Banned substances in sports, for short

PEDS

Athletes caught using these face suspensions and stripped titles—just say the initials.

This clue is asking for the shorthand term for performance-enhancing drugs, which are illegal in competitive sports. "For short" signals that the answer is an abbreviation—here, "PEDS" stands for performance-enhancing drugs. It’s a common term in sports news when discussing doping scandals or athlete suspensions. The clue plays it straight with no wordplay, just a direct reference to banned substances.