Performance enhancing drugs
An ergogenic aid aid is a performance enhancing device or substance. This is a wide-ranging definition as ergogenic aids include; (legal and illegal) drugs, nutritional interventions, clothing and equipment.
Anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids are associated with the manufacture of testosterone (a hormone that occurs naturally in the body), with men producing more than women. In men it has vital functions for their development during puberty, for example it leads to the growth of facial hair and the production of sperm. It also stimulates muscle growth and for this reason it is frequently used by body builders as an ergogenic aid. Another effect of testosterone is increased bone mineral density, therefore leads to stronger bones. It also speeds up recovery after training and has been used by many sports performers as an ‘illegal’ ergogenic aid.
Beta blockers
Beta blockers reduce the effects of adrenaline on certain tissues in the body. One of the main tissues is the heart and taking a beta blocker prevents heart rate increasing despite the release of adrenaline in situations seen as stressful. . Beta blockers reduce the tremors and shakes associated with increased levels of anxiety and arousal and would be useful for those performing in activities where fine motor skills are needed, like darts, snooker, archery, bobsleigh and golf; or sports that involve balance, for example gymnastics.
Beta blockers can have a number of unwanted side effects and this is one reason why their use is banned in sport. Fatigue and drowsiness is one negative effect of taking them. The slowing of heart rate can reduce blood and oxygen to the brain leading to dizziness or fainting. The reduction in heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output and accompanying drop in blood pressure making their use detrimental to endurance performances.
Diuretics
Increase the amount of water in urine which help loose weight quickly. Often used to help a performer make a weight category such as in boxing.
Side effects:
- Loss of sodium and potassium in urine
- Dehydration
- Leads to muscle weakness
- Nausea (Feeling sick)
Narcotic analgesics
Also known as painkillers, taken so injured players can play when they shouldn’t and then risk of more severe or longer lasting injury.
Side effects:
- Loss of concentration
- Effects balance
- Effects co-ordination
Peptide hormones (erythropoietin (EPO), growth hormones (HGH).
These are taken to cause other hormones to be produced at an increased rate. They help bone and muscle growth and helps the body breakdown fats for energy.
Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone that controls the production of red blood cells within the body. It is made in the kidneys and released when oxygen levels are low. This can occur during endurance training and when spending time at altitude or in hypoxic conditions. It acts on the cells in the red bone marrow to increase production of red blood cells. RhEPO is a synthetic version of EPO which is produced in the lab using genetic engineering. RhEPO is used medically to treat people with anaemia and to help those being treated with chemotherapy for cancer. The ability of RhEPO in increasing red blood cell production and improving aerobic fitness, or VO2max is unquestioned and because of this it is banned by WADA. There are a number of problems that can occur from RhEPO use which can make it unsafe. The main problem that can occur is an increase in blood viscosity. Because the blood has more red blood cells it is thicker which means that heart failure and strokes can occur. There have been cases of endurance athletes dying due to these problems when taking EPO. Like any drug that is injected, there is an inherent risk of infection from diseases such as HIV or hepatitis, especially if needles are shared.
Growth hormone is produced in the body. It has a number of functions including stimulating growth and cell regeneration. It is used in medicine to treat those with growth problems and can result in significant bone growth and ultimately increase height. Although the full effects of HGH are yet to be understood, it can also lead to decreased body fat, increase in muscle mass and greater bone mineral density. Despite the fact that these effects would substantiate its use as an ergogenic aid in sport, especially in strength and power dependant sports, research has failed to substantiate the beneficial effects. The reason for this is that either; the amounts given to subjects in studies are not as great as those taking them in the ‘real-world’, or that when sports performers take HGH, they usually take it as a concoction of other drugs including anabolic steroids, epinephrine or EPO, and HGH improves the function of these drugs. The latter fact remains unconfirmed because the ethics involved in giving a ‘subject’ two or more drugs at the same time are not usually agreed to by university ethics committees, meaning researchers are not able to combine drugs when studying humans.
There are a huge number of possible side-effects from HGH. These can include;
- Infection - if the hormone is injected there is a risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis and other diseases if needles are shared with others.
- Premature death from cardiovascular disease.
- Increased risk of development of diabetes.
- Excessive sweating.
- Altered facial features – including larger cheek bones and bone growth of the skull above the eyes.
- Osteoporosis.
Stimulants
These are take to increase alertness so player thinks more quickly or improve reaction time, to overcome tiredness, offset the effects of lactic acid in the muscles and increase metabolism.
Side effects:
- Irregular heartbeat
- High blood pressure
Blood doping
Blood doping is another illegal method of performance enhancement used by endurance athletes. It works in the same way as EPO, by increasing the haemoglobin/RBC content in the blood, thereby improving oxygen diffusion in the lungs and carrying capacity of the blood. This results in an improved OBLA and VO2max and an improved performance in competitions relying on aerobic capacity. In blood doping a performer has blood removed a few weeks before competition. The body adapts to having less blood by increasing red blood cell production and water retention. The blood that is removed is immediately frozen, then thawed and injected back into the body in the days before competition.
There are similar dangers with blood doping to EPO use. This includes an increased viscosity of the blood, higher blood pressure and a greater risk of death from heart attacks and strokes.