Chapter Five Drugs in sport
Demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of permitted and prohibited drug regimens in sport.
1. Demonstrate non-judgemental approaches to drug use.
2. Demonstrate working within the defined roles and responsibilities as a sports trainer with regard to drugs.
3. Demonstrate a harm-minimisation approach to work and a range of activities that support this.
4. Describe athletes’ needs and rights including duty of care.
Assessment of outcomes
Underpinning knowledge
Oral or written questions may be asked relating to drugs and prohibited substances and methods in sport. You may also be asked to complete an online task or workbook with related activities.
Practical demonstration
You may be asked to explain the effects certain drugs have on athletes and describe prohibited methods of doping to your class or instructor.
Introduction
The reasons for drug or substance use and abuse are many and varied. Drugs and other prohibited methods may be used recreationally, to enhance performance, to inflict intentional self-harm or to attempt suicide. All drugs, whether legal or illegal, have some side effects and the legal status in no way reflects the amount of harm they may cause. Side effects depend on the type of drug, the amount taken, the metabolism of the person using the drug and whether the drug is used in conjunction with any other drugs.
Drug use in sport is more than anabolic steroids or the deliberate use of drugs and substances to improve performance. It also involves medications used to treat illness and injury and the use of social drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. When people talk about drug use in sport they tend to be referring to elite athletes who use various drugs to improve their performance by building muscles and strength. However, the use of drugs by sportsmen and sportswomen can encompass broader issues such as the ethics of drug use in sport and the role of regulatory bodies. It is not a new concept in sport. History shows that taking substances to improve performance has been going on since long before the beginning of the modern Olympics but, in the past century, the use of stimulants and other anabolic agents such as steroids to improve athletic performance has become more widespread.
What is a drug?
A drug is any substance that, when it enters the body, changes the way a person’s mind and/or body functions.
General classification of drugs
Drugs can be classified by either the effect they have on the body or their availability to the population (legal status).
Effects
Stimulants
These are drugs that have the ability to increase activity in the central nervous system. They often make a person feel more alert and confident but may also cause overstimulation.
Stimulant drugs can have the following effects on the human body:
increase alertness and mask the signs of fatigue
produce feelings of euphoria and enhanced wellbeing
cause anxiety and bizarre behaviour
Some common stimulant drugs include:
Depressants
These are drugs that have the ability to slow down activity in the central nervous system. They have a calming and relaxing effect on the body in low doses and adversely affect coordination and concentration. In large doses, depressants can cause generalised incoordination, slurred speech, nausea and vomiting and may cause unconsciousness from reduced breathing and heart rates. Different classes of depressant should not be taken together as their effects are exacerbated, increasing the risk of overdose.
Depressant drugs can have the following effects on the human body:
Some common depressant drugs include:
narcotic analgesics – found in opium products; for example, heroin, morphine and codeine
general anaesthetics – surgical anaesthetics and inhaled anaesthetics; for example, nitrous oxide and methoxyflurane
sedative hypnotics – for example, barbiturates, benzodiazepines (tranquillisers)
cannabis – found in the Cannabis sativa plant (also called hashish or marijuana).
Hallucinogens
Hallucinogenic (or psychedelic) drugs alter a person’s perception of reality. They affect all the senses and can also markedly alter mood and thought. Hallucinogenic drugs can have a variety of effects on the body and are subjective to the drug user. Reactions can range from feelings of dread and terror (a bad trip) to extreme euphoria.
Some common hallucinogenic drugs include:
marijuana/hashish (in high doses), found in the Cannabis sativa plant; it also has depressant effects in small amounts
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), made in home laboratories
mescaline, found in products made from the Mexican peyote cactus
psilocybin, found in products made from the psilocybe and conocybe mushrooms; commonly known as magic mushrooms
PCP (phencyclidine), chemically produced in a laboratory; commonly known as angel dust
MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine), a stimulant chemically produced in a laboratory; commonly known as ecstasy.
Availability of drugs
Illegal drugs
Some drugs are banned for use by the general public as they can have dangerous consequences if not used for their intended purpose, whereas others are classified as illegal or illicit because they are deemed to have little or no medicinal value. Illicit drugs have no quality controls dictating their manufacture, price or distribution. As a consequence, the strength, purity and availability of a particular drug are unpredictable and can result in considerable harm to the user. Unintentional overdose may result from the unpredictable purity of drugs, such as the purity of heroin, and additives to any illicit drugs can be poisonous, which may result in injury and even death.
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