SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE
New methods and medications to mask pain and decrease inflammation are also available. While some of these new medications have shortened recovery time from injury and lengthened athletic careers, others produce unnatural
performance enhancement. Most notable are
anabolic steroids, synthetic modifications of the male hormone testosterone, which are widely abused. In conjunction with an intensive exercise training program and high protein diet, these drugs can increase muscle bulk, which may improve performance in certain sports. Anabolic
steroids have side effects that put the young
athlete at risk for premature closure of the growth plates of the long bones, sterility, liver problems, and, in females, male pattern baldness and facial hair. These drugs also produce high levels of aggression.
Anabolic steroids drew world attention in 1988 when Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson was stripped of his Olympic gold medal after tests indicated steroid use. Less widely publicized is the epidemic spread of steroid abuse among scholastic age
athletes in many
sports in the United States. These drugs, which are illegal when used in this manner, have irreversible physical and psychological effects and pose a significant health risk for young athletes.
In sports that require endurance, some athletes have tried "blood doping,"Ñwithdrawing a unit of blood from an athlete, storing it for several weeks before competition, and transfusing it back prior to the competition. The additional red blood cells are supposed to add increased oxygen-carrying capacity to the athlete's bloodstream, improving endurance and possibly performance. The results of the process remain controversial, and severe side effects have been reported, including heart failure and death. Blood doping has been banned from all competition.
More abstracts about the SPORTS MEDICINE-SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE