BackgroundIntake of medicines and supplements is widespread among the professional athletes in developed countries and there are reports to suggest inappropriate self-administration of medicine. Data from South Asia on this area is lacking. This study examined self-medication practices with regard to use of allopathic and herbal/traditional medicines among national -level Sri Lankan athletes.Results209 athletes from 15 national sport teams were assessed using an anonymous, interviewer administered questionnaire. Self-medication practices during the 3 months before data collection were evaluated. 60.8% athletes practiced self-medication. 58.3 and 9.4% consumed western and herbal/traditional medicines respectively, while a third used both. The most common symptom for which self-medication was practiced was musculoskeletal pain (73.2%). Oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antibiotics were used by 15.7 and 7.1% respectively. Musculoskeletal pain was the predominant symptom that prompted the use of allopathic medicines, while the majority of athletes with upper respiratory tract symptoms being the predominant symptoms, consumed herbal/traditional medicines. Two different commercially available preparations of herbal mixtures were consumed by 15.7 and 15%. Pain prophylaxis during or prior to a sport event was reported by 20.1%, mainly with topical medicines. Medicines were obtained by direct request from a pharmacy without an authorized prescription by a majority (77.2%), followed by using an old prescription in 12.6%.ConclusionsThis study finds that self-medication with both allopathic and herbal/traditional preparations among athletes in a Sri Lanka is high. The use of oral NSAIDs without an authorized prescription in a significant number of athletes is a potential health risk. Frequency of oral NSAID use is lower than that is reported in non-Asian studies from developed countries. The use of herbal/traditional medications increases the likelihood of inadvertent doping. Enhancing awareness regarding risk of such practices among athletes, trainers, pharmacists and prescribers is essential.

Quinoline is a specific and potent carcinogen to the rat and mouse liver. Studies are described here in which it was evaluated for its ability to initiate unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in the rat liver in vivo. Although some individual animals showed indications of a marginal response the absence of clear group positive responses and the lack of an obvious dose relationship precluded the classification of quinoline as positive. The analogous NTP non-carcinogen 8-hydroxyquinoline was shown also to be devoid of UDS activity. Quinoline did, however, induce a potent mitogenic response in the rat liver between 24 and 48 hr after oral dosing of 200-500 mg/kg. Under similar conditions of test, 8-hydroxyquinoline was essentially inactive. These data represent a further instance in which mitogenicity in the liver appears to correlate better with carcinogenicity than does genotoxicity; but it may not be that simple, as discussed in the text. A single dose of quinoline was shown to act as a replacement for surgical partial hepatectomy in the liver micronucleus assay described by Tates, consistent with its potent mitogenicity.

This study was conducted to assess the cardio‐respiratory endurance according to the Body Mass Index (BMI) of male and female school children aged 13 years using 3 minute Harvard step test. This was carried out in grade 8 male children in Kannangara Vidyalaya (n=60) and grade 8 female children in Yashodara Vidyalaya, Colombo (n=60). Body weight and height were measured and BMI was calculated. Pre‐exercise and post‐exercise pulse rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure (BP) were measured. During 3 minute Harvard step exercise, average heart rate, maximum heart rate, energy expenditure and fat burn were measured using a pedometer. Mean BMI of participants was 17.70±3.42 (mean±SD) kgm‐2 for boys and 18.40±4.27 kgm‐2 for girls. Fifteen percent, 1.67% and 18.33% of the boys were overweight, obese and underweight respectively whereas in girls those percentages were 13.3%, 5% and 25% were respectively. BMI had significant correlation with pre‐exercise systolic blood pressure in boys (109.38±19.54mmHg) (rp=0.308,p=0.017) and girls (109.18±15.59mmHg) (rp=0.659,p=0.000) and also with pre‐exercise diastolic blood pressure in boys (71.40±13.07mmHg) (rp=0.342,p=0.008) and girls (69.57±10.44mmHg) (rp=0.690,p=0.000). Ninety percent of boys and 67.7% of girls completed 3 minutes Harvard step test. BMI also had positive significant correlations with energy expenditure and fat burning during exercise in both genders. Overweight and underweight were prevalent among the studied adolescents and obesity was more prevalent among girls. Correlation of BMI with blood pressures may predict the risk of pre‐hypertension and hypertension in overweight and obese adolescents. As the reduction in the fat content in adolescents with high BMI is at a higher rate during physical exercise, we suggest that introducing regular exercise programmes at school level would help in the prevention of non‐communicable diseases in the future generations.

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