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Pelters P. The good, the bad and the ugly - a Swedish qualitative interview study about the landscape of meaning-imbued, exercise-related physical pain, as experienced by 'normal' gym-users. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1167. [PMID: 38664787 PMCID: PMC11047003 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18623-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The gym is a well-known place for health promoting or rehabilitating exercise whose availability to all is regarded significant for people's personal health work and the public's health. In this context, physical pain is usually discussed as something negative that people seek to dispose of. However, certain painful experiences appear to be an appreciated part of the gym experience. To investigate this seemingly contradictory landscape of meaning-imbued physical pain, the study aims to explore the different kinds of physical pain present at the gym and their significance for exercising, as experienced by 'normal' gym-users. METHODS 24 semi-structured in-depth interviews with active, dedicated, reasonably healthy (= normal) adult gym-users have been analyzed using qualitative content analysis from a hermeneutical stance. RESULTS Participants differentiate between three kinds of physical pain: the good pain of enhancement (often connected to muscle soreness and effort burn), the bad pain of impediment (primarily related to acute damage) and the composite, neutral pain of acceptance (potentially linked to all pains). CONCLUSION When pursuing the goal of personal health development, normal gym-users argue that exercising at the gym means to expose yourself to pain and to do so willingly, even longingly. Refusing to share this understanding may diminish people's chances to occupy the gym space and, hence, reduce their chances to promote their health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pelle Pelters
- Department of Education, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden.
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Thomas D, Shabeek AA, Ahmed H, Mohammed M, Kawaguchi-Suzuki M, Anderson A, Gopakumar A, Alhosani R, Khalifa S, Mottram D. Impact of an educational flyer and sensitization on performance-enhancement attitudes of bodybuilders in United Arab Emirates. F1000Res 2024; 12:208. [PMID: 38533422 PMCID: PMC10964001 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.130700.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background A high proportion of bodybuilders use supplements to improve performance, with some turning to prohibited substances and methods. The attitudes of bodybuilders towards performance enhancement may be gauged through surveys such as the Performance Enhancement Attitude Scales (PEAS). Educational interventions are recommended as part of anti-doping measures. The objective of this project was to assess the impact of a pharmacy-led intervention using an antidoping educational flyer and the performance enhancement attitude scale to measure the attitude of bodybuilders in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods The PEAS eight-item short form questionnaire was administered to male bodybuilders in the UAE. The PEAS was conducted before and after administration of an educational flyer concerning the problems associated with supplement use among bodybuilders. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank and Kruskal Wallis tests were used for data analysis. Results A total of 218 bodybuilders, who reported taking dietary supplements, filled out the survey both pre and post viewing the antidoping educational flyer. A difference was observed between the full-time professional bodybuilders, students, and part-time bodybuilders with other primary occupations (p-value <0.05). In addition, PEAS score decreased among the study population for all eight PEAS items (p-value <0.05). Conclusions The pharmacy-led intervention using an antidoping educational flyer and sensitization by PEAS achieved more favorable scores, suggesting a significant shift of opinion toward avoiding use of performance enhancing substances among the bodybuilder study population. More research is required on sustaining the attitude and demonstrating the impact on doping behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dixon Thomas
- College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Hala Ahmed
- College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Malak Mohammed
- College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | | | | | - Aji Gopakumar
- Department of Research, Emirates Health Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Sherief Khalifa
- College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - David Mottram
- Pharmacy and pharmaceutical science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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Horn J. The dichotomy between health and drug abuse in bodybuilding. NORDIC STUDIES ON ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 2024; 41:212-225. [PMID: 38645972 PMCID: PMC11027851 DOI: 10.1177/14550725231206011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the expansion and prevalence of anabolic steroid use by examining the divergent effects between health and drug abuse and to create more awareness around the harmful consequences of these drugs when administered at abusive levels. Methods: A focused and concise literature search was conducted, and 101 high-quality articles were included in the review. Results: The findings underscore the adverse health risks of steroid abuse, emphasizing the stark contrast between health and drug abuse. Conclusions: While steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs can yield muscle growth, strength and even fat loss, abusing these substances can lead to adverse health outcomes. Furthermore, within the fitness subculture, particularly in the realm of bodybuilding, steroid abuse fosters an atmosphere of cheating and deception, frequently downplaying or ignoring the negative and sometimes deadly consequences it brings.
