Substance Use and Addiction in Athletes: The Case for Neuromodulation and Beyond

Abstract

Substance use, misuse and use disorders continue to be major problems in society as a whole and athletes are certainly not exempt. Substance use has surrounded sports since ancient times and the pressures associated with competition sometimes can increase the likelihood of use and subsequent misuse. The addiction field as a whole has very few answers to how to prevent and secondarily treat substance use disorders and the treatments overall do not necessarily agree with the role of being an athlete. With concerns for side effects that may affect performance coupled with organizational rules and high rates of recidivism in the general population, newer treatments must be investigated. Prevention strategies must continue to be improved and more systems need to be in place to find and treat any underlying causes leading to these behaviors. This review attempts to highlight some of the data regarding the field of substance misuse and addiction in the athletic population as well as explore possible future directions for treatment including Neuromodulation methods and Ketamine. There is a need for more rigorous, high-quality studies to look at addiction as a whole and in particular how to approach this vulnerable subset of the population.

Towards Mental and Physical Resilience in Sports: Recognizing Psychopathology with Regard to Performance Optimization

“…As a final example of psychopathology in sports, consider the prevalence of addiction and its comorbid relationship to mental illness among athletes [23]: There is much documented regarding substance use during an athlete's career, including alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, stimulants, and prescription opioids [24][25][26][27][28][29]. It is also important to note that many elite athletes become used to moments of incredible pressure coupled with the extreme highs and lows of a life where you either win or you lose.…”

Enhancing Substance Use Disorder Recovery through Integrated Physical Activity and Behavioral Interventions: A Comprehensive Approach to Treatment and Prevention

“…Assessing motivational strategies for and perceptions of exercise involvement and identifying perceived barriers and facilitators of exercise participation is a vital step in devising effective exercise programs to stimulate more effective recovery outcomes as well as physical and mental health benefits [ 15 ]. Moreover, as substance abuse and addiction likely occur at a lower rate in athletes compared to the general population, there is a need for more rigorous, high-quality studies on how to approach this vulnerable subset of the population [ 71 ].…”

Depression Related to COVID-19, Coping, and Hopelessness in Sports Students

“…The isolation aggravated by the loss of autonomy and changes in the sports environment and in personal life, including early retirement from the sport, results in the use of alcohol, smoking, and drugs with sedative effects at the limit of violation of anti-doping policies [ 48 , 49 ]. Even so, the findings showed that substance abuse was generally at a lower level in athletes than in non-athletes [ 50 ].…”