Read the details about the Impact of Drugs in Sports
Impact of Drugs in Sports
Definition of Drug
According to a definition from World Book Dictionary, a drug is a substance (other than food) that, when taken into the body, produces a change in it. If this change helps the body, the drug is referred to as a medicine. If the change harms the body, the drug is referred to as a poison.
History of Drug Abuse in Sports
Drug abuse has been reported since the Greeks started the Olympics in 776BC. It was then reported that certain substances were ingested by competitors in attempts to gain some ground against fellow competitors. However, it was not until the early 19th century that the problem of drug abuse became a great menace to the sport.
There were incidents where death ensued following drug abuse. In the late 19th century, it was reported that French athletes drank a concoction of cocoa leaves and wine in order to reduce the sensation of fatigue and hunger. As a result, they were able to withstand strenuous forms of exercise and physical activity.
Athletes and body builders take anabolic steroids to make their muscles bigger and stronger. The drug also keeps their energy high so they can train longer and harder without getting tired and sore.
Student athletes have used different supplements including vitamins and minerals, amino acid supplements, anabolic steroids and other anabolic substances, stimulants, painkillers, and a variety of illegal street drugs. Stimulants, narcotics, anabolic agents, cannabinoids, masking agents, making weight agents, natural body hormones and genetic manipulation are the
Prohibited list of Drugs.
Factors influencing athletes to use drugs
The pressure to win, or to perform better physically, may lead a participant to drug-taking, either to enhance performance or to make it easier to cope with the stress of competition. Expectations from parents, coaches, peers and team-mates may cause a participant to aspire to a radical improvement in their sporting ability, beyond their natural physical capacity.i.e
A. A belief that their competitors are taking drugs
B. A determination to do anything possible to win
C. Pressure from coaches, parents and peers
D. Community attitudes and expectations of success
E. Financial rewards
F. Influence from the media in facilitating these expectations and rewards (8)
G. Belief in multiple benefits to be accrued:
An increase in strength and endurance
Delay in the onset of fatigue
Increased ability to concentrate
Decreased sensitivity to pain
Prohibited substances and doping methods
Stimulants
Anabolic agents
Androgenic anabolic steroids
Non-steroidal
Diuretics
Peptide and glycoprotein hormones and analogues
Narcotic analgesics
Blood doping
Pharmacological, chemical or physical manipulations
Summary of currently prohibited methods and substances by International Olympic Committee
Drugs
Prohibited procedures
Prohibited under certain circumstances
Stimulants
Blood doping
Alcohol
Narcotics
Administering artificial oxygen carriers
Cannabinoids
Anabolic agents
Ø ÿ Anabolic androgenic steroids
Ø ÿ Beta-2 agonists
Other plasma expanders
Local anesthetics
Diuretics
Pharmacological, chemical and physical manipulation
Glucocorticosteroids
Peptide hormones, mimetics and analogs
Beta-blockers
Drug uses in sports
Here we look at three of the better-known drugs in sport – anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and EPO. All are members of a family of chemicals called hormones – naturally occurring chemical messengers that regulate many of the body's functions.
The main hormones are produced by glands and are transported around the body in the bloodstream. Because of their importance in the growth and development of organs and tissue, hormones are the main target in the development of performance-enhancing drugs. But, as we will see, the fact that the drugs occur naturally in the body sometimes makes detecting drug abuse difficult.
A complicating factor in drug detection is that many performance-enhancing drugs occur naturally in the body. For this reason, sporting bodies usually set benchmarks – if the amount of the substance detected is above the benchmark, the athlete is said to be guilty of doping.
Effect of Drugs
• Anabolic steroids are chemically manufactured drugs. They are a man-made
version of testosterone, the male sex hormone.
• Athletes and body builders take anabolic steroids to make their muscles bigger and stronger. The drug also keeps their energy high so they can train longer and harder without getting tired and sore.
• Some men take steroids because they think they will look better with bigger muscles.
• It is illegal to sell anabolic steroids for the purpose of improving a person’s
performance in sports.
• There are a few very specific medical uses for anabolic steroids, including treatment for some forms of breast cancer and blood disorders and for people who are not growing properly.
• Some athletes take 5 to 10 times the amount that a doctor might prescribe for
legitimate medical uses. Some body builders and weight lifters may take 200 times the prescribed amount.
• Steroids are taken by mouth or by injection. Athletes usually take them in a cycle that lasts from four to 18 weeks. The cycle includes starting with low doses of more than one steroid, then gradually increasing the dose, then stopping use entirely. This is called “stacking.”
• Some athletes take other drugs besides anabolic steroids in an attempt to improve their performance. For example: – stimulants (drugs that make them more alert and delay tiredness, allowing them to train longer). These may include
pseudoephedrine or caffeine.
