Drug use for various purposes

Last Monday, I ended my column by saying that the quest to gain competitive advantage, no matter how slight, leads to the discovery of new performance-enhancing drugs. Among the alternatives to anabolic-androgenic steroids are stimulants, narcotics, beta-blockers and diuretics.

Stimulants commonly used by athletes are amphetamine and its derivatives like ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, even caffeine and cocaine. Athletes use stimulants for their anorexic or appetite-suppressant effects, particularly when they need to meet the weight requirements of their sports event.

Amphetamines stimulate the central nervous system and increase the heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism and body temperature. These stimulants enhance self-confidence, delay fatigues, increase aggressiveness and mask pain. However, the ability of empethamines to mask pain may lead to even more serious injury since athletes may not have a way of knowing if they have injured themselves.

Cocaine became the new drug of choice in the 1970’s because of its more powerful effects. Cocaine helps athletes get hyped for a game, masks pain and provokes feelings of aggression and competitiveness. Cocaine is especially favored for its fast action, with effects peaking within 15 to 20 minutes.

Cocaine use increases heart rate and causes hypertension. This causes the heart to work double time, thus leading to cardiac arrest and death. Prolonged use of the drug may result in the destruction of the nasal cartilage, depression and addiction. Cocaine use may also lead to possible addictions to alcohol, marijuana, sedatives and other polypharmacies.

Sympathomimetic amines, include ephedrine and its derivatives. Since ephedrine, psuedoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine and phenylephrine are commonly found in over-the-counter respiratory, medications, the possibility for abuse is very high since these are easily accessible.

Because sympathomimetic amines are common ingredients of respiratory medications, their banning has raised several questions. Athletes found with traces of these drugs during tests may not always be guilty of abuse. A case in point is Rick de Mont at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. The American swimmer was stripped of his gold medal in the men’s 400-meter freestyle when he tested positive for ephedrine. De Mont, however, explained that he was given medication by his physician for his asthma.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled that regardless of the reasons he had for taking the drug, he still benefited form its stimulating effects. Thus, he still competed with an unfair advantage. Unfortunately, since de Mont was caught with an alleged doping violation, the IOC also disqualified him from the men’s 1500-meter freestyle -- an event he had dominated an even holds a world record in.

Like ephedrine, caffeine is easily accessible to the general public. It is found in coffee, tea, cocoa and many other products including pills and cold medicines. Side effects of increased caffeine consumption are dehydration, elevated blood-sugar levels, hand tremors, decreased appetite and delayed sleep. It also causes nausea, diarrhea, trembling, headache and nervousness.

Caffeine has become popular as a drug for its ability to burn blood fat and convert it into energy. Its use is especially popular with runners and cyclists, hoping it may increase the effects of maximal oxygen consumption and endurance. Abuse of caffeine leads to fibromyositis or the inflammation of fibromuscular tissue. This condition contributes to muscle weakness and tendonitis.

The IOC Medical Commission has set the illegal urine level of caffeine at 12 mcg/ml. To reach this level, an athlete would have to drink approximately eight cups of brewed coffee a few minutes before competition.

Narcotics are opium derivatives that are used to counter pain create hallucinatory, euphoric effects. Narcotics such as codeine and morphine are used for their effectiveness in masking pain. Its pain-blocking effects have sometimes convinced athletes to attempt feats they would have been incapable of performing. This has led to serious injuries, even death.

Beta-adrenergic blockers are banned in sports such as shooting, biathlon and modern pentathlon. While these drugs are medically used to prevent migraines, cardiac arrythmia and treat hypertension, anxiety and movement tremors, athletes used them to reduce anxiety and nervous tension. This is especially crucial for marksmen, golfers, archers, trap shooters, skiers and figure skaters. The drugs help to slow the heart rate and reduce palpitations, and to steady their motions.