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	The clock is racing; five targets left. Years of training could not have prepared anyone for this moment. Just as the buzzer goes off, the surprisingly calm athlete shatters record after record. It is later found that the athlete used β-blockers to calm his nerves. Throughout its history, the Olympics have had numerous cases of doping accusations, ranging from steroids to alcohol. Each drug has its own niche within the doping world, but β-blockers have distinct traits compared to other banned substances. Use of β-blockers in competitive sports has been a topic of interest to the WADA - World Anti-Doping Agency. β-blockers, a group of substances used clinically to treat hypertension, are used by athletes to increase performance and to relieve tension in stressful events, but also have serious negative effects on human health, such as stunted cardiovascular reactions.
	Due to the fact that β-blockers block the β receptors responsible for regulating heart rate, the group can be considered a cardiovascular depressant. β-blockers are also similar to prescription muscle relaxers, again due to the drugs' calming properties. In a medical sense, β-blockers are good for relieving stress and, as noted, hypertension due to rapid heart rate. This is caused by the blocking of β-adrenergic agents, part of the sympathetic nervous system that increases heart rate. When these agents are blocked, heart rate falls and muscles begin to relax. Unlike the more covered steroids that increase adrenaline to enhance athletes' performances, β-blockers provide a slower, more focused enhancement.
	Certain athletic events, such as archery, skiing, and pistol shooting require steady aim, and under the stressful situations presented by major sporting events, like the Olympics, it is very difficult for an individual to keep his or her mind calm. This results in some athletes, like Kim Jong-su, who was stripped of his silver medal in 50m pistol shooting, and bronze in 10m air pistol shooting, turning to β-blockers to retain a stress-free mind, improving performance. Greg Norman, winner of 91 worldwide golf tournaments, uses β-blockers clinically. During competitions, he must be taken off his prescription in order to remain within regulations. This has caused him to suffer panic attacks before. Athletes use β-blockers for stress relief, but abuse of the substances can result in a variety of negative effects.
	β-blockers interfere with the cardiovascular system, preventing some bodily reactions. Diabetic people should be concerned when using β-blockers, as the signs of low blood sugar may not be felt until it is too late. Men can experience erectile dysfunction, or similar drops in sexual performance. Due to the meddling of the heart, stroke rate can increase while on β-blockers. Despite these negative effects, and WADA's ban on β-blockers in competitive events, many athletes continue to use the drugs.
	β-blockers provide an unfair advantage in stressful sporting events, comparable to the advantage steroids provide in adrenaline-based events. As noted, the calming of muscles, and interference with natural tension-causing systems in the body, quite obviously leads athletes to a better performance that one without access to the drugs cannot gain. This, on top of the potential dangers that substance abuse poses, is easily enough reason to keep the drugs banned from major sporting events like the Olympics. β-blockers are controlled substances, and should be treated as any other drug when evaluated in athletic performance, and should only be used clinically, rather than competitively.