Performance-Enhancing Drugs and the Production of Season Best Performances in Track and Field

Allison Fisher and Michael Seeborg
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Allison Fisher: Illinois Wesleyan University

Journal of Economic Insight, 2010, vol. 36, issue 2, 23-43

Abstract: This paper explores trends in the production of post WWII track and field performances in six events. Of particular concern is how performances deviated from long-term trend from 1962 through 1990, a period when elite track and field athletes were known to systematically use steroids in an environment of ineffective testing. Log-linear trend regression for each event and their residuals are used to develop an indicator variable of whether the actual performances of elite athletes were better than trend. Probit models are then used to predict the probability of better than trend performance for three time periods. The results show very high probabilities of above trend performance during the heavy use period and much lower probabilities of above trend performance after 1990, a period when testing was more effective and international anti-doping efforts more coordinated.

JEL-codes: J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:mve:journl:v:36:y:2010:i:2:p:23-43

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