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DRUGS IN SPORT

Drug misuse can often be harmful to the competitor's health and severely damages the image of judo and sport in general. The British Judo Association along with UK Sport and the British Olympic Association (BOA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are committed to ensuring a drug free sporting environment for all competitors who, under the immense pressure to achieve, are committed to winning on their own merits and hard work.

   Child protection Eating Disorders, Bereavement, Help Lines.

 

Drugs & Other Helpline

  DEFINITION OF DOPING
  Drugs Help Lines
  Drugs Index  
  Health of an Athlete 
  Misuse
  Stimulant abuser
  Warning about Caffeine 
  Why are Substances Banned
 
UK magazine devoted to recovery from addiction. Articles include therapeutic techniques, lists of self-help groups and treatment centres
The Alliance supports people who receive prescribed drugs for the treatment of their drug dependency.
Key themes are risk and risk behaviour, the risk environment, social and community interventions, treatment processes
Drug and Driving: Read about the effects of recreational drugs and their effects on the ability to drive safely.
The Portman Group: Acts to reduce the misuse of alcohol by the minority through a strategy of working with other organisations locally and nationally
Telephone Helpline:  0800 776600
EATA is a charity working to help ensure people with substance dependencies get the treatment they need.
For Relatives and Friends Concerned About the Use of Drugs or Related Behavioural Problems.
Alcohol, smoking, gambling, addictions and misuse
Telephone Helpline: 020-7919-2999
Alcohol and Drugs at Work
The site addresses the need for prevention with specific information on prevention practice and policy
Organisation of groups for the parents and families of drug users. All offer support to parents of drug users
Operates a number of service programmes including: 24 hour helpline
Prevention of Solvent and Volatile Substance Abuse
It also hosts the Drug Education Forum.
Network of concerned citizens and prevention professionals who believe that drug-free healthy lifestyles will protect and enhance society
On-line support through e-mail + other information
 
t r a s h e d
 
 
 
Telephone Helpline: 020 7617 8040
24 hour pre-recorded advice line
Udside.co.uk is a fun and innovative site that complements essential aspects of the PSHE and citizenship framework, specifically drug education.
Useful link to most UK self-help groups

 

WHY ARE SUBSTANCES BANNED

The use of doping substances or doping methods to enhance performance is cheating, unfair and is contrary to the spirit of fair competition. Drug misuse can be harmful to an athlete's health or to other judoka competing on a judo mat. It severely damages the integrity, image and value of sport, whether or not the motive to use drugs is to improve performance.

Substances and methods are prohibited in sport for various reasons including:

Be one of the competitors who performs well in sport without using drugs. Be proud to be drug free.

Elite competitors are quite frequently role models for younger players and they frequently emulate them especially their actions and attitudes. This includes "off the mat" actions which include the use of the so-called "social drugs" such as marijuana, ecstasy etc.

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DEFINITION OF DOPING

Doping is the use of prohibited substances and/or methods either to enhance sporting performance or recovery, or which leads to enhanced performances. Doping contravenes the ethics of both sport and medicine. It is cheating and contrary to the spirit of fair competition. A doping offence can occur in various ways such as the deliberate use of a prohibited substance or using a medication with a prohibited substance in it without checking its contents. However you should remember that a doping test cannot differentiate between a deliberate act or an accidental consumption of a drug. All it says is that the substance was present. It is the presence of the substance, which constitutes the offence irrespective of how it got there. Therefore it is the athlete's responsibility to ensure that he or she does not take such substances.

 

Prohibited Classes of Substances

Classes of prohibited substances are split into various sections:

Stimulants.

Anabolic Agents

Peptide & Glycoprotein Hormones and Analogue.

Marijuana.

Corticosteroids.

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Narcotic analgesics.

 Diuretics.

 Alcohol.

Local Anaesthetics.

Beta-blockers.

Related substances.

 

 

 

A--Stimulants

Stimulants are substances, which act on the brain to vitalize the body both mentally and physically.

Stimulants may be used by an athlete to:

  • Increase alertness.

  • decrease the feeling of tiredness.

  • increase competitiveness and aggression.

 

The misuse of stimulants can result in:

  • Increased blood pressure and body temperature.

  • Increased and irregular heartbeat.

  • Aggression and anxiety.

  • Loss of judgment which can put other, innocent, competitors at risk.

  • Loss of appetite.

  • Addiction.

The stimulant abuser will find it difficult to cool down after exercise. This in turn can result in dehydration, which reduces blood circulation. The heart then has to work much harder to get the blood to go round the body. The body cannot cool down by sweating as there is little or no fluid to sweat and so the cycle repeats itself until the blood gets so thick in the system that the heart gives up. If you are lucky this may only be a temporary phase. Not everyone is lucky. You can buy products at a chemist, which contain stimulants. If you have a cold etc you should always ask the chemist if it contains a banned substance. If he/she doesn't know and doesn't know how to find out then go to one who does. 

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Examples of Cold and Hay fever medications that contain prohibited substances include:

For more information

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Help & Advice Contacts

National Sports Medicine  
32 Devonshire Street
London W1G 6PX
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7908 3636
Fax: +44 (0)20 7908 3635

SMART Database

Access over 32,000 journal entries from more than 170 of the most important sports medicine and science journals

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Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant that is prohibited when used in large quantities. The concentration of caffeine in the urine sample may not exceed 12 micrograms per millilitre. Coffee, tea, chocolate products and some soft drinks including cola drinks as well as some over-the-counter cough and cold and pain relieving medications and herbal/nutritional supplements contain caffeine.

The normal taking of products containing caffeine prior to a competition should not cause a positive result, however, as everybody is individual be aware that it could cause a positive result. Your weight, bulk, metabolic rate and what you have eaten recently has an effect on what the level of caffeine in your body will be, so care is required. Y
To obtain a urine concentration of caffeine greater than 12 micrograms per millilitre you would need to consume approximately 3-10* cups of coffee or tea (depending brand and brewing method), or 9* cans of soft drink, in a short period of time and then be tested soon after consuming these products.

* These amounts are approximations only and the concentration of caffeine in a urine sample will depend on the amount of caffeine in the product, your weight, bulk, metabolic rate and what you have eaten recently.

 Commonly used products that contain caffeine include:

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Copyright © Ray Goodey November 2003
This information sheet is intended as a general guide based on legislation at the time of publication. Neither the sponsors, its staff nor the authors can accept liability for any loss arising as a result of reliance upon any information contained herein. Readers are strongly advised to obtain professional advice on an individual basis.