Why Do Athletes Take Performance Enhancing Drugs?
Jon Jones is a without a doubt a controversial name in the UFC, especially due to his upcoming fight against Alexander Gustafsson in UFC 232. Jones is known for taking anabolic steroids in the past, and was recently shown to have traces of the metabolite of Turinabol, a slow acting oral anabolic steroid, resulting in increased strength, lean muscle mass and testosterone. This is a drug that he took in July of 2017 where he was revoked of his license and charged with a $205,000 fine. But this is not an article to outline what happened and the controversy facing the Jones-Gustafsson fight, but is one to outline why an athlete may take performance enhancing drugs.
Although being a taboo subject to talk about, there has been research that looks into the attitudes, beliefs and knowledge of doping in sport. A 2013 research review found there were 3 main reasons for doping:
Achieving athletic success
Improved recovery from injury
Prevention of nutritional deficiencies
Additionally, research found athletes reported using performance enhancing drugs for an array of reasons. German professional athletes stated doping to boost financial gain (following greater athletic success), and surprisingly to increase their self-confidence and social recognition. This highlights that as well as a gaining a physical advantage in their sport, doping may serve a mental advantage in the form of increasing confidence.
Albeit a less common reason for using performance enhancing drugs, research found encouragement by coaches, family and friends was a reason for taking these drugs. Even though we control our own behaviours, i.e. Choosing to take steroids, the impact of our support network and significant others shouldn't be dismissed; especially when considering our attitudes, beliefs and values are in part formed from assimilating that of others around us.
Relating to the influence of others on pro-doping behaviours and attitudes, athletes are more likely to dope when they perceive other athletes in their sport to engage in doping, in a "if they're doping then why shouldn't I?" mentality. If this holds true its logical to assume the media continually publicising caught doping athletes may not serve as a deterrent for athletes, but highlight more athletes may be doping who haven't been caught, so why not join the herd?
Taking this a step further, there may be certain cultural and social norms within each sport that shift athletes to have a positive attitude towards doping. For example, Young elite Swiss cyclists viewed using performance enhancing drugs was essential for continuing their athletic career at a professional level. Although not representing the entire cycling culture, this research shines light to the potential sport-cultural and social norms towards doping at a certain level.
Outside of the superficial reasons of improving athletic performance during competition, doping can serve to ensure the maintenance of health, which would seem highly counter-intuitive considering the side effects of some performance enhancing drugs. It was found that high performance and elite junior track and field athletes used drugs to maintain health, increase energy and improve exercise recovery.
What may help shift doping attitudes?
The most effective and short answer would be education. Everyone is told not to do drugs, and athletes are told they shouldn't dope. But the issue lies in the lack of accessible information regarding why, as 63.2% of athletes had access to anti-doping information in a 2009 study. Therefore, the remaining 36.8% athletes may be ignorant to why they shouldn't engage in pro-doping behaviour. Surely in order to internalise anti-doping attitudes and behaviours, proper education in what drugs are banned, why they are banned and what the physical, mental and sporting consequences are is necessary.
Article by Edgar Chekera