Optimizing athletic performance means optimizing strength, endurance, skill development, hydration and nutrition – not forgetting sports medicine techniques like cupping, PRP therapy, dry needling and myofascial release!
Proteins help build muscles and assist with recovery after exercise. Creatine enhances sprint performance while encouraging muscle growth; it may also reduce perceived fatigue levels.
Anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids (or AAS) are drugs designed to increase muscle mass and athletic performance. Anabolic steroids may be taken orally or through injection, or applied topically as cream. People using anabolic steroids typically take extremely high dosages (10-100 times greater than what would normally be recommended by healthcare providers for medical purposes), making their possession and sale illegal without prior permission from healthcare providers.
Many athletes use anabolic steroids in addition to strength and conditioning programs and proper diet. Unfortunately, young people – particularly adolescent boys who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder – often take these drugs inappropriately. Adolescent boys who experience it have an intense preoccupation with their appearance or fear that their muscles are too small.
Diuretics
Diuretics are drugs used to increase urine flow and sodium excretion to decrease fluid retention, used as medicine against hypertension, heart failure, cirrhosis, kidney disease as well as athletes abusing diuretics to conceal banned substances by rapid and dramatic weight loss – hence their inclusion on WADA’s Prohibited List.
However, these drugs aren’t without risks and if taken in high doses can be potentially deadly. Abuse may lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, muscle cramps, lower blood pressure, decreased stamina levels and even damage of kidneys.
Other performance-enhancing supplements are illegal as well, including erythropoietin and ephedrine, often taken by endurance athletes but which can pose long-term health issues and damage an athlete’s reputation.
Blood doping
Blood doping involves the use of techniques and substances that increase red blood cell counts in order to deliver oxygen directly to muscles, which makes blood doping an effective method for endurance sports. Unfortunately, this practice is illegal and detectable through direct and indirect methods of detection.
Doping to increase oxygen delivery increases blood capacity by artificially increasing levels of erythropoietin, which stimulates production of red blood cells. It is often combined with drugs that increase efficiency such as diuretics or ergogenic aids; however, using this supplement may present serious health risks; increasing viscosity while simultaneously decreasing cardiac output and velocity can increase cardiac arrest risk as well as increase risks such as phlebitis, thrombosis or pulmonary embolism risk.
Ephedrine
Ephedrine is a stimulant drug which increases metabolism by roughly five percent, helping users lose weight and build muscle simultaneously. Unfortunately, however, Ephedrine may lead to heart problems; so users must use it with care.
Preparations containing ephedra alkaloids have grown increasingly popular with athletes as performance-enhancing supplements over the years, due to evidence showing that when combined, ephedrine and caffeine exert greater ergogenic effects than either drug alone.
These preparations of ephedrine work by binding cell receptors together and stimulating an increase in catecholamine release to cause an “anticipatory fight or flight response”, leading to muscle tension that helps burn off more calories than would otherwise be the case during exercise and also increase blood glucose levels during this activity.
Human growth hormone
Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is commonly misunderstood as increasing muscle mass and athletic performance, yet this is untrue. Furthermore, HGH does not work in adults once their growth plates fused. Furthermore, this medication has not been FDA-approved for this use but still widely available through pharmacies and anti-aging clinics.
Prader-Willi syndrome, Turner syndrome, children with idiopathic short stature due to short stature genetics or HIV wasting and excessive fat accumulation associated with lipodystrophy are some of the conditions this treatment has been used for; however it may lead to side effects like facial features drooping down, carpal tunnel compression or fluid retention as potential side effects.
Certain athletes use rhGH to increase performance and enhance their appearance, but must be aware of potential risks, taking care to follow medical advice provided by their physician.
