Supplementation: Legal and illegal ergogenic aids

• What are legal supplements?

  Supplements or dietary manipulation that:

  • enhances performance
  • reduces recovery time
  • limits fatigue
  • are taken within the WADA and NGB rules and regulations
• legal supplements are supplements or dietary manipulation that enhance performance, reduce recovery time, limits fatigue, and are taken within the WADA and NGB rules and regulations
• Legal supplements are Protein, creatine and caffeine
• What are the possible advantages of protein?

  Research suggests that after high intensity exercise, amino acids help repair microfibres tears in the muscle and rebuild bigger stronger structure: muscle hypertrophy
• What are possible side effects of protein?

  • weight gain
  • no natural energy sources
  • thirst
• What type of athletes would use protein?

  Athletes seeking to gain muscle mass and strength
• What are the possible advantages of creatine?

  • naturally occurring: can be found in meat and fish. Also supplement powder for shakes
  • Sprint/power based athletes will benefit from increased strength
  • benefits may be placebo
  • theoretically increases muscle phosphocreatine stores
• Who might benefit from creatine?

  Sprint/power-based athletes
• What are possible side effects of creatine?

  • weight gain as a long term effect
  • cramps
  • liver and kidney damage
  • diarrhoea
  • bloating
  • may limit aerobic performance
• What type of athletes use creatine?

  • power and strength sports
  • 100m and 200m sprints
  • weightlifting
  • powerlifting
  • sprint swimming
• What are the possible advantages of caffeine?

  • positive impact on high intensity, strength/sprint based sports due to improved alertness
  • blocks adenosine, limits certain brain signals reducing fatigue
  • improves endurance performance
  • caffeine mobilises fats as an energy source rather than relying on glycogen
• What are possible side effects of caffeine?

  • anxiety
  • irregular heartbeat
  • insomnia
  • muscle cramps
  • impairs fine motor skills
• What type of athletes use caffeine?

  • endurance athletes
  • anaerobic athletes
• What are illegal supplements/doping?

  Doping in sport can vary from ingesting, injecting or absorbing banned drugs and supplements, to doping.

  According to the UK anti-doping agency, substances and methods are banned when they meet the following criteria:

  • enhance performance
  • threat to health
  • violates spirits of sports
• Substances and methods are banned when they enhance performance, are a threat to health, and violate the spirit of sports.
• What is the criteria that must be met for substances and methods to be banned?

  • enhance performance
  • threat to health
  • violate spirit of sport
• What are anabolic steroids?

  Artificially produced hormones. Taken via powder, tablet, syringe, gel or cream.
• What benefits to performance do anabolic steroids give?

  • increase lean body weight
  • allow athletes to train harder, recover faster and increase muscle mass
• What are the long term risks of anabolic steroids?

  • acne
  • liver damage
  • aggression
  • mood swings
• What are human growth hormones

  Artificially produced hormone. Testosterone booster
• What benefits to performance do human growth hormones have?

  • larger doses promote weight loss
  • increase muscle mass
  • smaller doses aid recovery
  • improve general health
  • ignite anti-aging process
  • decreases stored fat
• What are the long term risks to human growth hormones?

  • heart/nervous system problems
  • cardiovascular disease
  • increased blood lipids
• What athletes are likely to take human growth hormones?

  • power sports
  • bodybuilding
  • swimming
  • baseball
  • strength sports
  • cycling
• What are erythropoietin?

  Synthetic form of a natural hormone
• What benefits to performance does erythropoietin have?

  • stimulates red blood cell production and increases haemoglobin levels
  • improves aerobic capacity
  • decreases stored fat
• What are long term risks of erythropoietin?

  • increased blood viscosity
  • heart failure
  • death
  • stroke
• What athletes are likely to use erythropoietin?

  • boxing
  • athletics
• What are stimulants?

  Mainly used by sprinters or explosive sports performers. Ephedrine. Amphetamine.
• What benefits to performance do stimulants have?

  • increases alertness
  • helps over come effects of fatigue
  • increases heart rate and blood flow
• What long term risks do stimulants have?

  • dehydration
  • muscle cramps
  • seizures
  • addictive
• What are diuretics and masking agents?

  Taken prior to anti-doping tests or weigh-ins to increase urinary volume
• What benefits to performance do diuretics and masking agents have?

  • remove fluid from body
  • hide other drug use
  • help competitors 'make the weight'
• What long term risks do diuretics and making agents have?

  • dehydration
  • hypotension (low blood pressure)
  • muscle cramps/weakness
  • electrolyte imbalance
• What athletes are likely to take diuretics/masking agents?

  • Boxers
  • horse racing
• What are beta blockers?

  common prescription medication for high blood pressure
• What benefits to performance do beta blockers have?

  • reduce heart rate
  • reduce blood pressure
  • reduce muscle tremors
• What are the long term risks of beta blockers?

  • dizziness
  • drowsiness
  • fatigue
  • dry mouth
  • headache
• What athletes are likely to use beta blockers?

  • shooting
  • archery