3.2.4.5 - Drugs In sport Flashcards
(complete) - A03 points included
Athletes biological passport
Monitors selected variables over time that indirectly reveal the effect of doping
What is BALCO?
The ‘Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative’ which was behind one of the biggest scandals in drugs history as the source of THG, with several athletes implicated and banned from sport, including sprinters Dwain Chambers and Marion Jones
What is the Court Of Arbitration for Sport?
An independent institution, provides services to facilitate the settlement of sports related disputed through arbitration(negotiation) or mediation. E.g. Selection for Olympics, injury disputes
Define doping
Refers to the use of banned performance enhancing drugs by athletic competitors
Define ergogenic aid
Substance or device that enhances energy production, use or recovery and provides athletes with a competitive edge. e.g. caffeine, protein powders, creatine etc (these are legal for athletes to use)
What is Erythropoietin?
EPO - A hormone which is naturally produces by the kidneys but can also be artificially produced to increase performance in endurance athletes such as long distance cyclists
What is a masking agent?
It is used to hide or prevent detection of banned substances or illegal drugs like anabolic steroids or stimulants. An example is diuretics
What is NADO?
National Anti-Doping Organisation
What is a TUE?
Therapeutic Use Exemption certificate provided to athletes with legitimate health conditions who need particular medication
What is UKAD?
UK Anti-Doping organisation
What is UKAD?
UK Anti-Doping organisation
What is WADA
World Anti-Doping Agency - Founded in 1999 led by the IOC to promote, co-ordinate and monitor the fight against drugs in sport
What is the whereabouts system?
A system designed to support out of competition testing which requires athletes to supply the details of their whereabouts so that they can be located at anytime or anywhere for testing, without advance notice
What are social reasons for taking drugs in sports?
- pressure to win from coaches, friends, family
- poor role models setting bad example
- poor methods of testing
- level the playing field
What are psychological reasons for taking drugs in sport?
- fear of failure
- increase confidence and self belief
- perception of pain is dulled allowing athlete to train harder for longer
- steady nerves and decrease anxiety
What are anabolic steroids?
Artificially produced hormones e.g. Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG)
How do anabolic steroids work?
Aids in the storage of protein, promoting muscle growth and development of muscle tissue in the body
Leads to increased strength, power, size and mass
Benefits of anabolic steroids?
-less fat in the muscle
-can train for longer at a higher intensity and decrease fatigue caused by training
-faster recovery time as quicker repair off muscle tissues
What athletes may use anabolic steroids?
power athletes: sprinters, shot putters, boxers, rugby players, athletics throwers and jumpers
Negative side effects of anabolic steroids?
- liver damage
- heart failure
- acne , aggression, paranoia , mood swings
- testicular atrophy in men (higher voice)
- masculinisation of women(facial hair)
- pituitary failure
What do beta blockers do?
Calm individual down - counteracts adrenaline that interferes with performance by preventing it from binding to nerve receptors
How do beta blockers work?
Lowering blood pressure - by widening the arteries, allowing increased blood flow and reducing involuntary muscle spasms
Benefits of beta blockers?
- improve accuracy and precision
- calm performance anxiety
- keep HR low
- decreases tremble in hands
What athletes may use beta blockers?
High precision sports: archery, snooker, shooting, darts and golf
Negative side effects of beta blockers?
-tiredness due to low blood pressure
-lower HR affects aerobic capacity
-can lead to heart failure
What is the full name for EPO?
Erythropoietin
What is EPO?
A natural hormone produced by the kidneys, artificially manufactured to increase haemoglobin levels
A form of blood doping
How does EPO work?
More red blood cell production - increase in oxygen carrying capacity therefore increasing V02 max
Benefits of EPO?
-increase in amount of work performed
-increasing endurance delays onset of fatigue
-athlete can keep going for longer and recover more quickly from training
-increased aggression and competitiveness during activity
What athletes may use EPO?
Endurance performers: long distance runners and cyclists, cross country skiers
Negative side effects of EPO?
- blood clotting (thrombosis)
- strokes
- heart failure ( increased blood viscosity )
-reduces resting heart rate dangerously low - reduces production of natural EPO hormone in body
Some strategies for eliminating performance enhancing drugs?
-UKAD invests in drug detection technology
-Name and shame negative role models
-Random out of season testing
-Use of athletes biological passport
-Harsh punishments
Problems when eradicating drugs in sport?
-it is difficult to gain immediate access to athletes who may be training abroad
-difficulty in accurate testing
-ongoing development of new drugs
Problems faced by organisations when implementing ban on PED’s?
-difficulty in accurate testing
-some drugs are used for medical reasons
-inconsistent policies for testing or punishments
-cost of testing is high
-testing is time consuming
-athletes fully exposed when testing
What is the revision tip to remember the strategies used to decrease drug usage?
D - drug free culture created by education programmes
O - organisations involved in drug detection / enforcement need to work together
P - punishments need to be harsher
I - investments is required into new testing programmes/technology
N - name and shame negative role models
G - guilty lose funding/sponsorship deals
Arguments against PED’s in sport?
- athletes are role models and young people seek to emulate sports stars
- drug taking is illegal
- drugs are not natural and so performance is not natural
- drugs give an unfair advantage
- there are alternative legal methods
- only richer countries can afford them
Arguments for PED’s in sport?
- it’s the athletes choice, it’s their body
- the battle against drugs is expensive and time consuming
- sometimes taken for medical reasons
- creates a level playing field if everyone takes them
- drugs are sometimes taken accidentally
- may be needed to recover from gruelling training
Arguments for drug testing?
- drug taking is illegal
- spectators can watch a fair competition
- creates a deterrent for athletes who may consider using drugs in sport to cheat
- rewards athletes for their ability
- TUE certificates protect athletes who suffer from general illness/allergies and injury rehabilitation
Arguments against drug testing?
- may not be affordable for all countries
- false positives could be damaging to an athletes career
- the whereabouts rule is time consuming and is perceived as an infringement on human rights
- testing varies from county to country
- drug testing does not always catch athletes
- it is difficult to define what is a drug, compared to a legal supplement
- drugs are quite easy to access and some would argue the are difficult to eliminate - the money spent on testing could be better spent on participation programmes
