3.2.4.5 - Drugs In sport

Question 1

Athletes biological passport

Answer 1

Monitors selected variables over time that indirectly reveal the effect of doping

Question 2

What is BALCO?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

What is the Court Of Arbitration for Sport?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Define doping

Answer 4

Refers to the use of banned performance enhancing drugs by athletic competitors

Question 5

Define ergogenic aid

Answer 5

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)

Question 6

What is Erythropoietin?

Answer 6

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

Question 7

What is a masking agent?

Answer 7

It is used to hide or prevent detection of banned substances or illegal drugs like anabolic steroids or stimulants. An example is diuretics

Question 8

What is NADO?

Answer 8

National Anti-Doping Organisation

Question 9

What is a TUE?

Answer 9

Therapeutic Use Exemption certificate provided to athletes with legitimate health conditions who need particular medication

Question 10

What is UKAD?

Answer 10

UK Anti-Doping organisation

Question 11

What is UKAD?

Answer 11

UK Anti-Doping organisation

Question 12

What is WADA

Answer 12

World Anti-Doping Agency - Founded in 1999 led by the IOC to promote, co-ordinate and monitor the fight against drugs in sport

Question 13

What is the whereabouts system?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

What are social reasons for taking drugs in sports?

Answer 14

• pressure to win from coaches, friends, family
• poor role models setting bad example
• poor methods of testing
• level the playing field

Question 15

What are psychological reasons for taking drugs in sport?

Answer 15

• 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

Question 16

What are anabolic steroids?

Answer 16

Artificially produced hormones e.g. Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG)

Question 17

How do anabolic steroids work?

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Benefits of anabolic steroids?

Answer 18

-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

Question 19

What athletes may use anabolic steroids?

Answer 19

power athletes: sprinters, shot putters, boxers, rugby players, athletics throwers and jumpers

Question 20

Negative side effects of anabolic steroids?

Answer 20

• liver damage
• heart failure
• acne , aggression, paranoia , mood swings
• testicular atrophy in men (higher voice)
• masculinisation of women(facial hair)
• pituitary failure

Question 21

What do beta blockers do?

Answer 21

Calm individual down - counteracts adrenaline that interferes with performance by preventing it from binding to nerve receptors

Question 22

How do beta blockers work?

Answer 22

Lowering blood pressure - by widening the arteries, allowing increased blood flow and reducing involuntary muscle spasms

Question 23

Benefits of beta blockers?

Answer 23

• improve accuracy and precision
• calm performance anxiety
• keep HR low
• decreases tremble in hands

Question 24

What athletes may use beta blockers?

Answer 24

High precision sports: archery, snooker, shooting, darts and golf

Question 25

Negative side effects of beta blockers?

Answer 25

-tiredness due to low blood pressure
-lower HR affects aerobic capacity
-can lead to heart failure

Question 26

What is the full name for EPO?

Answer 26

Erythropoietin

Question 27

What is EPO?

Answer 27

A natural hormone produced by the kidneys, artificially manufactured to increase haemoglobin levels
A form of blood doping

Question 28

How does EPO work?

Answer 28

More red blood cell production - increase in oxygen carrying capacity therefore increasing V02 max

Question 29

Benefits of EPO?

Answer 29

-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

Question 30

What athletes may use EPO?

Answer 30

Endurance performers: long distance runners and cyclists, cross country skiers

Question 31

Negative side effects of EPO?

Answer 31

• blood clotting (thrombosis)
• strokes
• heart failure ( increased blood viscosity )
  -reduces resting heart rate dangerously low
• reduces production of natural EPO hormone in body

Question 32

Some strategies for eliminating performance enhancing drugs?

Answer 32

-UKAD invests in drug detection technology
-Name and shame negative role models
-Random out of season testing
-Use of athletes biological passport
-Harsh punishments

Question 33

Problems when eradicating drugs in sport?

Answer 33

-it is difficult to gain immediate access to athletes who may be training abroad
-difficulty in accurate testing
-ongoing development of new drugs

Question 34

Problems faced by organisations when implementing ban on PED’s?

Answer 34

-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

Question 35

What is the revision tip to remember the strategies used to decrease drug usage?

Answer 35

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

Question 36

Arguments against PED’s in sport?

Answer 36

• 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

Question 37

Arguments for PED’s in sport?

Answer 37

• 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

Question 38

Arguments for drug testing?

Answer 38

• 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

Question 39

Arguments against drug testing?

Answer 39

• 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