Which of the following are considered performance-enhancing drugs?

The selection of stimulants, narcotic analgesics, and anabolic agents as performance-enhancing drugs is accurate due to their known effects on athletic performance.

Stimulants can increase alertness, reduce fatigue, and improve concentration, allowing athletes to perform better during competition. They often enhance physical performance by increasing endurance and reaction time.

Narcotic analgesics are medications that relieve pain and can enable athletes to push through injuries or discomfort, often leading to enhanced performance at the risk of further injury. They may help athletes mask pain, allowing them to continue competing at a higher level than they might without the drug.

Anabolic agents, including anabolic steroids, are known to significantly increase muscle mass and strength, thereby directly enhancing an athlete’s physical capabilities. They improve recovery time and allow for more intense training, contributing to improved performance in competitive situations.

In contrast, while options such as pain relievers, muscle relaxants, and diuretics might have specific uses in sports, they are not primarily classified as performance-enhancing in the same way that stimulants, narcotics, and anabolic agents are. Pain relievers could reduce discomfort but do not enhance physical capabilities, muscle relaxants may impair performance by reducing muscle ability, and diuretics are generally used