Doping and sports what is the problem

Other amino acids or derivatives used to increase muscle strength and endurance are: carnozine, citrulline, glutamine, glycine and taurine. Taurine and carnosine have particular effects, being used as energizing substances. There are some pharmacological classes of substances that have a quantitative upper limit, so can be used only in very small amounts, as: central nervous system stimulants such as caffeine and beta 2 selectives such as salbutamol or fenoterol. Caffeine can be considered as a dopant substance due to its effects: slight bronchodilatation, which is beneficial for athletes participating in endurance races, and also increases the diuresis which can be beneficial if an athlete is doped and wants to rapidly eliminate the other drug in their body.

Other effects of caffeine are: cerebral vasoconstrictor, increases gastric acidity and also the appetite. Most beta 2 selective substances are banned from competitions, but there are exceptions such as salbutamol, which has a maximum inhalation dose of 1. Formoterol is a substance used in asthma and it is in the same category as salbutamol. Adrenaline is not forbidden when used locally in nasal or ophthalmic administration. Other substances that have a superior limit, that can lead to the elimination of the athlete from the competition are: bupropion, nicotine, pipradol, phenylephrine and phenylpropanolamine.

There are three classes of substances part of a monitoring program: central nervous system stimulants such as bupropion, nicotine, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, sinephrine and pipradrol; narcotics: hydrocodone, tramadol, talpentadol; and glucocorticoids, banned in competition through all ways of administration. Also, telmisartan, a angiotensin II antagonist class on AT1 receptors and meldonium substance used in angina pectoris, can be included in the same category. Central nervous system stimulants as well as narcotics will not be used in competitions, while glucocorticoids, meldonium and telmisartan are banned both outside and in competitions.

The fight against doping continues, but anti-doping agencies will always be one step behind manufacturers of new undetectable substances with pharmacological properties similar to those already available on the market.

Much of the substances used today can be easily detected, but the development of new, cheaper and faster methods could help the Anti-Doping Federation. The existence of rules and Codes, as well as Anti-Doping Procedures and Biological Passports make doping more and more difficult to achieve.

Another major factor that can lead to doping is the financial side, good results get sponsors and publicity, for some athletes being more than enough motivation for doping. Injuries are another reason why many athletes endanger their "clean" athletes' status, their will to return to competition can lead to compromises that can end their career.

Another interesting case is that of food supplements purchased from unauthorized sites on the Internet. By having good ads with a convincing message, these supplements can be bought by an athlete. Unfortunately there is no organization to determine the composition of these food supplements, so when an athlete decides to use them, he is taking the risk of potential doping.

Thus, if the athlete ingests accidentally an forbidden substance, he is still responsible for it. Carrying out anti-doping controls both in and out of competitions is a benefit for athletes who do not use banned substances, the number of athletes who have been positively detected outside competitions is much higher than those who are found doped in competitions. Physicians should pay attention when prescribing different substances, as well as pharmacists who release the medication. By releasing a drug on the list of prohibited substances, the athlete may be disqualified, so the regulations and the list of prohibited substances should be carefully studied before prescribing a medicinal product.

The effects it has on the body is also an important topic when discussing about doping. For example, artificial testosterone leads to stopping endogenous production of natural testosterone in the body. The difference is that today's doping substances are safer than they were years ago, when some athletes died because of them. In fact, many steroids are of medical use today and are administered to patients who have undergone difficult operations and need faster recovery.

Athletes who use different medication and have the consent of physicians should be careful to declare the use of such substances so that if the athlete is positively detected with it, the authorities know that the substance is needed to improve their health condition.

Current legislation is not very severe, perhaps if the repercursions of being positive with illegal substances were higher, violation of rules would not be so common. Athletes should be educated about doping, and about the side and adverse effects of the use of the various prohibited substances, with the aim of educating athletes to prevent the doping phenomenon. To minimize the phenomenon of doping, information and prevention programs, starting with athletes at a young age, and involving other stakeholders e.

