Final answer:
An instructor should know that drugs and medications can significantly alter exercise response and athletic performance, and that the use of performance-enhancing substances such as caffeine and anabolic steroids can have serious health risks, lead to addiction, and result in withdrawal symptoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
An instructor should be well-versed in the effects of drugs and medications on exercise response. It is essential to understand that the use of such substances can significantly alter physiological functions and athletic performance. For instance, caffeine is known to enhance performance in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions.
However, there are major health concerns with the use of performance-enhancing substances, such as anabolic steroids, which can lead to serious long-term health problems and can be addictive, leading users to require treatments such as behavioral therapy and medications for withdrawal symptoms.
Drugs can work as agonists or antagonists on neurotransmitter systems, affecting mood, perception, and behavior, which may lead to addiction.
Performance-enhancing drugs, while potentially improving performance in the short term, pose ethical dilemmas and carry significant health risks, often leading to nonreversible side effects and in some cases to fatal outcomes due to the physiological strain they impose on the body.