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Pharmacological Performance Enhancement

Meaning

Pharmacological Performance Enhancement (PPE) involves the non-therapeutic use of pharmaceutical agents, often hormones, peptides, or synthetic derivatives, to acutely increase physical, cognitive, or physiological capacity beyond a state of normal clinical health. In the hormonal health domain, this often refers to the use of supra-physiological doses of anabolic steroids, growth hormone, or erythropoietin to gain a competitive advantage in athletic performance or to achieve extreme body composition changes. This practice is distinct from clinically indicated hormone replacement therapy, which aims to restore levels to a physiological reference range for health optimization. Clinicians must maintain a clear ethical boundary between restoration and enhancement.