Consequences of doping

At the Doping Control Station

Athletes should be aware that doping can have severe health and social consequences.

Social consequences of committing an ADRV and receiving a sanction may include:​

• loss of sponsorship deals
• loss of income
• wiping out of previous achievements
• damaged relationships with friends and family
• isolation from peers and sport
• damage to future career prospects
• effects on emotional and psychological well-being.

Substances and methods used to dope have health consequences. Many can be lead to severe health issues or even death.

Taking steroids can produce:

• acne
• increased aggression and mood swings
• libido disorders
• high blood pressure and increased risk of cardiovascular and liver disease
• psychological dependence
• increased risk of contracting hepatitis and HIV from needle use
• for males: impotence, infertility, breast enlargement, premature baldness
• for females: development of male features such as deepening voice, excessive hair growth on the face and body, and foetal damage in pregnancy.

Taking Human Growth Hormone can result i​n:

• diabetes in prone individuals
• worsening of cardiovascular diseases
• muscle, joint and bone pain
• hypertension and cardiac deficiency
• abnormal growth of organs
• accelerated osteoarthritis.

By thickening the blood, EPO abuse can lead to an increased risk of several deadly diseases, such as heart disease, stroke and cerebral or pulmonary embolism.

Recreational drugs:

Use of recreational or social drugs is banned in sport. Whilst an athlete can be in a compromising situation with peers outside sport, it’s important for athletes to recognise that social drugs such as cannabis can be detrimental to sporting performance and result in a positive test result weeks later.

Some sports such as football and rugby run a comprehensive social drugs testing programme. This is to ensure that players maintain the values and behaviours of clean sport.

For impartial advice on recreational drugs, the FRANK website is a useful resource.