Ergogenic Aids

• Ergogenic aids

  substances, products or training regimes that improve performance

  • pharmacological aids
  • physiological aids
  • nutritional aids
• WADA

  • world anti-doping agency
  • introduced athlete biological passport
  • profiles am athletes blood & urine samples/readings
  • detects changes & irregular pattern
• Pharmacological aids

  • increase levels of hormones or neural transmitters that are naturally produced
  • most are illegal
  • subject to penalties such as fines & bans
  • all prohibited in & out of competition

  anabolic steroids, EPO, & Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
• Anabolic steroids (pharmacological)

  • a group of synthetic hormones that resemble testosterone
  • promote muscle growth & protein synthesis
  • taken orally or injected
  • detected by urine samples
  • illegal in & out of comps
  • used for maximal & explosive strength performers (Dwaine Chambres, British athlete)

  BENEFITS- increased muscle mass & strength, increased speed of recovery, increased intensity & duration of performance

  
  

  RISKS- irritability, mood swings, aggression, liver damage, acne
• EPO (pharmacological)

  • a synthetic copy of a hormone produced by kidneys to stimulate bone marrow to produce red blood cells
  • detected by blood & urine samples, but difficult to detect
  • illegal in & out of comps
  • used by endurance athletes (tour de france cyclists)

  BENEFITS- increased oxygen transportation, increased performance, endurance increase, delays fatigue

  
  

  RISKS- increased blood viscosity, increased clotting potential, increased risk of strokes & heart failure, natural levels of EPO decrease
• Human Growth Hormone, HGH (pharmacological)

  • a synthetic product mimicking the hormone secreted by the pituitary gland
  • stimulates bone & muscle growth
  • difficult to detect due to naturally circulating levels
  • illegal in & out of comps
  • used by maximal & explosive strength performers (throwers)

  BENEFITS- increased speed of recovery, increased fat metabolism, increased blood glucose levels

  
  

  RISKS- abnormal bone & muscle development, enlargement of vital organs, increases risk of diabetes
• Physiological aids

  • increase the rate of adaptation in the body
  • increase performance
  • some are legal & frequently used, but some are illegal & have severe penalties

  blood doping, Intermittent Hypoxic Training (IHT), cooling aids
• Blood doping (physiological)

  • blood is removed from athlete approx 4 weeks prior to comp, red blood cells are frozen & stored, reinjected a few hours before event
  • difficult to detect as its athletes own blood
  • illegal
  • used by endurance athletes (tour de france cyclists)

  BENEFITS- increased oxygen transport & aerobic capacity, increased red blood cell count, increased duration before fatigue

  
  

  RISKS- increased blood viscosity, risk of transfusion complications, increased risk of blood clots, decreased cardiac output
• Intermittent Hypoxic Training, IHT (physiological)

  • a type of interval training that takes place under conditions with a low partial pressure of oxygen
  • legal
  • used by endurance athletes & games players (footballers)

  BENEFITS- delays OBLA, increases red blood cell & haemoglobin count, acclimatisation for events at altitude, increased mitochondria & buffering capacity

  
  

  RISKS- hard to reach normal work levels, reversibility is an issue, dehydration, decreased immune function causing increased risk of infection
• Cooling aids (physiological)

  • a range of products used pre, post & during an event
  • pre-event: ice vests & cold wraps
  • post-event: ice baths
  • injury treatment: ice packs
  • legal
  • used by all sports performers

  BENFITS- reduced core body temperature, decreased DOMS, decreased injury pain & swelling, decreased sweating, fatigue & dehydration

  
  

  RISKS- ice burns & pains, can hide/complicate injuries, dangerous for hypertensives
• Nutritional aids

  • maintain healthy lifestyle, training & performance quality
  • all legal
  • essential for elite athletes

  nitrates, caffeine, bicarbonate, creatine, hydration, glycogen loading, electrolyte balance
• Nitrates (nutritional)

  • inorganic compound consumed by eating root vegetables like beetroot or leafy green veg
  • taken 5-6 days before performance
  • used by endurance athletes

  BENEFITS- reduced blood pressure, increased blood flow, delays fatigue

  
  

  RISKS- headaches, dizziness, gastrointestinal problems
• Caffeine (nutritional)

  • stimulant used 1 hour pre-event to heighten the central nervous system
  • easily consumed
  • used by strength & endurance athletes

  BENEFITS- increased breakdown of fats, increased nerve stimulation, preservation of muscle glycogen

  
  

  RISKS- increased urine production, heart rate related problems, high blood pressure
• Bicarbonate (nutritional)

  • an alkaline which helps prevent a rise in acidity in the blood stream
  • consumed as sodium bicarbonate or baking soda
  • used by aerobic athletes

  BENEFITS- increased buffering capacity, delays OBLA, increased intensity & duration of performance

  RISKS- nausea due to taste, gastrointestinal problems
• Creatine (nutritional)

  • produced naturally in the body from amino acids & can be consumed
  • can increase muscle stores by up to 50%
  • used by activities using the ATP-PC system

  BENEFITS- increased PC stores, high stores of high intensity fuel

  RISKS- increased weight gain, muscle cramps, increased water retention
• Hydration (nutritional)

  • getting the correct amount of water before, during & after exercise
  • used by all athletes

  BENEFITS- regulation of body temperature, prevents fluid loss, lubricates joints

  RISKS- low levels of electrolytes, muscle weakness, headaches
• Glycogen loading (nutritional)

  • 7 days before event - low carb intake & high protein diet
  • 7-3 days before event - train at high intensity each day
  • 3 days before event - taper training & eat high carb diet
  • used by endurance athletes

  BENEFITS- increased glycogen stores, delays fatigue, builds muscle mass

  
  

  RISKS- water retention can cause weight gain, muscle stiffness in depletion stage
• Electrolyte balance (nutritional)

  • minerals in the body that help stabilise acid levels
  • magnesium, sodium, calcium
  • used by all performers

  BENEFITS- strengthens immunity, supports heart health, stabilises blood sugars

  RISKS- nausea, muscle weakness, affects vital body systems