• Analgesics (substances that act on the brain and spinal cord to reduce the amount of pain that is felt). An example is ibuprofen.
• Diuretics (drugs that cause quick but temporary weight loss). An example is
caffeine.
•Marijuana (a drug that may have a calming effect).
Drug Testing
The purpose of drug testing now had two bases – health and welfare and eliminating drug cheating. Athletes during this period were using exogenous substances, those not naturally found in the body. They were relatively easy to find. The Ben Johnson case in 1988 at the Soeul Olympic Games involved Stanazolol. This drug tended to be a little more difficult to detect but eventually the testing improved and Johnson was caught. It is now very easy to detect with the newer lab equipment.
As testing in the laboratories improved athletes moved onto other drugs that were
more difficult to detect. They started using testosterone, a naturally occurring
hormone. Testing shifted accordingly and eventually developed a methodology to
detect exogenous testosterone. And so on and so forth.
The challenges of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games were the detection of blood products, designer steroids and human growth hormone. How accurate was this testing? We only have WADA’s assurances. There will always be a detection gap.
Definition of Doping as per World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
Doping is defined as the occurrence of one or more of the anti-doping rule violations mentioned in the WADA code.
The following constitute anti-doping rule violations:
1. The presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an Athletes bodily specimen.
2. Use or Attempted Use of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method.
3. Refusing or failing without compelling justification to submit to Sample Collection after notification as authorized in applicable anti-doping rules or otherwise evading Sample collection.
4. Violation of applicable requirements regarding Athlete availability for Out-of competition Testing including failure to provide required whereabouts information, which are declared, based on reasonable rules.
5. Tampering or attempting to tamper with any part of Doping Control.
6. Possession of Prohibited Substances and Methods.
7. Trafficking in any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method.
8. Administration or Attempted administration of a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method to any Athlete or assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up or any other type of complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation or any attempted violation.
Conclusion It is clear that that the problem of drugs in sports will not go away soon. However, as the sporting public becomes more and more aware of the situation, the greater the chances of being able to solve this burgeoning problem.
For more details visit the following linksDefinition of Drug
According to a definition from World Book Dictionary, a drug is a substance (other than food) that, when taken into the body, produces a change in it. If this change helps the body, the drug is referred to as a medicine. If the change harms the body, the drug is referred to as a poison.
History of Drug Abuse in Sports
Drug abuse has been reported since the Greeks started the Olympics in 776BC. It was then reported that certain substances were ingested by competitors in attempts to gain some ground against fellow competitors. However, it was not until the early 19th century that the problem of drug abuse became a great menace to the sport.
There were incidents where death ensued following drug abuse. In the late 19th century, it was reported that French athletes drank a concoction of cocoa leaves and wine in order to reduce the sensation of fatigue and hunger. As a result, they were able to withstand strenuous forms of exercise and physical activity.
Athletes and body builders take anabolic steroids to make their muscles bigger and stronger. The drug also keeps their energy high so they can train longer and harder without getting tired and sore.
Student athletes have used different supplements including vitamins and minerals, amino acid supplements, anabolic steroids and other anabolic substances, stimulants, painkillers, and a variety of illegal street drugs. Stimulants, narcotics, anabolic agents, cannabinoids, masking agents, making weight agents, natural body hormones and genetic manipulation are the
Prohibited list of Drugs.
Factors influencing athletes to use drugs
The pressure to win, or to perform better physically, may lead a participant to drug-taking, either to enhance performance or to make it easier to cope with the stress of competition. Expectations from parents, coaches, peers and team-mates may cause a participant to aspire to a radical improvement in their sporting ability, beyond their natural physical capacity.i.e
A. A belief that their competitors are taking drugs
B. A determination to do anything possible to win
C. Pressure from coaches, parents and peers
D. Community attitudes and expectations of success
E. Financial rewards
F. Influence from the media in facilitating these expectations and rewards (8)
G. Belief in multiple benefits to be accrued:
An increase in strength and endurance
Delay in the onset of fatigue
Increased ability to concentrate
Decreased sensitivity to pain
Prohibited substances and doping methods
Stimulants
Anabolic agents
Androgenic anabolic steroids
Non-steroidal
Diuretics
Peptide and glycoprotein hormones and analogues
Narcotic analgesics
Blood doping
Pharmacological, chemical or physical manipulations
Summary of currently prohibited methods and substances by International Olympic Committee
Drugs
Prohibited procedures
Prohibited under certain circumstances
Stimulants
Blood doping
Alcohol
Narcotics
Administering artificial oxygen carriers
Cannabinoids
Anabolic agents
Ø ÿ Anabolic androgenic steroids
Ø ÿ Beta-2 agonists
Other plasma expanders
Local anesthetics
Diuretics
Pharmacological, chemical and physical manipulation
Glucocorticosteroids
Peptide hormones, mimetics and analogs
Beta-blockers
Drug uses in sports
Here we look at three of the better-known drugs in sport – anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and EPO. All are members of a family of chemicals called hormones – naturally occurring chemical messengers that regulate many of the body's functions.
