PEDs in sport

• What do anabolic steroids do?

  • Cause a rapid increase in strength/muscle + bone mass and recovery from high intensity movements (such as sprints)
  • Used mostly in training
• Negative‘s of anabolic steroids

  • Cause severe mood swings
  • Increase blood pressure/heart attack
  • May cause a heart disease in some
  • In males = testicular atrophy (shrinking of testicles)
  • In females = increase in body + facial hair
• What is EPO/peptide hormones?

  • Naturally occurring hormone that causes the body to make more red blood cells
  • Endurance athletes take this to boost cardiovascular fitness.
  • Increase muscle mass
  • Hard to detect until recently (cyclists in the 1990’s got away with it a lot)
• Negative’s of EPO

  • Increase blood pressure - thickens the blood
  • Reduce the body’s natural capacity to make EPO
  • Increase chances of heart attacks
• What is blood doping? And what does it do?

  • Involves removing 2 pints of
  • blood and then re-transfusing it a few weeks later after the lost red blood cells have been replaced.
  • Infamously Lance Armstrong used in the Tour De France
  • Cardiovascular fitness is enhanced in the short term due to the increase in RBC
  • More RBC = More oxygen around the body = work for longer
• Negative’s of blood doping

  • Risk of infections and illness
  • Increased potential of heart attacks
  • Blockage of blood vessels
  • Strain on heart
• What are Diurects? And what do they do?

  • Removes excess water from the body = weight loss
  • Cause the body to produce more urine
  • Some athletes use it to mask the presence of other drugs such as anabolic steroids (flush out the drugs)
  • Athletes who need to ‘make a weight’ such as boxers or judo, use diurects as it can cause rapid weight loss
• Negative’s of Diurects?

  • Illegal
  • Severe dehydration
  • Decrease blood pressure
• What do Stimulants do?

  • Substances such as caffeine increase alertness and improve performance in games by reducing reaction time. (Sprints)
  • Endurance also like to take caffeine as it helps to better transport of fat in the blood and decrease the impact of pain.
• Negative’s of Stimulants

  • Diarrhoea
  • Disrupt sleep patterns
  • Increase blood pressure
  • Heart problems
  • Increase risk of injury
• What do Beta Blockers do?

  • Help the performer to keep calm
  • Slow down the heart rate
  • Reduce muscle tension
  • Reduce blood pressure
  • Reduce the effects of adrenaline
  • Prevent hands from shaking = beneficial for improving fine control and precise movements (archery)
• Negative’s of Beta Blockers

  • Illegal
  • Tiredness
  • Nausea
  • Poor circulation
  • Decrease heart rate
• What are Narcotic Analgesics?

  • Painkillers that are used to help an injured athlete continue to train and perform in big competitions despite their injury
  • Also allows an endurance athlete to tolerate a greater level of pain
• Negative’s of Narcotic Analgesics

  • Dangerous as it may worsen injury by continuing to perform
  • Addictive
  • Mask injury