Final answer:
The use of drugs, whether prescription or over-the-counter, can greatly affect human performance, particularly in sports where the issue of doping is ethically and physically contentious.
Step-by-step explanation:
Drugs, including both prescription and over-the-counter medications, can have a significant impact on human performance, particularly in the context of athletics. The use of performance-enhancing drugs to maintain or enhance athletic performance is a contentious issue, as it not only raises ethical concerns about fairness but also poses serious health risks to individuals.
Substances like anabolic steroids are often used and abused for their ability to improve muscle mass and performance. However, their side effects can be severe, nonreversible, and sometimes fatal. The physiological strain imposed by these substances might be more than the body can safely handle.
In competitive sports, doping - the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs - is prohibited by most sports organizations. Attempts to evade drug screening and detection further the ethical violation involved in this form of cheating. The influence of various factors like age, gender, genetics, and food on drug pharmacokinetics in humans must also be considered when evaluating the risks and effects of drug use.