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Drug use in sport ‘fast becoming crisis’

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UK Anti-Doping says drug use in sport is “fast becoming a crisis” in response to a poll for BBC Sport into doping in amateur sport.

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Some sportspeople try to gain an advantage by using performance-enhancing drugs. This is known as doping . Many performance-enhancing drugs are banned by sports' governing bodies.

There are 5 'doping classes', which are categories of banned drugs:

Doping class

Effect on performance

Dangerous side-effects

Stimulants
Make athletes more alert and mask fatigue (extreme tiredness caused by physical activity)

Can cause heart failure , addictive

Anabolic agents - steroids
Help athletes to train harder and build muscle

Increased aggression and kidney damage

Diuretics
Remove fluid from the body. Used to make the weight, eg in boxing and to hide other drug use

Causes severe dehydration

Narcotic analgesics
Mask pain caused by injury or fatigue which can make the injury worse

Addictive

Peptides and hormones
EPO (Erythropoietin) red blood cells - gives more energy and HGH (Human Growth Hormone) - build muscle

EPO - risk of stroke or heart problems and HGH - abnormal growth, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis etc

Beta blockers are banned in archery and shooting as they keep the heart rate low and reduce tremble in the hands.

Blood doping is injecting blood that has been removed from the body a few days earlier, enabling the blood to carry more oxygen. It is banned as it's a form of cheating. It can cause kidney and heart failure.

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BBC Bitesize - GCSE Physical Education - Drugs in sport - Revision 1

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1 2 Page 1of 2 Some sportspeople try to gain an advantage by using performance-enhancing drugs. This is known as doping . Many performance-enhancing drugs are banned by sports' governing bodies.

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Former Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins is the centre of an investigation into drug use during his win.

The five-time Olympic goal medalist has been accused of crossing an "ethical line" in their use of a powerful drug to prepare for races.

The indictment is only one of several in the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee's devastating 52-page report, which also contains the allegation that Team Sky used drugs "to enhance the performance of riders, and not just to treat medical need".

But what is doping? What are the major instances of it in the past? And what are the dangers of using drugs in sport?

Mirror Sport's Jack Rathborn explains all...

What is doping in sport?

Doping is the illicit use of artificial enhancements and methods to gain an advantage over others in competition, according to UKAD. Engaging in such practice is against the spirit of sport and can be deemed as simply cheating.

Health risks and side-effects

Anabolic agents (including testosterone), per USADA, can lead to acne, baldness, liver damage, aggressiveness. Males, specifically, can see breast tissue development, shrinking of the testicles and impotence. While females can experience deepening of voice, growth of hair on the face, stomach and upper back.

Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, and Related Substances, such as HGH and EPO, can lead to heart attacks, blood cancers/leukemia and thyroid problems.

Beta-2 agonists, mostly used to help with conditions such as asthma and respiratory problems, can cause palpitations, headaches, sweating and nausea.

Diuretics, used to mask other drugs, but useful to treat kidney disease, may lead to dehydration, dizziness, cramps and loss of coordination/balance.

Stimulants to help with asthma, narcolepsy and obesity, may have side-effects, including: Insomnia, anxiety, weight loss and cardiac issues.

Beta blockers will help some athletes to control hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias and anxiety, but while lower blood pressure and a slow heart rate can help in the sport, sleep disorders and spasm of the airways may also occur.

Blood doping, used to increase the red blood cell count in the body, may increase stress on the heart and lead to blood clotting and even a stroke.

History of drugs in sport and famous examples

The first athlete to die in Olympic competition due to doping was Danish cyclist Knut Jensen in 1960 in the Rome games during the 100km team time trial race.

An autopsy, after collapsing and fracturing his skull, found traces of amphetamines.

The IOC first introduced testing at the Olympic Games in 1968, for the Winter Games in Grenoble, France, with Mexico City in the same year the first occurrence at the Summer Games.

East Germany were the first country to be found to be doping on a systematic level since the introduction of testing. From 1974, the head of their sports federation imposed blanket doping.

The Stasi (East Germany secret police) wee found to have supervised the operation from 1971 to 1990.

Over 10,000 East German athletes were thought to be effected. From them, as many as 1,000 sportsmen and women suffered serious and lasting physical and psychological damage.

Ben Johnson was famously stripped of his gold medal from the 100m at the 1988 Games in Seoul, Korea. The Canadian sprinter tested positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid, but claimed it was due to his herbal drink being spiked.

An initial ban for two years is followed by a lifetime ban after a second positive test in 1993.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was established in 1999 to lead the fight against doping in sport.

British sprinter Dwain Chambers was banned from the Olympics for life after testing positive for THG (steroid) out of competition in 2003.

Perhaps the most notorious doper in sporting history is Lance Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after declining to fight his doping charges in 2012.

In a later interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong revealed he used a cocktail of EPO, transfusions and testosterone.

State-run doping in Russia for track and field athletes was reported in a WADA report headed by Dick Pound in 2015.

They were stripped of 41 Olympic medals in a cover-up that benefited over 1,000 Russian athletes. The country were banned from the 2017 World Athletics Championships and 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

Only those who passed specific drug tests were allowed to compete as neutral athletes.

List of drugs

The list of drugs prohibited by each anti-doping body varies from one to another, though WADA can be considered as the gold standard, with their updated list for 2018 available in full here.

Whilst thousands of drugs are at the disposal of those who wish to cheat, most fall into one of the following categories and are banned at all times unless stated:

Anabolic agents, i.e. anabolic steroids (e.g. stanozolol)

Peptide hormones, growth factors and mimetics (growth hormones)

Beta-2 agonists

Hormone and metabolic mudulators

Diuretics and masking agents

Manipulation of blood and blood components

Gene doping

Chemical and physical manipulation

Stimulants (in-competition)

Narcotics (in-competition)

Cannabinoids (in-competition)

Glucocorticoids (in-competition)

Beta-blockers (only certain sports)

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Drugs in sport: Doping explained after Bradley Wiggins allegations

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Former Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins is the centre of an investigation into drug use during his win. The five-time Olympic goal medalist has been accused of crossing an "ethical line" in their use of a powerful drug to prepare for races.

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Russia doping scandal | Sport | The Guardian

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The World Anti-Doping Agency's decision to reinstate the Russian Anti-Doping Agency is a triumph for money over clean sport, according to the agency's former director general

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There are several types of performance-enhancing drug that an athlete can use.

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The Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has tested positive for testosterone in his B sample and could be banned for two to four years if found guilty of doping