Finally, we can conclude that taking into account the human nature and the social and economic implications of professional sports, the end of doping in sports is most likely an unrealistic term. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U.

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No permission is required from the authors or the publishers. This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Abstract Through doping, we understand the use by athletes of substances prohibited by the antidoping agencies in order to gain a competitive advantage.

Keywords: Doping, Sports, Medication, Illicit substances. Introduction Doping has become a key and complex issue in the sports world, which deserves serious consideration, as specialists are still striving to understand how and why it happens, and how to prevent it. Doping from the beginning to the present day Over time, there have been several definitions of doping.

Table 1 Banned substances both during and outside the competition Substances that have not been placed on the market Retired drugs such as sibutramine; Designer substances: tetrahydrogestrinone Drugs used in veterinary medicine S1. Anabolic agents Exogenous anabolic steroids: androstendiol and gestrinone Endogenous anabolic steroids with exogenous administration: dihydrotestosterone, testosterone Other anabolic agents: tibolone, zilpaterol, zeranol S2. Peptide hormones and growth factors Erythropoiesis stimulating agents: erythropoietin, darboietin Luteinizing hormone in men; choriogonadotrophin Corticotrophins, Growth Hormones.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 IGF 1 S3. Hormones and metabolic modulators Aromatase inhibitors: aminoglutethimide Metabolic mediators: insulin - S5. Diuretics and other masking agents Masking agents: glycerols, plasma substitutes Diuretics: Acetazolamide, Furosemide, Indapamide - S6. CNS stimulants Nonspecific stimulants: amfepramone, fenfluramine Specific stimulants: adrenaline, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine - S7. Narcotics Buprenorphine, fentanyl Metadone, morphine - S8.

Cannabis extracts Cannabis, hashish Tetrahydrocannabinol - S9. Corticosteroids Cortizon, Hydrocortisone Prednison, Metilprednisolone -.

Open in a separate window. Table 2 Prohibited methods Manipulation of blood and its components Administration of products containing red blood cells in the circulatory system Increasing the amount of oxygen or its transport M2. Physical and chemical handling Altering the integrity and validity of the sample collected during anti-doping control Intravenous infusions or injections of more than 50 mL for 6 hours M3. Genetically doping Transfer of polymers of nucleic acids or their analogs Use of normal or genetically modified cells.

Substances which are not on the list of prohibited substances with possible doping effect One of the substances that are currently extensively studied for doping potential is paracetamol, a substance commonly used as an analgesic and antipyretic. Substances that are not forbidden but can increase the performance of the athlete L-carnitine is an endogenous compound, an aminoacid synthesized in the liver and kidneys from lysine and methionine, two essential amino acids. Substances that are dopant only if certain doses are exceeded There are some pharmacological classes of substances that have a quantitative upper limit, so can be used only in very small amounts, as: central nervous system stimulants such as caffeine and beta 2 selectives such as salbutamol or fenoterol.

Substances subject to a monitoring program There are three classes of substances part of a monitoring program: central nervous system stimulants such as bupropion, nicotine, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, sinephrine and pipradrol; narcotics: hydrocodone, tramadol, talpentadol; and glucocorticoids, banned in competition through all ways of administration.

Conclusion The fight against doping continues, but anti-doping agencies will always be one step behind manufacturers of new undetectable substances with pharmacological properties similar to those already available on the market. Ethical Issues Not applicable. Conflict of Interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Methods Enzymol. Beckmann O. Beckmanns Sport-Lexikon: A-Z. Leipzig: Beckmann; Detlief T, Hemmersbach P. Doping in sports. Oslo: Springer; Ljungqvist A. Brief History of Anti-Doping. Med Sport Sci. Intended or Unintended Doping? Wilson D, Ramchandani G. Home advantage in the Winter Paralympic Games Sport Sci Health. Boudreau F, Konzak B. Science News. ScienceDaily, 26 July Doping in sports and society: a growing problem. Retrieved November 11, from www. ScienceDaily shares links with sites in the TrendMD network and earns revenue from third-party advertisers, where indicated.

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