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Drug use at every level of sport is "fast becoming a crisis" according to UK Anti-Doping - responding to a BBC poll into doping in amateur sport.

It found more than a third (35%) of amateur sports people say they personally know someone who has doped, and 8% said they had taken steroids.

Half believe performance enhancing substance use is "widespread" among those who play sport competitively.

Ukad chief Nicole Sapstead described the figures as "incredibly alarming".

A BBC State of Sport investigation into doping in UK amateur sport also found that 49% thought performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) were "easily available" among people who play sports regularly.

What do the statistics say?

According to figures from UK Anti-Doping (Ukad), the national body responsible for protecting clean sport, there are currently 52 athletes and coaches serving bans.

Of these, only 12% are professional sports men or women; 62% are amateurs, 21% are semi-professional, and 5% are coaches.

Of the 186 sanctions handed out across 22 separate sports by Ukad since it formed in 2009, 46% have been rugby union or league players - mainly at amateur and semi-professional levels.

What does the poll tell us?

Reacting to the ComRes poll for BBC Sport of more than 1,000 men and women who are members of sports clubs and teams, Sapstead said: "Certainly the figures as regards the prevalence of performance-enhancing substances at an amateur level are incredibly alarming.

"That said, it does confirm what UK Anti-Doping has long suspected and also seen through some of our intelligence-led testing.

"I don't think any sport can say that they don't have a problem at an amateur level.

"I think now is the time for everybody to sit up and acknowledge that this is a reality in every single sport and that you can't just be washing your hands of it or hoping that someone else will address it."
Sapstead also told BBC Sport:

Ukad needs an extension of powers and extra cash from individual sports governing bodies to "address what is fast becoming a crisis for sport".

There is a "woeful lack of education" at amateur level about the health risks of doping.

There is a "robust" anti-doping programme in the UK, but it faces "challenges".

Ukad works with police forces to target suppliers of drugs to amateur dopers.

Why do amateurs dope?

Of the 79 people interviewed who had specifically taken anabolic steroids, 41% said improving performance was the main reason for taking them, followed by pain relief (40%) and improving how they look (34%).

However, when this is widened out to include those who admitted taking other performance-enhancing substances, boosting results was no longer the primary reason.

Only 25% of users overall claim they have taken substances with the intention of improving performance.

Over half say they were primarily used for pain relief, while 17% say they were used to improve looks.

"I think there are clearly a group of individuals seeking to enhance their performance by taking prohibited substances," said Sapstead, "and then there are others who were taking these substances because they have a body image problem, or actually because they think it's the done thing."

Is doping a younger issue?

Younger people are the main users of anabolic steroids in amateur sport, according to the poll for BBC Sport.

Among sports club members aged 18-34, 13% say they have taken steroids to support performance or recovery while playing. Not one interviewee aged 55 or over said they had used anabolic steroids.

However, users aged between 35 and 54 are significantly more likely than those aged 18-34 to say pain relief is among the main reasons they have used steroids or other sports supplements.

But there is hardly any difference in gender, with 9% of men admitted taking steroids, compared with 8% of women.

And 71% of all those polled said they would not know where to get hold of anabolic steroids.

Using steroids for image reasons is a "worrying" problem among young people in Wales, according to the nation's social services and public health minister Rebecca Evans, who said in January: "It's not just a problem in sport - it is a wider societal issue."

More than 50 types of anabolic steroids are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), the independent body responsible for the list of substances prohibited in sport.

The possession of steroids, which are class C drugs, is not illegal under UK law as long as they are only for personal use.

It is illegal, however, to supply them to other people.

What else are people taking?

According to the poll, a wide range of substances - both legal and illegal - are taken by amateur sports men and women to support their performance or recovery.

Performance-enhancing substances can also include recreational drugs and prescribed medications:

26% of amateur sports people say they have taken prescribed medications such as cortisone injections or asthma inhalers.

14% say they have taken recreational drugs such as cocaine, MDMA or cannabis.

8% say they have taken anabolic steroids such as nandrolone, testosterone or HGH.

We also asked people about other substances they consumed while playing sport, including: energy drinks (68% had), pain-relief gels (60%), over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines (59%) and protein shakes (46%).

Case study: 'Curiosity not winning - why I doped'

Former amateur cyclist Dan Stevens was banned after refusing a test in 2014. He turned whistleblower but labelled Ukad's handling of his information "a catastrophic failure".

Responding to the BBC Sport poll, Stevens, 41, said: "I think it is widespread in all ranks. I think it is widespread in celebrity, I think it is widespread in the beauty industry; I think it is certainly widespread in the sports industry.

