Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner admits he understands why fans are sceptical about today's top athletes.
Wariner led an American clean sweep in the 400 metres at the Athens Olympics and is favourite to defend his title in Beijing this summer.
But the American star concedes the high-profile cases of drugs cheats, including Marion Jones and Britain's Dwain Chambers, means people are naturally suspicious of top performances.
"Unfortunately yes," Wariner said.
"Just knowing that in the past there have been people who have won that have been caught cheating, in the eyes of the spectators, they are thinking 'Well, he's on something, he has to be, there is no way he could do that'.
"It is an unfortunate thing that we go through. But ultimately my family and friends know that I do it the right way and that is all that matters to me really."
A number of top American stars are understood to be taking part in additional voluntary testing, dubbed "Project Believe" by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
And Wariner is keen to help promote a cleaner image for the sport he loves.
"I am always surprised when I hear about it (drug taking in athletics), especially because it is in the sport I love to do," the 24-year-old told BBC Sport.
"Just to know people have been trying to cheat their way to the top when pretty much everyone who is out there right now is working their hardest to get there and stay there, the right way.
"To see some of the people who have been caught doing drugs, it hurts us, especially knowing how much work we are putting in every day in practice to get where we are and they are taking short cuts."
A similar scheme to "Project Believe" and a period of "quarantine" for athletes returning to the sport after a drugs ban is one of the ideas former Paralympic champion Tanni Grey-Thompson will examine in her review of anti-doping policies for UK Athletics.
Grey-Thompson will examine UK Athletics' policy regarding anti-doping, the penalties they could impose under WADA and IAAF rules and the education of athletes and coaches.
She will be assisted by legendary hurdlers Ed Moses and Colin Jackson, John Scott - director of drug-free sport at UK Sport - and Mike Lee, former director of communications and public affairs for the London 2012 bid.
The 38-year-old she is determined her recommendations will make a difference in the fight against drugs.
"I wouldn't have agreed to do this if I didn't think it would make a difference," Grey-Thompson said.
"I genuinely believe it's not a huge problem but I also believe we have to have some really strict procedures in place to discourage athletes.
"I will be looking at whether we could potentially bring in a period of quarantine. You can't compete for another year (after a ban) but you get tested every week.
"The idea is to make sure an athlete comes back clean. It's like probation.
"The recommendations will hopefully go before the board (of UKA) just before the Olympics, I don't think there will be anything that will change the status quo before the Olympics.
"Athletes need to know where they stand because at the minute it's not simple. They can compete in the UK Championships and trials but not go to the Olympics."
That could lead to a repeat of the embarrassing situation when Chambers qualified for the British team for the World Indoor Championships in Valencia.
UKA had wanted to exclude Chambers from the trials in Sheffield because he had not been on their out-of-competition drug-testing register for a minimum of 12 months before his latest comeback.
However, UKA were overruled by the IAAF and Chambers went on to win a silver medal in the 60 metres in Spain.
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