A3: Non nutritional ergogenic aids

Question 1

A3.1 - Define the term ergogenic aid.

Answer 1

Any Substance, phenomenon, or device that improves an athletes performance.

Can be legal or illegal.

Question 2

A.3.2 - Describe, with reference to an appropriate example, the placebo effect

Answer 2

Placebo Effect: a positive effect that can not be attributed to the properties of the placebo itself, but must be due simply to the persons’ belief that the placebo works.

Testosterone boosters: plenty of research that they don’t work as advertised.

Question 3

A.3.3 - List five classes of non- nutritional ergogenic aids that are currently banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Answer 3

• Beta blockers: block or reduce the action of adrenaline on the body
• Stimulants: Caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant drug. Psychoactive drugs act in the CNS (brain and spinal cord) which leads to various alterations in the way people feel.
• Anabolic steroids: Class of substances that initiate or assist the process of building up the amount or size of certain substances or tissues in the body
• Hormones and related substance such as EPO and
  human growth hormone: Produced by the kidneys and liver, Stimulates production of new blood cells in the bone marrow Protects RBC’s from becoming damaged
  Can me made synthetically (rEPO)
• Diuretics and masking agents: Substances that increase removal of water from the body, usually by increasing the frequency and volume of urination.
  Diuretics can be also known as masking agents
  A substance that hides or interferes with the detection of another substance
  Can hide another substance by increasing urine volume and output, making that substance more dilute in the urine.
• It can make the substance lower or not able to be detected in urine testing.

Question 4

A.3.4 -Discuss why pharmacological substances appear on the list of banned substances.

Answer 4

• Diuretics and Masking agents:
  Medical uses for diuretics:
  Heart failure
  Some kidney disease
  Removal of substances from overdose
• Anabolic steroids: Medical uses: testosterone replacement.
• Hormones and related substances such as:
  Erythropoietin (EPO)
  Medical uses: to treat anemia that results from chronic kidney disease.
• Beta blockers
  medical use: hypertension (high blood pressure), irregular heart beats, protective measure following a heart attack
  Symptoms from anxiety caused by the effect of adrenaline: high heart rate, sweating, trembling muscles, dizziness, shaking hands.

Question 5

A.3.5 - Discuss the proposed and actual benefits that some athletes would hope to gain by using anabolic steroids, erythropoietin (EPO), beta blockers, caffeine and diuretics.

Answer 5

• Anabolic steroids - perceived benefits: Increased muscle mass and strength, weight gain, ability to train more frequently and more intensely, lower body fat.
• Recombinant Erythropoietin (rEPO) - perceived benefits: Increased oxygen carrying capacity of blood (increases VO2 Max), Increased exercise capacity and performance, Alterations in cognitive function (improved awareness, thought process, ideas etc.)
• Beta blocker: improved Precision and Accuracy and reduced symptoms of anxiety. Studies have shown increased performance in shooting and bobsled sports.
• advantages to accuracy requiring sports.

Diuretics and masking Agents: -
- Weight control, competition to make a certain weight category.
- Physical appearance, loss of body water can give a slim, cut appearance. i.e: bodybuilders
- Hiding illegal substances: can be used to hide substance such as anabolic steroids by increasing volume and urination.

Caffeine -
- improved endurance capacity: many studies have shown links with caffeine and improved endurance capacity.
- improves endurance capacity and endurance performance from 4 - > 40 min.
- studies have shown mixed outcomes for resistance training

Question 6

A.3.6 Outline the possible harmful effects of long-term use of anabolic steroids, EPO, beta blockers, caffeine, and diuretics.

Answer 6

Anabolic steroids - health risks: liver cancer, Reproductive and hormonal issues,oily hair, oily skin, more acne, mood changes, increased aggression, increased hostility, depression, increased risk of coronary heart disease, increased risk of heart attack.

Recombinant Erythropoietin - health risks: death, 7 European cyclists died within the space of 15th months. Increased blood pressure, heart is having to work extra hard. Blood may come too thick because there is no way to know how many red blood cells will be produced.

Beta Blockers - Health risks: Bradycardia (abnormally low hear rate), Cardiac failure, hypoglycemia - low blood sugar, dizziness, or light headiness due to low blood pressure. Can be life threatening.

Diuretics and masking agents health risks:
- Impaired thermoregulatory function, diuretics reduce the volume of plasma in the blood.
- performance affecting symptoms: fatigue, drowsiness, muscle cramps, muscle soreness, numbness etc.
- electrolyte loss

Caffeine health risks:
- eyes: blurred vision
- systemic: hyperglycemia
- Muscular: tremor
- heart: fast heartbeat
Intestinal: Diarrhea
Caffeine is an addictive substance