Does doping also exist among amateur athletes?
Prof. Jean-François Toussaint: The frequency of doping among young people is difficult to estimate. According to Patrick Laure, who has studied this subject well, 3 to 5% of amateur athletes could be in contact with doping substances in order to obtain better performance during certain departmental or regional events. Doping can therefore exist in competitions deemed to be minor.
What type of substances do we take?
Prof. J.-F. Toussaint: Mostly amphetamines or steroids. That is to say products which play on the neuropsychological system and motivation, or substances which increase muscle mass (anabolic effect). We do not have any evidence to conclude on the frequent use of substances such as EPO (erythropoietin) in young amateurs. It must be said that the distribution channels for this product are more complex and more expensive. While amphetamines and steroids are more accessible.
Is this found in all sports?
Prof. J.-F. Toussaint: As soon as a sport requires significant muscle mass, there is a great temptation to resort to illicit substances. In the United States, in university sports competitions, such as rowing, the use of steroids is very common. But it can be found in all sports, even archery with the use of molecules that slow the heart rate. However, each heartbeat changes the position of the arm. If the time between heartbeats is increased by beta blockers which slow down the heart rate, then so are the chances of hitting it right.
Are young people more exposed today?
Prof. Gilbert Peres: Among high-level athletes, it was in the 90s that we reached the peak. Since then, especially in the cycling, the situation has improved. For amateur athletes, things are more mixed. The French Federation of Weightlifting, Bodybuilding, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding (FFHMFAC), the only one recognized by the Ministry of Sports, has cleaned up its halls. But other bodybuilding federations have not taken the same approach.
Prof. J.-F. Toussaint : The problem is that of product availability, with the development of free sales on the Internet. It also corresponds to other increasingly frequent behaviors, such as rapid alcoholism (“binge drinking”): more and more often, we seek strong sensations quickly. Likewise, in sport, we seek rapid progress with less effort. Instead of having a slow and gradual progression, the result of regular and well-conducted training, we want to improve our performance immediately.
Can a young person be doped against his will?
Prof. G. Peres: There are no “signs” of doping. The only clue is that performance is changing too quickly. As for being doped without knowing it, the argument has been used a lot by high level athletes but it is not admissible: to dope, it is all the same to take tablets, to receive injections… We don’t care. see! The situation is a little different for the younger ones, in the hands of a trusted adult who could dope them without their knowing it. Some adults may want to force the fate of their children or those for whom they are responsible.
Where does doping start?
Prof. G. Peres By definition, it is the use of products belonging to a list or the use of prohibited processes. But it is not easy to say where the “natural” methods end and where doping begins. “Diet” products such as creatine are not recognized as “doping”, any more than gamma-oryzanol and certain alcohols derived from plants (Smilax officinalis, Citrus aurantium, etc.), precursors of male hormones. But, even if it is not officially doping, it puts young people on the path to doping behaviors.
What about energy drinks?
Prof. G. Peres: It is not doping. The energy drinks contain water, carbohydrates, a little salt… Formulated for athletes, they are used to compensate for the body’s losses in water, energy and mineral salts. An athlete can secrete 1 to 2 liters of sweat per hour! Energy drinks, on the other hand, are based on caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone. They give a boost, stimulate the brain … As for vitamins, it’s all about the dose: compensating for physiological losses, that’s good. Giving ten times the dose is unnecessary at best, dangerous at worst.
Prof. J.-F. Toussaint: The line between natural stimulants and doping is very blurred. The risk is gradation. We start with harmless food supplements. We continue with food supplements “increased” to the limit of doping, and insidiously we go to hormones.
What are the risks ?
Prof. G. Peres: They are numerous. Even legal and “natural” products can be dangerous. Vitamins in excess (D, some from group B) are toxic to various organs. Too much caffeine speeds up the leakage of calcium, can modify the heart rate and, in case of extrasystoles, cause discomfort, even sudden death … The massive consumption of energy drinks promotes cavities and can induce prediabetic states when they are absorbed outside of exercise.
What advice in case of loss of form?
Prof. J.-F. Toussaint: First listen to the body’s warning messages so as not to put yourself in danger. Then accept the idea of defeat: understanding why, that day, you were not in good shape allows you to adapt your preparation to prevent it from happening again …
Prof. G. Peres : You need a balanced and varied diet, rich in fruits and vegetables. Make sure you stay hydrated, for example with a drink made from natural fruit juice and soda water such as Vichy or Badoit. The famous ” pasta party »Of the day before (8 to 12 hours before the test) keeps all its indications. After exercise, in addition to the recovery drink, yogurt every hour helps soothe the intestinal mucosa and provides valuable proteins for the muscle.
