Sport: Ruinous Pep

Can the so-called "pep pills"—amphetamine drugs such as Benzedrine and Dexedrine—significantly improve an athlete's performance? Reported the American Medical Association last week: Yes, and as much as 4% in some cases.

In a two-year study, the A.M.A. had teams of scientists at Harvard and Massachusetts' Springfield College run controlled experiments on in athletes in some 1,300 performances. Results: weight throwers improved between 3% and 4%, runners 1.5%, swimmers between .59% and 1.16%.

The A.M.A. launched its study two years after Dr. Herbert Berger of the New York Medical Society charged that the use of the pills was widespread in sport (TIME, June 17,...