Exploring The Connection Between Athletes and Substance Abuse

As a result, up to 12 percent of teens, both engaged in sport and not, use substances to improve performance and appearance. While women use these substances as well, their use is more prevalent amongst men. In addition to adverse health effects, drug misuse impairs performance, potentially forcing athletes into early retirement due to diminished abilities and withdrawal symptoms. Finally, violating anti-drug rules in professional sports can lead to bans, suspensions, and the loss of previous awards or titles. Notable athletes like Lance Armstrong and Brett Favre have faced these consequences. In terms of performance enhancing drugs, it is of course an attempt to help the athlete perform much better.

Health Effects of Doping Sport Integrity Australia

• Doping goes back to ancient times, prior to the development of organized sports.
• All of these studies consisted of a small number of patients from 8 to 30 in total so larger more robust studies are still needed to be performed to explore this potential benefit.
• Andro is legal to use only if a health care provider prescribes it.
• The connection between athletes and drug abuse can also be attributed to poor mental health.
• These days, that manifests as signing up for a triathlon every two to three months.

Many athletes may be hesitant to using any treatment that was not FDA approved due to fears of violating the rules by which their sports are governed. For some athletes, the motivation to abuse drugs is a byproduct of pressures to perform or for huge financial rewards. Injuries have also contributed to the beginning of prescription drug addiction in many players.

Sports, Drugs and Addiction

Athletes who test positive for EPO face possible suspension, loss of competition titles, and even a lifetime ban from sports if the PED abuse is especially egregious. The increased red blood cells resulting from EPO therapy can “thicken” negative effects of drugs in sport the blood, increase vascular constriction, and cause hypertension (high blood pressure). Thicker and more viscous blood puts an increased strain on the heart, thereby increasing the risk of blood clots, heart attacks, and stroke.

Why Do Athletes Use Drugs?

• If you know an athlete who is wrestling with addiction, you know the feeling of wanting to help but not being sure of how.
• One thing to bear in mind is that the very act of participating in many sporting activities is dangerous.
• Athletes take human growth hormone, also called somatotropin, to build more muscle and do better at their sports.
• However, blood-doping has been found to “thicken” blood, increasing the chances of hypertension, blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks.

This pressure worsens addictions and leads to athletes staying silent, rather than getting the help they need. However, health professionals may also prescribe opioids to treat chronic non-cancer pain, like arthritis or back pain. In either https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/should-you-have-relationships-in-recovery/ scenario, the possibility of substance abuse in athletes is high. An athlete who injures their shoulder, tears their ACL or breaks their leg receives opioid medications for use after surgery, and it does help the pain ⁠— but only at first.

• The individual sports require higher levels of training and likely carry higher risk of overuse injuries.
• The New York Times reported he received large amounts of prescription drugs from team doctors before and after his entry into the league’s substance abuse program.
• The Verified badge on our articles is a trusted sign of the most comprehensive scientifically-based medical content.If you have any concern that our content is inaccurate or it should be updated, please let our team know at [email protected].
• At the college level, organizations such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association60 and individual member institutions conduct standard drug testing programs and enforce penalties for positive tests.

Methods to increase oxygen transport

The second is that performance-enhancing drugs threaten the health of athletes. There was a collective sigh of relief earlier this week when Usain Bolt triumphed in the blue-riband men’s 100m event over Justin Gatlin, who has previously served two bans for taking performance-enhancing drugs. Three other athletes in the final – Mike Rodgers, Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell – had also received previous bans for doping. Opponents of therapeutic use exemptions argue that the athletes with TUEs are abusing the system and only taking the drugs to gain an advantage, and that clean play must be the same clean play for everyone.

Data Sources:

Finding Addiction Programs for Athletes