Download Performance Enhancing Substances and Techniques

Performance Enhancing Substances and
Techniques
Ergogenic aids are used by
some athletes to:
 Improve physical appearance
 Prevent and/or treat injuries,
illnesses, or disease
 Cope with stress
 Increase athletic potential
 Bridge the “genetic gap”
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Three types of Ergogenic Aids:
 Nutritional aids
 Pharmacological aids
 Physiological aids
© iStockphoto.com/”Max Delson”
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© iStockphoto.com/”Marie C. Fields”
Nutritional
supplements include:
 Vitamins and
minerals
 Protein and amino
acid supplements
 Carnitine
 Creatine
 Caffeine
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© iStockphoto.com/”sbarabu”
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Regularly taking megavitamins may cause:
 Illness
 Tissue damage
 Toxic effects to body
Supplements are beneficial
when a clear deficiency
is indicated
Athletes are advised to
increase food intake,
resulting in dietary sources
of vitamins and minerals
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© iStockphoto.com/”G2 Design Studio”
Benefits/risks of protein and amino acid
supplements are fraught with conflicting research
findings/evidence
Studies report that
ingesting excessive
amounts of protein can
produce toxic effects due to
overproduction of urea
resulting in:
 Dehydration
 Muscle cramps
 Impairment of
thermoregulatory function
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© iStockphoto.com/”pixhook”
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Carnitine is advertised as a “fat
burner” that claims to:
 Decrease lactate production
 Increase VO2max
 Delay fatigue
 Spare glycogen
 Induce loss of body fat
 Enhance aerobic and
anaerobic capacity
Experimental data has failed to
support these theories
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© iStockphoto.com/”technotr”
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Creatine is an oral supplement
that claims to increase:
 Phosphocreatine storage in
muscle
 Speed
 Power
 Strength
Effectiveness of creatine
supplement still unclear
More studies need to be
conducted on the safety of longterm use
Evidence suggests caffeine
increases performance during
prolonged endurance and intense
short-term exercises
 Increase alertness
 Reduces fatigue
 Energy drinks contain as much as
80mg of caffeine
 Ingesting caffeine can cause:
 Dehydration
 Nervousness
 Irritability
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© iStockphoto.com/”Limber”
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© iStockphoto.com/”Servifoto”
Pharmacological aids
include:
 Pain-masking drugs
 Anabolic steroids
 Prohormones
 Human growth hormone
 Erythropoietin
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Pain-masking agents
(narcotic analgesics)
include:
 Morphine
 Heroin
Side effects include:
 Inability to detect pain to
prevent serious or
permanent injury from
occurring
 Physical and
psychological
dependence
© iStockphoto.com/”Shorrocks”
Athletes take Anabolic steroids to:
 Increase muscle mass
 Increase strength
 Decrease body fat
 Harmful side effects include:
 Organ damage (liver, kidney)
 Increased cholesterol
 Increased blood pressure
 Increased aggression

© iStockphoto.com/”vuk8691”
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Prohormones are a type of androgenic steroid
Use of prohormones (androstenedione in particular)
claim to:
 Increase physical power
 Decrease body fat
No scientific data to support these theories
Harmful side effects include:
 Baldness
 Breast enlargement (in males)
 aggression and violent behaviour
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Synthetic preparations of the Human growth
hormone (HGH) is used to achieve:
 Increased muscle mass
 Limited weight gain
 Improved aerobic endurance
Health risks include:
 Heart problems
 Excessive growth of hands and feet
 Dangerous enlargement of organs (heart,
kidneys, liver)
Erythropoietin (EPO) used by some
athletes competing in endurance sports
 Shown to cause increase in levels of
hemoglobin
 Allows more oxygen to be carried to
tissues
 Higher red-cell count causes heart to
work harder
 Increases risk of cardiac fatigue and
heart failure
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© iStockphoto.com/”pixhook”
Restricted
pharmacological
substances include:
 Alcohol
 Marijuana
 Local anaesthetics
 Corticosteroids
 Beta blockers

Alcohol
 Causes:
▪ Sedative effects
▪ Confusion
▪ Lessen reaction time
© iStockphoto.com/”pixhook”
 Marijuana
 Causes:
Affects psychomotor function
Lowers reaction time
© iStockphoto.com/”Limber”
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Local Anaesthetics
 Causes:
▪ Block pain
▪ Further injury can
result
© iStockphoto.com/”mevans”
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© iStockphoto.com/”pixhook”
Restricted
pharmacological
substances include:
 Corticosteroids:
▪ Used to open
airways
▪ Can be toxic
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© iStockphoto.com/”shorrocks”
Beta Blockers
 Causes:
▪ Can cause low
blood pressure
▪ Disrupts sleep
patterns
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Physiological methods include:
 Blood doping
▪ Intravenous administration of blood, red blood cells,
and related blood products:
▪ Raises the blood’s oxygen carrying capacity
▪ Increases cardiac output
▪ Decreases lactate levels
▪ Improves sweating response
 Drug masking
▪ Certain drugs are used to reduce the presence of
banned substances
▪ Includes agents that dilute concentration in:
▪ Bloodstream
▪ Diuretics
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© iStockphoto.com/”Christine Glade”
Drug Testing
 Ensures an even
playing field
 Test are
performed
randomly
 Performed year
around
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Ethical Issues
 What would you do?
 How would your decision
impact your family,
country, or nation?
 How would it impact
your future?