The main hormones are produced by glands and are transported around the body in the bloodstream. Because of their importance in the growth and development of organs and tissue, hormones are the main target in the development of performance-enhancing drugs. But, as we will see, the fact that the drugs occur naturally in the body sometimes makes detecting drug abuse difficult.
A complicating factor in drug detection is that many performance-enhancing drugs occur naturally in the body. For this reason, sporting bodies usually set benchmarks – if the amount of the substance detected is above the benchmark, the athlete is said to be guilty of doping.
Effect of Drugs
• Anabolic steroids are chemically manufactured drugs. They are a man-made
version of testosterone, the male sex hormone.
• Athletes and body builders take anabolic steroids to make their muscles bigger and stronger. The drug also keeps their energy high so they can train longer and harder without getting tired and sore.
• Some men take steroids because they think they will look better with bigger muscles.
• It is illegal to sell anabolic steroids for the purpose of improving a person’s
performance in sports.
• There are a few very specific medical uses for anabolic steroids, including treatment for some forms of breast cancer and blood disorders and for people who are not growing properly.
• Some athletes take 5 to 10 times the amount that a doctor might prescribe for
legitimate medical uses. Some body builders and weight lifters may take 200 times the prescribed amount.
• Steroids are taken by mouth or by injection. Athletes usually take them in a cycle that lasts from four to 18 weeks. The cycle includes starting with low doses of more than one steroid, then gradually increasing the dose, then stopping use entirely. This is called “stacking.”
• Some athletes take other drugs besides anabolic steroids in an attempt to improve their performance. For example: – stimulants (drugs that make them more alert and delay tiredness, allowing them to train longer). These may include
pseudoephedrine or caffeine.
• Analgesics (substances that act on the brain and spinal cord to reduce the amount of pain that is felt). An example is ibuprofen.
• Diuretics (drugs that cause quick but temporary weight loss). An example is
caffeine.
•Marijuana (a drug that may have a calming effect).
Drug Testing
The purpose of drug testing now had two bases – health and welfare and eliminating drug cheating. Athletes during this period were using exogenous substances, those not naturally found in the body. They were relatively easy to find. The Ben Johnson case in 1988 at the Soeul Olympic Games involved Stanazolol. This drug tended to be a little more difficult to detect but eventually the testing improved and Johnson was caught. It is now very easy to detect with the newer lab equipment.
As testing in the laboratories improved athletes moved onto other drugs that were
more difficult to detect. They started using testosterone, a naturally occurring
hormone. Testing shifted accordingly and eventually developed a methodology to
detect exogenous testosterone. And so on and so forth.
The challenges of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games were the detection of blood products, designer steroids and human growth hormone. How accurate was this testing? We only have WADA’s assurances. There will always be a detection gap.
Definition of Doping as per World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
Doping is defined as the occurrence of one or more of the anti-doping rule violations mentioned in the WADA code.
The following constitute anti-doping rule violations:
1. The presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an Athletes bodily specimen.
2. Use or Attempted Use of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method.
3. Refusing or failing without compelling justification to submit to Sample Collection after notification as authorized in applicable anti-doping rules or otherwise evading Sample collection.
4. Violation of applicable requirements regarding Athlete availability for Out-of competition Testing including failure to provide required whereabouts information, which are declared, based on reasonable rules.
5. Tampering or attempting to tamper with any part of Doping Control.
6. Possession of Prohibited Substances and Methods.
7. Trafficking in any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method.
8. Administration or Attempted administration of a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method to any Athlete or assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up or any other type of complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation or any attempted violation.
Conclusion It is clear that that the problem of drugs in sports will not go away soon. However, as the sporting public becomes more and more aware of the situation, the greater the chances of being able to solve this burgeoning problem.
1) http://www.drugfreesport.com/choices/drugs/index.html
2) http://www.prn2.usm.my/mainsite/bulletin/sun/1996/sun27.html
3) http://www.alcoholmedicalscholars.org/athletes-out.htm
4) http://www.smartplay.net/moves/drugs/drugsinfo.html#whatisadrug
5) http://sportal.nic.in/handbook.pdf#search=%22drug%20abuse%20in%20sports%20filetype%3Apdf%22.
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