muscles, thus boosting an athlete's endurance level.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE cross-country skiing
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? Russian cross-country skiers Olga Danilova and Larissa Lazutina; Spanish cross-country skier Johann Muehlegg

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Anabolic agent
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? capsules, chewing gum, drops that are placed under the tongue, creams
CLINICAL USE Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has been prescribed in the treatment of many disorders, including cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and obesity, although some scientists argue there is no hard data to support DHEA's claim of being a "wonder drug." It is a legal over-the-counter drug in the United States but banned for competitive use.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED DHEA is thought to have anabolic effects, decreases body fat and promotes muscle growth.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE swimming, cycling
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? Illegal use of DHEA has not been widely reported upon. In 2000, an Australian sports federation announced that an unidentified sportsman tested positive and forced the athlete to repay any grants for Olympic training.

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Masking agent
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? tablets, injection, oral solution
CLINICAL USE Diuretics are a class of drugs often used by patients who want to lose weight, even though there are serious side effects. Diuretics are also used in the treatment of acute and chronic renal failure. It can be used effectively to treat mild cases of edema, which is swelling caused by an abnormal accumulation of fluid in body tissues.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED Diuretics increase urine production, helping athletes to flush steroids from their system. They also help athletes lose body weight.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE cricket, weightlifting, horse racing
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson; Australian cricketer Shane Warne; Bulgarian weightlifters and Olympic medallists Ivan Ivanov, Izabela Dragneva and Sevdalin Minchev; Mongolian wrestler Oyungbileg Purevbaatar

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Stimulant
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? tablets, capsules, herbal form
CLINICAL USE Ephedrine, an amphetamine-like stimulant, is commonly found in cold and allergy medicines, as well as in over-the-counter food and weight-loss supplements.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED Ephedrine makes the heart beat faster and increases blood pressure, allowing athletes to avoid fatigue and increase their performances during bursts of powerful effort.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE track and field, football, bodybuilding
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? Canadian women's bobsleigh champion Kendra Herbert; Canadian equestrian rider Eric Lamaze; soccer legend Maradona; Olympic silver medallist (100-metre sprint) Ato Boldon; U.S. sprinters Carl Lewis and Mickey Grimes; world shot put champion Aleksandr Bagach of the Ukraine

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Peptide Hormone
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? injection
CLINICAL USE Doctors prescribe synthetic EPO to treat anaemia, or low red blood cell count, mainly in people with cancer, AIDS or kidney problems.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED EPO is a synthetic version of a naturally occurring hormone. EPO stimulates the production of more red blood cells, which increases an athlete's aerobic capacity and muscle endurance.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE Cycling, cross-country skiing, long distance marathons. In 1998, the rampant use of the oxygen-to-blood booster tarnished the Tour de France.
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? Olympic bronze medallist (1,500-metre run) Bernard Lagat of Kenya; Russian runner (5,000-metre) Olga Yegorova; US cyclist Adham Sbeih; Russian cross-country skier Natalia Baranova-Masolkin; Chinese track athletes Zheng Yongji and Li Huiquan; Moroccan runner and former 10K world record holder Asmae Leghzaoui; French cyclist and Olympic bronze medallist Philippe Gaumont

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Peptide Hormone
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? injection
CLINICAL USE hGH has been used since the 1950s to help stunted children grow normally. It is also given to AIDS patients to reverse muscle wastage and to adults with growth hormone deficiency.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED hGH stimulates muscle growth and helps reduce body fat. It also allows athletes to recover faster from strenuous training.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE Swimming. Australian customs officials discovered 13 vials of growth hormone hidden in the luggage of Chinese swimmer Yuan Yuan before the world championships in 1998.
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? hGH was undetectable until WADA recently devised a test for it. As a result, no athlete was ever caught using hGH prior to the new test being developed.

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Peptide Hormone
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? injection
CLINICAL USE Insulin is a natural hormone secreted from the pancreas, which controls the levels of glucose in the body. Diabetics use it to prevent a rise in blood sugars.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED Athletes use insulin in conjunction with anabolic steroids to help build muscles. It also helps athletes increase their stamina and endurance.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE bodybuilding, power-lifting, cycling
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? Italian cyclist Marco Pantani, winner of the 1998 Tour de France, was suspended after being found guilty of possessing an insulin syringe at the 2001 Giro d'Italia.

