CH 15 LEGAL & ILLEGAL

PERFORMANCE
ENHANCING STRATEGIES
Page 388

ERGOGENIC AIDS

Practices, substances or methods (legal or illegal)

that improve performance.

ANTI DOPING MOVEMENT

The medical commission of the IOC
(international Olympic Committee) was
established in 1967 and the first drug tests were
conducted at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games.
Prior to this, coaches and administrators had
turned a blind eye to the side effects and ethical
implications.
At the 52 and 56 Games illegal drug use was
widespread and a number of athletes were
suffering irreversible side effects and people
started to speak up.

ANTI-DOPING MOVEMENT
Despite the new anti-doping initiatives athletes
continued to take illegal ergogenic aids and
quickly learnt how to beat the drug testing
system.
In 1983 drug testing significantly redefined and
analytical procedure set up.
In 1999 the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
was set up as a direct result of the 1998 tour de
France scandal.
Countries and sporting groups must be
signatories of WADA to be able to compete in the
Olympic Games.

HOW IS A SUBSTANCE OR METHOD

DEEMED ILLEGAL?
Substances and Methods can be prohibited by
WADA if they meet 2 of the 3 criteria
1. Evidence that the substance or method
enhances or has the potential to enhance
performance.
2. Evidence that the substance or method
represents an actual or potential health risk to
the athlete.
3. WADAs determination that use of the
substance or method violates the spirit of sport.

WHY TAKE ILLEGAL ERGOGENIC

AIDS?

Personal reasons:
Dissatisfaction

with performance
Physical/psychological dependence
Self doubt, depression, anxiety or stress
Truly believe that wont cause long term damage
Believe that they wont get caught
Easily influenced/peer pressure
Win at any cost mentality
Need to retain the hero or role model status

Environmental reasons may include:

Drug

culture friends/training partners using too

Pressure from coach and family
Unreasonable scheduling of events
Financial incentives
Fame
Influence of role models
Demand of the standards needed to compete
National honour and pride

THE PROHIBITED LIST

WADA creates the prohibited list and updates it
three times every year.
In order for a substance to become prohibited it
must:

Have

medical/scientific evidence that it will enhance

sporting performance
Medical/scientific evidence that it can present an
actual or potential health risk to athletes
WADA deems it violates the spirit of sport
If it masks the use of other prohibited substances

Athletes may apply for a therapeutic exemption.

PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES

Anabolic Agents/Steroids
Link

to testosterone assists with building bone and

muscle to increase strength and power.

Increasing protein creation

Decrease Catabolism (breakdown) Increase Anabolism (build up)
Encourage aggressive behaviour thus making you train harder
Reduces recovery time between sessions and increases
adaptations e.g. Cross Sectional Area, muscle fibres all increase.

Side

effects

Dependence, depression
Hypertension
Cancer
Infertility
Higher LDLs
Females take on male charateristics (facial/body hair, deep voice)

PEPTIDES
Human Growth Hormone (HGH/Corticosteroids)
Used

to enhance muscle/bone growth.

Side effects:

Diabetes (as it helps to regulate blood sugar levels)

Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Poor immune function
Water retention
Impotence and birth defects

Hormones Continued
Erythropoitin (EPO)
Triggers the production of more red blood cells
and promotes a greater haemoglobin oxygen
carrying capacity and delivery to the working
muscles. (Increased Aerobic Capacity)
Body naturally produces EPO but a synthetic version can
be injected to enhance the effects. Riders who have used
EPO said it was like strapping a motor to their bike!

Potential harm is increased blood viscosity due to

increased red blood cells, can cause blood clots,
heart failure, stroke and death. (Lance riding in
middle of night)

Beta Blockers
Reduce

the function of the nerve receptors in the heart

and blood vessels thus reducing BP, HR and pre
competition nerves, decreases adrenaline release.
Shooters & archers use it to minimise tremors between
heartbeats
Side effects: hypoglycemia, hypotension, worsening of
asthma and cardiac failure

Diuretics & Masking Agents

Diuretics

promote urine excretion and help some

athletes lose weight for competition
Can also mask the presence of other drugs such as
steroids by diluting the concentration in urine.
Side effects: dehydration, cramps, irregular heart
beat
Masking agents are continuously being developed to
stay one step in front of authorities (epitesosterone,
plasma volume expanders)

Stimulants

Stimulation

of release and activity of adrenaline

Make the body more alert, aggressive and energetic
Can cause high BP/temperature, insomnia and
irregular heartbeat.
Tolerance can develop as can dependence.

Narcotics

Codeine,

morphine etc to reduce pain creates

euphoria
Athletes can continue competing and mask their pain
Highly addictive. The high can impair judgement,
balance and coord can cause resp failure
Can run risk of further injury and damage

PROHIBITED METHODS/PRACTICES

Enhancement of O2 Transfer
Aim

is to increase O2 carrying and diffusion ability

Can be done legally via altitude training, hypoxic
rooms etc or illegally through EPO and blood doping
these carry many unethical and unsafe risks.

Blood Doping
Aims

to increase RBC count by transfusing the

athletes own blood.
This boosts the O2 carrying ability to the working
muscles.
Risks of blood borne diseases eg Hepatitis/AIDS;
blood clots; heart failure

Genetic Manipulation/Gene Doping

Still

in its early days but still illegal certain to be of

concern in the coming years.
Altering specific genes could lead to marked
improvements in performance/assist in recovery
Could it impact on a couples unborn child?
Changes in proteins and body tissue can indicate
gene doping but need to get baseline data of athlete
first(genetic passport)
Example may be to genetically alter the release of
pain hormones such as endorphins so athlete could
perform beyond pain barriers.

LEGAL PERFORMANCE ENHANCING

PRACTICES

High Altitude Training

Think

Collingwood FC training in Arizona

High altitudes = low O2 concentration so the body
triggers a survival response to create more RBCs
thus when we return to normal altitude, our O2
carrying capacity has improved. This will be retained
for 1-3 months.
Initially when entering high altitude may feel dizzy,
nausea, sleeplesness and a lower VO2 max
Takes 3 weeks to acclimatise and three months to
gain the benefits.
Due to side effects theory of live high, train low came
about a hypoxic tent can assist with this

Intermittent Hypoxic Training (IHT)

Wear

a specially designed mask whilst training to

simulate high alt training, take it off and train and
then put it back on.
Increases the efficiency of O2 use, transport and take
up/extract.
Brings about:
Increase size heart and lungs thus submax HR, RR & BP
lower
Increase pulmonary O2 absorption
Capillarisation
Increase concentration of EPO, RBC, haemoglobin and
myoglobin
Mitochondria size and density including enzymes thus
an increased use of the aerobic pathways
Increased production and secretion of growth hormone

LEGAL PERFORMANCE
ENHANCEMENT
CHO loading to boost aerobic performance rather
than EPO
Caffeine in suitable doses rather than cocaine
Positive self talk, pump up music to boost arousal
rather than amphetamines
Meditation rather than beta blockers to reduce
arousal
Increased Creatine intake and good nutrition
instead of anabolic steroids
Dietary management and training instead of HGH.
Dont take illegal drugs so no need for masking
agents.

Review

Multi

Questions: p405

Choice Q1&2
Short Answer odd numbered
questions