"I also think it is just a way of modern day life - we are living in a pharmacised world."

Stevens said he took thyroxine and testosterone on prescription, and EPO out of "curiosity".

"I'd always been a clean athlete and this situation happened to me when I was 39 years old. That was enough to see a huge, huge gain.

"But the real thing for me wasn't really about racing - I didn't do a lot of racing on these substances. The main thing was curiosity.

"I don't think in the amateur ranks it is about winning. You've got a situation where someone is overweight, a little bit fat, need to lean down, get in shape. And they get in shape.

"They then get railroaded into doing a marathon or a long bike ride or some kind of competitive event and they improve their fitness levels again and they become a healthier individual and become more body conscious and more health-orientated."

Which sports are most affected?

What is the 'gateway hypothesis'?

More than a third of people (36%) who report consuming recreational drugs to support their performance while playing amateur sport have also taken steroids.

Dr Lambros Lazuras, an assistant professor of social psychology at Sheffield Hallam University who studies doping behaviour, told BBC Sport that there is a "pill-taking culture" in amateur sport and general society, which can act as a "gateway" to stronger substances.

"There are people who engage in stacking practices, using as many as 10 substances at the same time," he explained. "For these people, it's not what they use anymore, it's what they want to achieve."

So what are the health risks?

"The use of steroids, for example, has been associated with problems like heart disease, kidney failure and even sudden death," said Dr Lazuras. "You're not just cheating, you're putting your life at risk.

"This is an emerging public health issue," claimed Dr Lazuras. "You're using substances that are meant to treat diseases, and you're actually misusing them without any prescription.

"We push people into exercise because we want to promote the health benefits. We forget that people in most exercise settings might consider using substances.

"This is actually the dark side of exercise. You don't care about your health anymore. You care about your performance and how you look to other people - or yourself."

Case study two: 'You have to dope to be a good weightlifter'

A British weightlifter who has served a doping ban told BBC Sport steroid abuse is rife at all levels in his sport and that the culture starts at amateur level.

"It begins in the gym," the weightlifter, who wishes to remain anonymous, said. "In weightlifting it gets to the point where you're not growing anymore. You can train, train, train and not get anywhere.

"Every weightlifter will take steroids. Some of them are taking light stuff and some of them are really heavily using steroids - it all depends how much money you have.

"Is it easy to buy bread in the shop? That's how easy it is to get steroids in the UK.

"If you're not taking steroids, basically you're nowhere in the competition, you're not going to get anywhere really.

"I'm really proud of how they fight steroids in England. But the problem is, why are England losing? England won't cheat.

"I've been caught because I didn't think that somebody would come to my house. I left taking steroids one month before competition and I never ever thought somebody would come to my house and test."

"I can't do something that I really love. Only because I've been cheating with steroids, come on. It's like I killed somebody. I'm not even an Olympic sportsman."

Case study three: 'I felt invincible'

Lewis Conlin, 32, a publisher from Buckinghamshire, used a supplement containing the banned substance DMAA when he started weight-training in his early 20s.

DMAA is an amphetamine-derived substance banned from sale in the UK and named on Wada's prohibited list.

It has been linked with high blood pressure, tightening of the chest, stroke, heart attacks and even death, according to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

"In terms of the energy and focus that I got, it was the best pre-workout supplement I'd ever had," Conlin, who was weight-training four or five days per week with friends, told BBC Sport.

"You felt invincible, you felt you could do anything, you were just completely zoned out. You'd stare at a weight and go and lift it. That was great. Afterwards wasn't so great.

"About three hours later you would have a crash and you'd have a real comedown. I'd be depressed and I'd be ratty, happy just to keep myself in isolation and then later on that day I was getting chest pains.

"I would have trouble sleeping and would have heart palpitations - but that didn't actually stop me from taking it the next day. The training I was doing was so high and so intense I just wanted to have that every day.

"Had I known at the time exactly what DMAA did to your blood pressure and your heart rate then there is no way I would have carried on taking it."

Should there be more testing in amateur sport?

More drug testing among amateur sports people is a "waste of time", according to one amateur cyclist who received a two-year ban for missing a post-race drugs test.

It would cost too much money and detract from focusing on drug use in the professional ranks, he added.

"I don't see the point at all," said the Briton, who asked to remain anonymous.

"What effect is it going to have on anything, unless it is something like a national championship where people can move on in the professional ranks and actually earn a living from it? It is a problem then because you're actually affecting people's lives.

In my opinion more testing would be just a waste of time at low level sport

Banned amateur cyclist

"How far do you go - do you want to test people for doing a fun run? It's up to them if they want to do whatever they want to do, in my opinion," he said.