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Stimulant
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? injection, powder, tablets
CLINICAL USE It has been prescribed for people with attention deficit disorder, and is also used as a treatment for obesity.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED Methamphetamine, also known as speed, is a powerful nervous-system stimulant that gives athletes a "temporary kick" and helps them increase their alertness.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE alpine skiing, swimming
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? Scottish skier and Olympic bronze medallist (men's slalom) Alain Baxter

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Stimulant
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? tablet, pill
CLINICAL USE Modafinil, also known as provigil, is a prescription drug that helps people who suffer from narcolepsy (a sleep disorder associated with uncontrollable sleepiness and frequent daytime sleeping) to stay awake during the day.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED It is thought to increase an athlete's alertness.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE Track and field
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? U.S. sprinters Kelli White, Chris Phillips, Calvin Harrison and Chryste Gaines; U.S. hurdlers Sandra Glover and Eric Thomas; U.S. hammer thrower John McEwen

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Anabolic Agent
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? injection
CLINICAL USE Used as a treatment for wasting diseases, and to strengthen and increase body tissue and musculature in HIV infected men. It is also know as Deca-Durabolin.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED It helps increase muscle mass and physical strength. Nandrolone occurs naturally in the human body but only in tiny quantities. A limit of 2 nanograms per ml of urine (set by the International Olympic Committee) is the maximum concentration thought possible to occur in human body by "natural means," and if this is exceeded the drug test is considered positive. Some nutritional supplements have been known to contain nandrolone without listing it in the product contents.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE track and field, soccer, cycling
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? Canadian triathlete Kelly Guest; British sprinters Linford Christie, Mark Richardson and Dougie Walker; European soccer players Christophe Duggary, Jaap Stam and Edgar Davids; tennis players Greg Rusedski and Petr Korda; Bobsleigh racer Lenny Paul; American shot-put world champion CJ Hunter

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Anabolic Agent
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? injection
CLINICAL USE Norandrosterone is related to nandrolone; it is also often used in nutritional supplements, and testing agencies look for norandrosterone to detect nandrolone usage.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED It helps athletes increase their strength and muscle mass.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE soccer, swimming
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? Canadian hammer thrower Robin Lyons; soccer players Saadi Gadhafi and Manuele Blasi; Costa Rican swimmer and Olympic champion Claudia Poll; Greek swimmer Vasileios Demetis; Scottish cyclist Stefan Collins

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Anabolic Agent
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? tablets, injection
CLINICAL USE Stanozolol is used to treat hereditary angioedema (episodic swelling of areas of the body).
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED Gives users increased strength and allows them to recover faster from exercise.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE track and field, bobsleigh, rugby
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? Canadian sprinters Ben Johnson and Venolyn Clarke; British bobsledder Mark Tout; South African rugby player Willie Steenkamp, Jamaican sprinter Patrick Jarrett; Australian weightlifter Sergo Chakhoyan

TYPE OF SUBSTANCE Anabolic Agent
WHAT FORM DOES THE DRUG TAKE? injection, capsules, cream, lotion
CLINICAL USE Testosterone is a natural hormone that builds muscle mass. Synthetic testosterone has been used medically to treat patients who suffer from deficiencies in the naturally occurring male sex hormone testosterone, delayed puberty, some types of impotence, breast cancer and body wasting caused by HIV/AIDS or other diseases.
WHY ATHLETES USE IT & WHY IT'S BANNED Testosterone helps athletes increase muscle size and strength, reduce the amount of time required to recover after exercise and train harder for longer periods of time.
SPORTS MOST ASSOCIATED WITH ITS USE track and field, power lifting
WHO'S TESTED POSITIVE? Brazilian runner (800 metre) Fabiane dos Santos; U.S. sprinter Dennis Mitchell; U.S. distance runner Mary Decker Slaney; Dutch discus thrower Erik de Bruin