Is there a danger for myopia in anti-doping education? Comparative analysis of substance use and misuse in Olympic racket sports calls for a broader approach

Abstract

BackgroundRacket sports are typically not associated with doping. Despite the common characteristics of being non-contact and mostly individual, racket sports differ in their physiological demands, which might be reflected in substance use and misuse (SUM). The aim of this study was to investigate SUM among Slovenian Olympic racket sport players in the context of educational, sociodemographic and sport-specific factors.MethodsElite athletes (N = 187; mean age = 22 ± 2.3; 64% male) representing one of the three racket sports, table tennis, badminton, and tennis, completed a paper-and-pencil questionnaire on substance use habits. Athletes in this sample had participated in at least one of the two most recent competitions at the highest national level and had no significant difference in competitive achievement or status within their sport.ResultsA significant proportion of athletes (46% for both sexes) reported using nutritional supplements. Between 10% and 24% of the studied males would use doping if the practice would help them achieve better results in competition and if it had no negative health consequences; a further 5% to 10% indicated potential doping behaviour regardless of potential health hazards. Females were generally less oriented toward SUM than their male counterparts with no significant differences between sports, except for badminton players. Substances that have no direct effect on sport performance (if timed carefully to avoid detrimental effects) are more commonly consumed (20% binge drink at least once a week and 18% report using opioids), whereas athletes avoid substances that can impair and threaten athletic achievement by decreasing physical capacities (e.g. cigarettes), violating anti-doping codes or potentially transgressing substance control laws (e.g. opiates and cannabinoids). Regarding doping issues, athletes' trust in their coaches and physicians is low.ConclusionSUM in sports spreads beyond doping-prone sports and drugs that enhance athletic performance. Current anti-doping education, focusing exclusively on rules and fair play, creates an increasingly widening gap between sports and the athletes' lives outside of sports. To avoid myopia, anti-doping programmes should adopt a holistic approach to prevent substance use in sports for the sake of the athletes' health as much as for the integrity of sports.

Disordered eating, amenorrhea, and substance use and misuse among professional ballet dancers: Preliminary analysis

“…Optimal nutrition may reduce fatigue and injuries, promote recovery from injuries, optimize the body's energy stores and consequently positively influence one's health status [18][19][20]. Due to the training duties and performances, dancers are frequently unable to eat adequately and therefore the relatively high prevalence of the NS in our participants (almost 2/3 of the dancers consume the NS) is not surprising and is consistent with previous reports [3,5].…”

“…Many controversies remain about the possible efficacy and necessity of this behavior [18]. Yet it is also confirmed that the NS provide potentially important nutrients for those individuals who are involved in physically demanding activities [19].…”

Substance use and misuse in the Croatian Army Special Forces: prevalence and influencing factors

“…Indeed, we studied a relatively small sample, but we included a significant proportion of the SAF members in Croatia and selected them randomly. Consequently, the percentage of respondents was almost maximal, which is known to be a more important factor of plausibility than the number of subjects per se [24]. Apart from the fact that a low response rate can give rise to sampling bias, the fact that we had almost a maximal response rate gave us right to conclude that the subjects felt comfortable when the questionnaire was administered.…”

“…The evaluated variables included those collected by the Questionnaire of Substance Use (QSU). QSU is a tool that had been previously used and validated to determine the SUM patterns among different physically active professionals and athletes [24][25][26][27]. QSU collects socio-demographic data and comprises profession-related questions (in this case, military-specific questions) and questions on SUM.…”

A Review of Pharmacotherapy for Chronic Low Back Pain with Considerations for Sports Medicine

“…This topic is beyond the scope of this article and has been discussed elsewhere. 21,22 However, because the course of cLBP may be protracted, 23 patients may require treatment over years or decades. Therefore, it is critical that the risks and benefits of pharmacotherapies are closely evaluated to ensure that short-and long-term treatments are optimized for each patient.…”