"If you want to catch someone then catch the right people - like the people that win the Tour de France and get away with it.

"But then that's too much politics and money involved. They would rather get someone that doesn't mean anything because it is easy."

How much does testing cost?

Ukad has an annual budget of around £7m, mainly state funding. A single drug test costs around £350.

Ukad directs the vast majority of its testing to elite sport, with Sapstead saying: "I would love to able to address the issues that we see at an amateur level, but the reality is we just don't have the resources to do that.

"I strongly believe a further investment needs to be paid from sport, whether that's from a levy on ticket sales - some contribution into a greater integrity pot of money, that's distributed not just to anti-doping, but anti-corruption bodies.

"Someone somewhere needs to put their hand in their pocket and their money where their mouth is, and start to help pay for us to do this job, and do it as effectively and efficiently as possible.

"Cheating impacts against the people you are competing against. So it doesn't matter if you're an Olympian, or a Paralympian, and it doesn't matter if you don your trainers at a weekend for a fun run.

"Actually, you're competing, and therefore it absolutely matters that everyone is toeing the line and playing a fair game."

How the poll was done

BBC Sport - using ComRes to conduct the poll - interviewed 1,025 British adults, who are members of sports clubs, teams or gyms, online, between 27 and 31 January 2017. The data was drawn from a nationally representative sample of British adults aged 18 or over and the full tables are available here.

All sports played by those interviewed are regulated by UK Anti-Doping, apart from gyms.

Have you doped?
Have you ever taken a performance enhancing substance? Does your sport have a problem with doping? Get in touch using this link.

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Doping in sport: Drug use 'fast becoming a crisis' - Nicole Sapstead

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Drug use at every level of sport is "fast becoming a crisis" according to UK Anti-Doping - responding to a BBC poll into doping in amateur sport. It found more than a third (35%) of amateur sports people say they personally know someone who has doped, and 8% said they had taken steroids.

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Should doping be legalised? The Olympic drug debate

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Should doping be legalised? The Olympic drug debate

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Should doping be legalised? The Olympic drug debate

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Should we legalise doping? Make it open to all, and avoid the controversy and scandal. A regular issue comes around for the Olympics. In this article, I address that question in a Q&A format.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/38225484

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2nd March 2016 - could this date be a watershed moment in rugby across the British and Irish isles? More than 70 doctors and medical academics have called for a ban on tackling in rugby matches played in schools in UK and Ireland, citing injuries such as "fractures, ligamentous tears, dislocated shoulders, spinal injuries and head injuries", all of which can have "short-term, lifelong and life-ending consequences for children".

However, having played rugby at school, I'm a supporter of keeping full-contact tackling within school rugby, and here's why.

Inclusiveness

Perhaps the aspect of rugby that the sport should be most proud of - it is a game that has a use for all shapes and sizes. Being large and powerful, or small and quick are both useful in equal measures in different positions, meaning there is a place for everyone. However, if tackling were to be banned there is no doubt that speed would take precedence, potentially alienating certain people from the game. Ask yourself this question - in a game of tag or touch rugby, would you pick the 6ft5, 20st Andrew Sheridan, or the elusive trickery of 5ft7, 12st Shane Williams?

Long-term safety

Safety of young people playing rugby is clearly the most important factor in any of these arguments. However, teaching secondary school children the safety of tackling from a younger age is arguably far safer than introducing contact to more physically developed players when they are older, stronger, and heavier. Former England hooker Brian Moore argued this point, when he tweeted "Banning contact rugby til age 18 effectively precludes full rugby after; it's more dangerous to start unskilled, powerful adults tackling."

Technique

Tackling in rugby is an art form, that when performed correctly can allow the smallest players on the pitch to stop the largest. Just look at when Matt Banahan tried to run over Shane Williams - a man who was a full foot shorter and 35kg lighter.

[youtube height="HEIGHT" width="WIDTH"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWdn8Adt7P8[/youtube]

If tackling was removed from the game at youth level then enjoyment levels, and possibly spectator numbers, would drop - in what other sports could this match-up lead to the smaller player coming out on top? However there is a case that technique could be taught better from a young age or as Owen Slot from The Times recently said: "Rugby could redraw the tackle law by demanding a lower tackle line". Either way, good technique is vital to the safety of the game.

Statistics

When it comes to contact sports, there is always an element of risk. This applies across any of them - whether it is boxing, football, or rugby. However, CW Fuller wrote on the risks of sustaining a permanently disabling injury whilst playing rugby, and his evidence showed that it is " generally lower than or comparable with the levels reported for a wide range of other collision sports, such as ice hockey, rugby league and American Football. In addition, the risk of catastrophic injury in rugby union was comparable with that experienced by most people in work-based situations and lower than that experienced by motorcyclists, pedestrians and car occupants ".

