Study Notes on Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports

Introduction to Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports

• Overview of drugs used to improve athletic performance.
• Drugs include anabolic steroids and human growth hormones.

Historical Context of Doping

• Early Instances of Drug Use:
• 1896: Fritz Pregl and Oskar Zoth experimented with bull testicle extract.
• 1889: Charles Éduard Brown-Séquard injected himself with macerated dog testicles.
• 20th Century Developments:
• 1913: Victor D. Lespinasse transplanted testicle tissue.
• 1950s: Soviet athletes begin using testosterone, leading to improved training methods.
• Introduction of Anabolic Steroids:
  • 1958: Dianabol and Stanozolol developed to limit androgenic effects while enhancing anabolic effects.

Doping in Sports Events:

• 1988: Ben Johnson wins the gold medal at the Seoul Olympics using Stanozolol, leading to his disqualification after a positive test.
• Subsequent Scandals:
• Numerous athletes have been implicated in doping scandals including Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire in baseball.

Mechanisms and Effects of Anabolic Steroids

• Anabolic Effects:
• Increase in muscle mass, strength, and bone growth.
• Androgenic Effects:
• Development of male characteristics, such as body and facial hair, and effects on voice and sexual functions.

Modern Doping Techniques and Detection

• Testing Methods:
• Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for detecting steroids by analyzing urine and detecting the T/E ratio (testosterone to epitestosterone).
• Masking agents such as diuretics to dilute urine samples or switching samples entirely.

Health Risks of Steroid Use

• Potential long-term health risks include liver damage, heart problems, and reproductive issues.
• Athletes feel pressured to misuse drugs or combine them, increasing health risks.

Blood Doping Revived

• Procedures such as erythropoietin (EPO) use and blood transfusions to enhance oxygen capacity in endurance sports.
• Outcomes:
• Increased risk of cardiac events due to blood thickening from excessive RBC production.

Designer Drugs and Abuse

• Designer Steroids:
• Developed to evade detection in drug tests.
• Use of recombinant EPO causing overdoses leading to serious health consequences.

Regulatory Action

• IOC bans EPO in 1990; testing methods have evolved to accurately detect its usage.
• Continued pressure on athletes to adhere to ethical standards despite personal temptation to win.

Conclusion

• Doping remains a complex and pervasive issue in sports, balancing optimal performance with health risks and ethical considerations.
• Ongoing advancements in detection and regulatory frameworks aim to curb the use of performance-enhancing drugs in athletics.