Paper 2: Drugs in Sport Flashcards
What are some of the main reasons why athletes may be prepared to take PEDs?
- Pressure to succeed
- Lack of access to facilities to get the best training, so take drugs as an alternative
- Lack of access to nutritional sport
- Pressure of the media at major sporting events
- Believe that their competitors are taking drugs
- Pressure from the communities’ and nations’ expectations
- For the financial rewards of winning competitions
What is the definition of a legal supplement?
Legal supplements are tablets, powders, liquids or capsules that contain vitamins, minerals, amino acids or other substances that add to or enhance your dietary intake.
They are completely legal to use, even though they are deemed to have an
advantageous impact on performance.
What is the definition of an illegal supplement?
According to WADA, an illegal substance is qualified as a substance which improves performance, can cause health complications to an athlete and ‘violates the spirit of the sport’
What are some examples of legal supplements?
- Caffeine
- Protein shakes
- Creatine
- Bicarbonate
- Carbohydrate gels
What does caffeine do to enhance performance?
Aims to improve mental stimulation, improving concentration levels and focus, and enhancing muscular contraction.
What do protein shakes do to enhance performance?
While their effect is
debatable, protein shakes aim to aid recovery time and improve muscle protein synthesis, resulting in muscular hypertrophy.
What does creatine do to enhance performance?
Helps to increase the energy stores in the body needed to complete powerful and muscle-building exercises.
What does sodium bicarbonate do to enhance performance?
Helps to act as a buffer against blood lactate, lengthening the time to fatigue
What do carbohydrate gels do to enhance performance?
Provide the body with a source of energy, glucose, which is broken down to create energy
What are some examples of illegal supplements?
- Anabolic steroids
- Erythropoietin (EPO)
- Beta Blockers
What do anabolic steroids do to enhance performance?
Increase protein synthesis within skeletal muscles, improving strength and power
What does EPO do to enhance performance?
Increases red blood cell count within the body
- Increasing efficiency of oxygen transport to the working muscles
- Allows performer to work for longer
What do beta blockers do to enhance performance?
Reduce a performer’s heart rate, making them feel calm and in control of their movements
What are the side effects of supplementing anabolic steroids?
- Liver damage
- Heart complications
- High blood pressure
What are the side effects of supplementing EPO?
- Blood clots, from increased blood viscosity
- Strokes