Ditching age categories

It's well-documented that school rugby in New Zealand is separated by weight, rather than age. This reduces the risk of mis-matches in size which can cause players to be hurt, as larger players will not be able to run over smaller ones. On top of this, it also encourages players to focus on ball skills and evading tackles, as raw power is not as effective at beating people who are the same size as you.
There is a reason that New Zealand's forwards in particular are far more comfortable on the ball than their Northern Hemisphere counterparts, which in turn can go some of the way to explaining why they've won the last two World Cups...

So there you have it - tackling in rugby may not be perfect and as per my points above, I agree that some modifications may have to be made to the game to keep it safe. However banning it entirely seems to be an extreme measure: but maybe that's the point of the petition as only something this extreme will get people talking and debating the subject, which is what we've been doing today at Performance Towers.

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5 reasons tackling should not be banned from school rugby - Performance Communications

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2nd March 2016 - could this date be a watershed moment in rugby across the British and Irish isles? More than 70 doctors and medical academics have called for a ban on tackling in rugby matches played in schools in UK and Ireland, citing injuries such as "fractures, ligamentous tears, dislocated shoulders, spinal injuries and [...]

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More than 70 doctors and academics are calling for a ban on tackling in rugby matches played in UK and Irish schools.

In an open letter to ministers, they say injuries from this "high-impact collision sport" can have lifelong consequences for children.

They argue two thirds of injuries in youth rugby and most concussions are down to tackles and urge schools to move to touch and non-contact rugby.

Supporters say rugby builds character and other forms are less challenging.

The concerns have been raised as a seven-year programme headed by the Rugby Football Union is on target to introduce rugby to a million children in state schools across England.

The RFU's programme, which began in 2012 and is running until 2019, has so far reached 400 schools, with 350 to follow.

'Fractures and dislocations'

But, in their letter to ministers, chief medical officers and children's commissioners in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, doctors say the risks for players aged under 18 are high.

They say many secondary schools in the UK deliver contact rugby as a compulsory part of the physical education curriculum from the age of 11.

"The majority of all injuries occur during contact or collision, such as the tackle and the scrum," the letter says.

"These injuries, which include fractures, ligamentous tears, dislocated shoulders, spinal injuries and head injuries can have short-term, lifelong and life-ending consequences for children."

The doctors say concussion is a common injury, and they highlight a link between "repeat concussions and cognitive impairment and an association with depression, memory loss and diminished verbal abilities".

One of the signatories of the open letter is Prof Allyson Pollock, from Queen Mary University of London, who has long campaigned about the dangers of rugby.

She said evidence collected over 12 years showed rugby players up to the age of 18 or 19 had a 28% chance of getting injured over a season of 15 matches.

"If you're thinking of a million children playing every year with this risk of injury you're looking at 300,000 extra injuries a year, including up to 100,000 concussions," she said.

She added that 90% of injuries resulted in more than seven days lost from school.

There are various forms of touch or tag rugby, in which tackles are replaced by touching a player or removing a tag from their clothing. Aspects of rugby such as scrums and rucks are also excluded from these forms of the game.

PE teacher's view

Jonny Cross, a PE teacher at Congleton High School in Cheshire - where rugby is compulsory from the age of 11 - says the sport provides a challenge.

Mr Cross says children wear gum-shields and are taught how to maintain the proper posture in scrums to avoid injury, a technique known as "tower of power".

"Contact rugby helps build character. They are putting their body on the line in a match. The risk factor is part of it," he says.

"They enjoy the contact element. There is a 'boy factor' - it's partly about developing masculinity. They would be more likely to be bored by touch rugby.

"I would say that some students need it. It provides a challenge, where challenge is being taken out of everyday life."

The RFU and the Welsh Rugby Union both said they took player safety "extremely seriously" but that rugby was a "fantastic sport for children" which offered many benefits for society.

The Scottish Rugby Union said it was "committed to player welfare at every level of the game" but pointed out that every sport carried "an element of risk".

Southern hemisphere

South African schools allow tackling, as do schools in Australia - although there has been a recent push to make children wear protective headgear, but this is not compulsory.

In New Zealand, tackling is permitted, but in some schools it is banned in lunchtime games that are not being supervised.

Former England rugby player Matt Perry said: "I took a risk when I started rugby at seven and I'm afraid at school level if that tackle is taken out we've lost one of the great games and one of the great cultural games."

