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Examine pressures on athletes which impact the cognitive decision making process.

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Examine pressures on athletes which impact the cognitive decision making process.

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Across all levels of sport, the utmost dedication is required to ensure success.  Athletes are required to retain the ability to make good judgments, think clearly while attacking the task at hand with assurance, enthusiasm and persistence.  This requires the good use of motor control and motor ability. Athletes face pressure in their daily lives, but it’s in competition that athletes can experience incredibly high amounts of pressure.  Pressure is placed on athletes to perform.  Pressure from one’s self, pressure to succeed, pressure to look a certain way, peer pressure and social pressure; these are just a few of the pressures which are placed on athletes.  Current research suggests that these pressures have a causal effect on an athlete’s decision making process.  Further research is required to determine whether or not these pressures have an effect on an athlete’s decision to take performance enhancing drugs (PED's).

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An in depth examination of online bodybuilding forums: seeking validation for PED use.

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An in depth examination of online bodybuilding forums: seeking validation for PED use.

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·       Examination of online bodybuilding forums suggests that motivational concepts such as rite of passage, enablers and drivers are responsible for the pressure to perform in the bodybuilding community.

·       Certain ideals within a community are perceived to hold a social value. Sacrifice, discipline and commitment to bodybuilding are held in high value and therefore create a ‘rite of passage’ within the community. Deviating from these values is met with ill repute.

·       Enablers such as efficacy-inference and necessity-inference create an illusion that anyone who uses PED’s will over achieve, also, the only way to over achieve is through PED use.

·        Drivers on the other hand, appear to arise from the need to satisfy both group and cultural validation.

·         This study also highlights the fact that most athletes who use PED’s believe that the health risks associated with PED use are exaggerated when scripted into common text outside of the medical realm.

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Social validation a motivational theory of doping in an online bodybuilding community (1)

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Motivations and deterrents for athletes when considering steroid use.
·       Non-medical use of anabolic steroids has grown in popularity due to high level athlete use.

·       Improved sporting performance, desire to succeed and obtaining a psychological edge were listed as the highest motivations for competitive athletes to use anabolic steroids.

·       Evidence suggests that competitive athletes is the smallest sub group of all anabolic steroid users.

·       Asthetes, are listed as the largest group of anabolic steroid users.  These users are using steroids specifically to enhance body image, self-esteem and social acceptance.

·       This study suggests that the pressures that affect athletes also effects groups other than athletes.

·       Biggest deterrents to anabolic steroid use across all groups was general ill health.

·       This study identifies that further attention needs to be applied to other contributing factors in further research.

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anabolic androgenic steroids - motivations and deterrants

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Women resisting mainstream pressures to be slim in favour of community pressures to be muscular.

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Women resisting mainstream pressures to be slim in favour of community pressures to be muscular.

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·       Western culture previously placed pressure on women to be skinny.

·       There has been a cultural shift where there is now pressure on women to be muscular.

·       While muscularity is more desirable, ideally a balance of muscularity and femininity is preferable.

·       5 of the 7 women interviewed, had used or where still using anabolic steroids to maintain the muscular yet feminine appearance to compete in women’s Physique shows.

·       The women in this study had shifted their ideal body shape from skinny towards muscular in a bid to impress their sports (Bodybuilding) community.

·       Evidence suggests that this shift is due to community pressures to look a certain way to compete.

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Intimate interviews around the reasons and excuses for taking PED's in bodybuilding.

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Intimate interviews around the reasons and excuses for taking PED's in bodybuilding.

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·       A line is drawn between steroid use and steroid abuse by stating that steroid use has no negative effects, whereas steroid abuse or misuse is the reason for negative outcomes.

·       Participants believe that self-research and reliable sources outweigh the knowledge provided by medical professionals.  Steroid bibles and hands on experience are believed to possess more reliable information.

·       The belief that PED use would not cause mortality underpinned the downplaying of serious side effects.  Desire to gain more muscle overcomes any health concerns.  Attention is focused on short term gains over long term health issues.

·       Social pressure is a major influence on the decision to use PED’s. Accessibility of substance and knowledge around use makes the decision easier.  The use of PED’s is seen as necessary as participants are competing against other users.

·       To help minimise the harmful effects of PED use, understanding of pressures from within the bodybuilding community must be sought.

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The other side of the coin: social pressures which affect an athletes choice to not partake in doping.

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The other side of the coin: social pressures which affect an athletes choice to not partake in doping.

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·       In particular, parents and family have a large influence on an athlete’s decision to not dope.

·       This also extends to coaches, teammates, officials, role models and friends.

·       This study lists reasons for not doping as a higher priority to doping for some athletes.

·       These include family morals, constant guidance from coaches, pressure to not let your team down, and the negative feedback from others including friends.

·       Evidence suggests that some reflection by all stakeholders is necessary due to the immense pressure placed upon athletes to ‘win at all costs’.

·       Further study is needed to determine whether a sporting environment which favours monetary and egotistical reward over good natured competitiveness has been created.

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Doping In Sport: The after Effects - The Pressures On Athletes