Introduction
- Athletes may turn to drugs to gain unfair advantage 🏆❌
- Problems with drug use:
- Ethics → illegal & unfair advantage ⚖️❌
- Addiction → physical & psychological dependence 🔗💔
- Health risks → potentially lethal effects ☠️❤️
Psychophysiological Effects of Certain Banned Substances
Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids 💪
- Hormones → stimulate protein anabolism 🥩
- Effects: ↑ size, strength, power 💪, ↑ blood volume 🩸, ↑ red blood cells 🩸
- Negative: ↑ heart disease ❤️⚠️, cancers 🦠, kidney & liver damage 🧠🫀
Stimulants ⚡
- Examples: amphetamines, cocaine
- ↑ CNS, respiratory system, heart rate ❤️🏃
- Benefits: delay fatigue ⏳
- Risks: addictive 🔗, serious health problems ⚠️
Depressants 🛌
- Examples: barbiturates, sedatives, alcohol 🍷
- Intended: relieve tension, anxiety 😌
- Actual: ↓ inhibition 🚫, ↑ risk-taking ⚠️, addictive 🔗
Other Banned Drugs 🚫
- Diuretics 💧
- Hallucinogens 🌈
- Beta-adrenergic blockers 🫀
Creatine Use by Athletes ⚡🥤
- Energy-producing supplement 🏋️
- Not IOC banned ✅
- Long-term effects on liver, kidneys, brain 🧠🫀🫁 under study
Combating Drug Abuse in Sport
Challenge: underreporting & coach influence 🤐⚠️
Two Approaches:
1. Cognitive Techniques 🧠
- Support groups 👥
- Show concern ❤️
- Set limits 🚫
- Team policy 📋
- Teach coping skills 🧘
2. Behavioral Techniques 🏃♂️
- Teach drug-free performance strategies ⚡
- Peer involvement 👯♂️
- Fear of detection via mandatory drug testing 🧪
Summary
This chapter examined drug abuse in sport and exercise noting that athletes may turn to drugs to gain unfair advantage with three problems: ethics where drug use is illegal and provides unfair advantage, addiction involving physical and psychological dependence, and health risks with potentially lethal effects, describing psychophysiological effects of certain banned substances including Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids which are hormones that stimulate protein anabolism with effects including increased size/strength/power, increased blood volume and red blood cells, with negative consequences of increased heart disease, cancers, and kidney and liver damage; Stimulants like amphetamines and cocaine which increase CNS/respiratory system/heart rate with benefit of delaying fatigue but risks including addiction and serious health problems; Depressants like barbiturates/sedatives/alcohol intended to relieve tension and anxiety but actually decreasing inhibition and increasing risk-taking while being addictive; Other Banned Drugs including diuretics, hallucinogens, and beta-adrenergic blockers; and Creatine as energy-producing supplement not banned by IOC with long-term effects on liver/kidneys/brain under study, and discussing combating drug abuse in sport noting challenges of underreporting and coach influence through two approaches: Cognitive Techniques including support groups, showing concern, setting limits, team policy, and teaching coping skills; and Behavioral Techniques including teaching drug-free performance strategies, peer involvement, and fear of detection via mandatory drug testing.