Former England international Brian Moore dismissed the evidence in the letter as "flawed" and "partial".

Obesity would kill more children than rugby, he said.

"If you want to ban things, you've got to do it on the right basis."

The Association for Physical Education said contact versions of the game should be introduced and managed only by "suitably experienced staff" following recognised guidelines.

"Parents should be aware of what sports are taught in the schools they choose to send their children to - if rugby is taught, then parents send their children to the school in the knowledge that they are likely to be asked to play rugby at some level," it added.

A spokesman for the Department for Education in England said: "Team sports, such as rugby, play an important role in developing character.

"We expect schools to be aware of the risks associated with sporting activities and to provide a safe environment for pupils."

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

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Doctors urge schools to ban tackling in rugby

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More than 70 doctors and academics call for a ban on tackling in rugby in UK and Irish schools, arguing injuries can have lifelong consequences for children.

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Common treatments

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Common treatments for sports injuries | Sports Medicine Information

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There are certain treatments for sports injuries which are common to almost all situations. However, if your injury is severe, you should immediately visit the nearest hospital accident & emergency department (A&E). If you do not need immediate medical assistance but you are in pain or experiencing swelling, numbness or discomfort, you should make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible.

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Aerobic exercise preserves brain volume and improves cognitive function

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Aerobic exercise preserves brain volume and improves cognitive function

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Attitudes to doping in elite athletes

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from research organizations

Using a new MRI technique, researchers found that adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who exercised four times a week over a six-month period experienced an increase in brain volume in specific, or local, areas of the brain, but adults who participated in aerobic exercise experienced greater gains than those who just stretched. The study will be presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

"Even over a short period of time, we saw aerobic exercise lead to a remarkable change in the brain," said the study's lead investigator, Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., from Wake Forest School of Medicine (WFSM) in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The study included 35 adults with MCI participating in a randomized, controlled trial of exercise intervention. Individuals with MCI are at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, which affects more than 5 million Americans today.

The participants were divided into two groups. Sixteen adults (average age 63 years) engaged in aerobic activity, including treadmill, stationary bike or elliptical training, four times per week for six months. A control group of 19 adults (average age 67 years) participated in stretching exercises with the same frequency. High-resolution brain MR images were acquired from all participants before and after the six-month activity period. The MRI results were compared using conventional and biomechanical metrics to measure the change in both brain volume and shape.

"We used high-resolution MR images to measure anatomical changes within areas of the brain to obtain both volumetric data and directional information," said Jeongchul Kim, Ph.D., co-investigator on the study from WFSM.

The analysis revealed that for both the aerobic and stretching groups, brain volume increased in most gray matter regions, including the temporal lobe, which supports short-term memory.

"Compared to the stretching group, the aerobic activity group had greater preservation of total brain volume, increased local gray matter volume and increased directional stretch of brain tissue," Dr. Kim said.

Among participants of the stretching group, the analysis revealed a local contraction, or atrophy, within the white matter connecting fibers. According to Dr. Kim, such directional deformation, or shape change, is partially related to volume loss, but not always.

"Directional changes in the brain without local volume changes could be a novel biomarker for neurological disease," he said. "It may be a more sensitive marker for the tiny changes that occur in a specific brain region before volumetric changes are detectable on MRI."

He said both MRI measures are important to the treatment of MCI and AD, which require the careful tracking of changes in the brain while patients engage in interventions including diet and exercise to slow the progression of the disease.

Study participants were tested to determine the effect of exercise intervention on cognitive performance. Participants in the aerobic exercise group showed statistically significant improvement in executive function after six months, whereas the stretching group did not improve.

"Any type of exercise can be beneficial," Dr. Kim said. "If possible, aerobic activity may create potential benefits for higher cognitive functioning."

Cite This Page:

Radiological Society of North America. "Aerobic exercise preserves brain volume and improves cognitive function." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 November 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161130130916.htm>.

Radiological Society of North America. (2016, November 30). Aerobic exercise preserves brain volume and improves cognitive function. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 17, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161130130916.htm

Radiological Society of North America. "Aerobic exercise preserves brain volume and improves cognitive function." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161130130916.htm (accessed January 17, 2024).

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fitness; brain tumor; nervous system; psychology research; intelligence; neuroscience; brain-computer interfaces; brain injury

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Aerobic exercise preserves brain volume and improves cognitive function

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Using a new MRI technique, researchers found that adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who exercised four times a week over a six-month period experienced an increase in brain volume in specific, or local, areas of the brain, but adults who participated in aerobic exercise experienced greater gains than those who just stretched.