Drug use in sport.

Question 1

What environment would foster drug use?

Answer 1

Ego-orientation - more likely to seek out what ever it is that will make you win.

Question 2

Why it is had to answer how frequent drug use is in sport?

Answer 2

Drugs are illegal, will get in trouble. It is hard to study because people want to conceal or hide it. Even if anonymous - people want to hide it.

Question 3

Why would people use drugs in sport?

Answer 3

For performance - to make stronger, faster (blood doping, steroids)

Reduce anxiety.

To win - prize money (relates to performance (Ego oriented.)

Question 4

How frequently are drugs used in sport?

Answer 4

6-34% of elite athletes use performance-enhancing drugs (Backhouse et al., 2007). - such a wide range because it is hard to identify when/if athletes are using drugs.

Question 5

How many college athletes report using marijuana?

Answer 5

22.6%

Question 6

How many adolescents reported using steroids?

Answer 6

5.9%

Question 7

How many coaches thought performance-enhancing drugs were among problem high school athletes?

Answer 7

90%

Question 8

What happened with Russian athletes in the 2016 Rio Olympics?

Answer 8

Russian track and field athletes were banned from the 2016 rio olympics. Ban came following state sponsored systematic doping (widespread)

Question 9

List categories of banned drugs in sport.

Answer 9

Anabolic steroids 
Stimulants
Narcotic Analgesics
Beta-blockers
Diuretics

Question 10

Discuss the use of anabolic steroids

Answer 10

Increase androgen, decrease oestrogen.

Aids in strength and power, but can lead to shut down of sex hormones.

Question 11

discuss the use of stimulants.

Answer 11

Increase the work capacity of the heart. Central nervous system, respiration, amphetamines, cocaine, hallucinogens e.g. marijuana, LSD, PCP.

Not necessarily performance-enhancing, more for pain reduction.

Question 12

Describe the use of narcotic analgesics (anti-inflammatories) such as codeine, heroine, morphine.

Answer 12

Pain suppressants.

Question 13

Describe the use of beta-blockers.

Answer 13

Slows the heart rate, decreases anxiety. Desirable for precision sports- shooting, archery, golf.

Question 14

Describe the use of diuretics.

Answer 14

Increase the rate that water and salt leave the body as urine. Used for weight control, modify excretion of banned substances.

Question 15

What are some ‘other’ banned drugs in sport.

Answer 15

Caffeine - heightening of energy level, blood doping, Erythropoietin (EPO) and human growth hormone.

Question 16

What are the different potential causes (physical) of drug use in sport?

Answer 16

Enhance sport performance.

• Pressure to win at all costs
• Financial incentives.

Cope with pain or injury - Reduce pain from training/performing.
Hide or compete through injury
Fear of losing status (don’t want to lose starting spot, or outperform others.

Weight control - compete in lower weight category. Maintain desired physique.

Question 17

Describe how marijuana is used for different reasons in different sporting contexts.

Answer 17

Pain for runners - having substance in body can help through the pain and monotony (pushing performance)

Pain management in NFL - currently doctors are prescribing synthetic narcotics. Might marijuana - more natural options.

Question 18

Why might drugs be used for psychological reasons?

Answer 18

Stress and anxiety.

Boredom

Personal problems

Low self-confidence or self-esteem - high have high expectations but feel like your not living up to that - might seek out the two substances.
Superman complex.

Negative perfectionism - hard on self, have excessively high standards, not doing in a positive way, make negative image come true .

Question 19

Describe social reasons for drug use in sport

Answer 19

Peer pressure - eagerness to attain social acceptance. e.g. in the lance armstrong scandal, team mates did not please comfortable

Need to please others.

Models: Younger athletes seek to emulate older, more experienced athletes. Major league baseball: saw huge spike in adolescent steroid use after MLB proliferation.

Question 20

What are cognitive strategies for controlling drug use?

Answer 20

Provide education - discuss what drugs do to the body.

Discuss ethical issues - what does it mean to compete in sport (talk about values.)

Recognize athletes use of drugs.

Build confidence and self-esteem - so that drugs are not something that they seek out.

Professional counselling.

Motivational interviewing.

Question 21

What are the Behavioural strategies for controlling drug use?

Answer 21

Teach sport skills, while offering positive feedback (build mastery)

Develop and implement drug testing - use continuous, random drug testing.

Behavioural contracts.

Support groups, guest speakers.

Question 22

Describe the drugs in sport deterrence model (intervention model.)

Answer 22

Deters athletes by providing extensive information about the likely consequences. Involves also naming the advantages, but the aim is to get athlete to acknowledge the overall inappropriateness of taking drugs.

Question 23

Describe the disconnected values model.

Answer 23

Involves acknowledging that taking drugs is a bad habit that has benefits, but also has dire costs and long-term consequences.

Utilizes athletes willingness to become aware of the contradiction between their values and their actions.