Popular Ergogenic Drugs and Supplements in Young Athletes
- 1 March 2006
- journal article
- Published by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in Pediatrics
- Vol. 117 (3), e577-e589
- https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2005-1429
Abstract
Ergogenic drugs are substances that are used to enhance athletic performance. These drugs include illicit substances as well as compounds that are marketed as nutritional supplements. Many such drugs have been used widely by professional and elite athletes for several decades. However, in recent years, research indicates that younger athletes are increasingly experimenting with these drugs to improve both appearance and athletic abilities. Ergogenic drugs that are commonly used by youths today include anabolic-androgenic steroids, steroid precursors (androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone), growth hormone, creatine, and ephedra alkaloids. Reviewing the literature to date, it is clear that children are exposed to these substances at younger ages than in years past, with use starting as early as middle school. Anabolic steroids and creatine do offer potential gains in body mass and strength but risk adverse effects to multiple organ systems. Steroid precursors, growth hormone, and ephedra alkaloids have not been proven to enhance any athletic measures, whereas they do impart many risks to their users. To combat this drug abuse, there have been recent changes in the legal status of several substances, changes in the rules of youth athletics including drug testing of high school students, and educational initiatives designed for the young athlete. This article summarizes the current literature regarding these ergogenic substances and details their use, effects, risks, and legal standing.Keywords
This publication has 70 references indexed in Scilit:
- Ergogenic Aids: A Review of Basic Science, Performance, Side Effects, and Status in SportsThe American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2004
- Creatine Use Among a Select Population of High School AthletesMayo Clinic Proceedings, 2000
- The Infectious Complications of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid InjectionInternational Journal of Sports Medicine, 1999
- ANABOLIC AGENTSClinics in Sports Medicine, 1998
- The Effects of Supraphysiologic Doses of Testosterone on Muscle Size and Strength in Normal MenNew England Journal of Medicine, 1996
- The Use of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids by Canadian StudentsClinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 1996
- The History of Synthetic TestosteroneScientific American, 1995
- Creatine in Humans with Special Reference to Creatine SupplementationSports Medicine, 1994
- Human Growth Hormone: A New Substance Of Abuse Among Adolescents?Clinical Pediatrics, 1992
- The neuromuscular features of acromegaly: a clinical and pathological study.Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 1984