Doping and supplementation: the attitudes of talented young athletes

Abstract

There is evidence of a small but significant proportion of adolescents engaging in doping practices. Young athletes face very specific pressures to achieve results as they strive for a career at an elite level. This study used an anonymized questionnaire to survey 403 (12-21 years old) talented young athletes' attitudes toward performance-enhancing substances and supplements. Two-thirds of the sample comprised males. Athletes were generally against the use of doping substances to enhance sporting performance. Within this generally unfavorable view, males tended to express a more permissive attitude toward performance-enhancing methods than females. Those convinced of the necessity of supplementation for sporting success were also more likely to express permissive attitudes. When asked whether they would take a "magic" drug that, while undetectable, would significantly enhance performance, the overwhelming majority of athletes said "no," but many thought others would take the substance. Interestingly, there was a significant association between the projected use of the hypothetical drug by competitors and the individual respondent's willingness to take the hypothetically "magic" substance. The study offers an insight into young athletes' attitudes toward specific forms of performance enhancement, and the strength of their beliefs in the face of a tempting hypothetical scenario.

Sports Dietitians Australia Position Statement: Sports Nutrition for the Adolescent Athlete

“…Typically, the need for proactive replenishment of fat stores after exercise has not been considered due to the relatively large (adipose) stores which can be found in even the leanest athletes (Burke et al, 2004). Recently, there has been an increased interest in the role of the intramuscular triacylglycerols on exercise performance (Bergman et al, 2010;Shaw et al, 2010) and the impact of training in a carbohydrate depleted-state to further promote adaptations to enhance the capacity to use fat as an exercise fuel (Hawley, 2011). However, the effect of strategies which promote "fat adaptation" on endurance exercise performance in adolescent athletes remains unstudied.…”

Why athletes say no to doping: A qualitative exploration of the reasons underpinning athletes’ decision not to dope

“…However, given that males tend to have a more permissive attitude towards doping 537 (Bloodworth et al, 2012), as well as the paucity of research on females' experiences 538 of doping at elite levels of sport, it would be interesting from both an academic and 539 applied perspective to further examine the reasons females "say no" to doping as 540 these may potentially differ from their male counterparts. 541…”

Perfectionism and attitudes towards doping in junior athletes

“…Following previous studies that conceptualised parental pressure to be perfect in school and college students as antecedents of perfectionistic strivings and concerns (Damian, Stoeber, Negru, & B ban, 2013;Rice, Lopez, & Vergara, 2005), we regarded parental and coach pressure as antecedents of perfectionistic strivings and concerns in predicting positive attitudes towards doping in junior athletes ( Figure 1). The study focused on male athletes because they tend to have more positive attitudes towards doping than female athletes (Bloodworth, Petróczi, Bailey, Pearce, & McNamee, 2012).…”