The physical and psychological adverse effects of anabolic androgenic steroids (e.g., kidney and liver damage, acne, gynecomastia, suppression of normal testosterone production, aggression, depression) are well established. What physicians may not recognize are the potential adverse effects of novel, investigational drugs that are being used as doping agents. These include selective androgen receptor modulators (e.g., the investigational drugs ostarine [Enobosarm] and LGD-4033 [Ligandrol]), which have substantial anabolic effects on muscle and bone and significant potential for misuse in sports. These modulators are not approved for human use, and the adverse effects have not been well documented because they are still in clinical trials. Consumers can easily buy all of these on the internet. The family physician is a critical player in addressing the use of performance-enhancing drugs in recreational athletes of all ages.

They might be able to exercise harder and more often. Some people also may like how their muscles look when they take these drugs. negative effects of drugs in sport Some people use anabolic steroids for medical reasons. But doping for sports isn’t one of the uses the drugs are approved for.

RACGP – Red Book – Physical activity

It’s used for activity that involves quick bursts of movement, such as weightlifting or sprinting. But there’s no proof that creatine helps you do better at sports that make you breathe at a higher rate and raise your heart rate, called aerobic sports. Taking erythropoietin improves how oxygen moves to the muscles.

Diuretics also may help athletes pass drug tests that check for signs of drugs in the urine. Andro can damage the heart and blood vessels in anyone who takes it. This raises the risk of a serious problem that can happen when the heart doesn’t get enough blood, called a heart attack. It also raises the risk of a condition that keeps the brain from getting enough oxygen, called a stroke. Andro is legal to use only if a health care provider prescribes it.

Show the heart some love!

They may also be concerned about the use of asthma medications when pregnant or travelling. To find out about the effects of legal and illegal drugs visit the Alcohol and Drug Foundation website. To learn more about the use of prohibited substances in sport visit the Sport Integrity Australia website.