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Mantri S, Agarwal S, Jaiswal A, Yelne S, Prasad R, Wanjari MB. Bodybuilding: A Comprehensive Review of Performance-Enhancing Substance Use and Public Health Implications. Cureus 2023; 15:e41600. [PMID: 37559855 PMCID: PMC10409494 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.41600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of performance-enhancing substances in bodybuilding is a well-known and long-standing issue. This comprehensive review article provides a detailed overview of the history of performance-enhancing substance use in bodybuilding, the types of substances commonly used, and the short-term and long-term health effects associated with their use. Additionally, the article discusses the regulation of performance-enhancing substances in various countries and the role of healthcare professionals in preventing substance use. The article also highlights the impact of substance use on society and the importance of prevention and intervention strategies. Finally, the article emphasizes the role of policymakers in addressing performance-enhancing substance use, including the development of regulations, penalties for violating rules, and the provision of resources for prevention and intervention programs. Overall, this review article sheds light on the dark side of bodybuilding and provides insight into the public health implications of performance-enhancing substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saket Mantri
- Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, IND
| | - Sristy Agarwal
- Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Rersearch, Wardha, IND
| | - Arpita Jaiswal
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Rersearch, Wardha, IND
| | - Seema Yelne
- Nursing, Shalinitai Meghe College of Nursing, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, IND
| | - Roshan Prasad
- Medicine and Surgery, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, IND
| | - Mayur B Wanjari
- Research and Development, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, IND
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Vauhkonen PK, Laajala TD, Lindroos KM, Mäyränpää MI. Female doping: observations from a data lake study in the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Finland. BMC Womens Health 2023; 23:242. [PMID: 37161416 PMCID: PMC10170745 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02399-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Doping is a well-recognized risk factor for several potentially severe health effects. Scientific literature concerning the need for medical treatment for such adversities is still sparse. This is especially true for women, due to lower doping use prevalence compared to men. Our study explored the nature of medical contacts and deviance in red blood cell parameters of female patients with doping use in Finnish specialized health care. METHODS This was a retrospective register study. The study sample was gathered from the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Finland (HUS) Datalake. An exhaustive search for doping related terms was performed to find patients with doping use documentation within free-text patient records. Medical record data was supplemented with laboratory data and medical diagnoses covering a total observation time of two decades. Statistical analysis included Fisher's Exact Test and one-way ANOVA. RESULTS We found 39 female patients with history of doping use and specialized health care contacts in the HUS-area between 2002-2020. At initial contact (i.e., the first documentation of doping use), the mean age of these patients was 33.6 years (min 18.1, max 63.5, SD 10.6). The most frequently used doping agents were anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS). The initial contacts were significantly more often acute in nature among patients with active doping use than among patients with only previous use (no use within one year; p = 0.002). Psychiatric and substance use disorder (SUD) morbidity was high (46.2% and 30.8%, respectively). Eight patients (20.5%) had received specialized health care for acute poisoning with alcohol or drugs, and nine (23.1%) for bacterial skin infections. Less than 45% of patients with active AAS use presented with off-range red blood cell parameters. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that female patients with a history of doping use encountered in specialized health care may exhibit high psychiatric and SUD related morbidity. Also, majority of patients with AAS use had red blood cell parameters within-range. Further studies are required to assess the generalizability of these findings to patients within primary health care services, and to determine the usefulness of hematological parameters as indicators of AAS use in female patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Katriina Vauhkonen
- Forensic Medicine Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30 (Mannerheimintie 166), 00271, Helsinki, Finland.
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63 (Haartmaninkatu 3), 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Teemu Daniel Laajala
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Turku, Yliopistonmäki (Vesilinnantie 5), 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Katarina Mercedes Lindroos
- Forensic Medicine Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30 (Mannerheimintie 166), 00271, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mikko Ilari Mäyränpää
- Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21 (Haartmaninkatu 3), 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 340, FI-00029, Helsinki, Finland
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Gibbs N. #Sponseredathlete: the marketing of image and performance enhancing drugs on Facebook and Instagram. TRENDS IN ORGANIZED CRIME 2023:1-40. [PMID: 37363752 PMCID: PMC10043544 DOI: 10.1007/s12117-023-09491-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
This article sets out to investigate the marketing of image and performance enhancing drugs (IPEDs) on the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. Drawing upon a 'connective' ethnographic exploration of IPED use and supply, the paper first outlines a supplier typology on these platforms, before shedding light on the marketing strategies employed by sellers in order to overcome the inherent distrust of online sales and build a trustworthy brand. Techniques identified include athlete sponsorship, the sharing of bodybuilding fitspiration content, self-objectification, posting images showcasing transformation photos and customer feedback, and seasonal sales and promotions. Analysis encompasses the centrality of product branding, the overlaps between licit and illicit market advertising strategies, and the affordances of the platforms under study. Finally, conclusions relating to the implications of these findings to scholarship, policy, and regulation are offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Gibbs
- Northumbria University, Lipman 032, 2 Sandyford Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8SB UK
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Amaral JMX, Kimergård A, Deluca P. Prevalence of anabolic steroid users seeking support from physicians: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e056445. [PMID: 35788077 PMCID: PMC9255415 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To estimate the overall prevalence of androgenic-anabolic steroids (AAS) users seeking support from physicians. Secondary objectives are to compare this prevalence in different locations and among subpopulations of AAS users, and to discuss some of the factors that could have influenced the engagement of AAS users with physicians. DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science and SciELO were searched in January 2022. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Quantitative and qualitative studies reporting the number of AAS users who sought support from physicians, with no restrictions of language or time of publication. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed the quality of studies, including publication bias. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to estimate the overall prevalence of AAS users seeking support from physicians, followed by pooled prevalence rates by studies' location and the subpopulation of AAS users. RESULTS We identified 36 studies published between 1988 and 2021, involving 10 101 AAS users. The estimated overall prevalence of AAS users seeking support from physicians is 37.12% (95% CI 29.71% to 44.52%). Higher prevalence rates were observed in studies from Australia (67.27%; 95% CI 42.29% to 87.25%) and among clients of the needle and syringe exchange programme (54.13%; 95% CI 36.41% to 71.84%). The lowest prevalence was observed among adolescent AAS users (17.27%; 95% CI 4.80% to 29.74%). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that about one-third of AAS users seek support from physicians, with remarkable differences between locations and subpopulations of AAS users. Further studies should investigate the factors influencing the engagement of AAS users with physicians. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42020177919.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andreas Kimergård
- Addictions, King's College London Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Paolo Deluca
- Addictions, King's College London Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
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Macho J, Mudrak J, Slepicka P. Enhancing the Self: Amateur Bodybuilders Making Sense of Experiences With Appearance and Performance-Enhancing Drugs. Front Psychol 2021; 12:648467. [PMID: 34177704 PMCID: PMC8232052 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we implemented a methodological framework of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) and a theoretical conceptualization of multiple selves to explore the subjective accounts of six amateur bodybuilders using appearance- and performance-enhancing drugs (APEDs). The participants made sense of their bodybuilding careers and experiences with APEDs in a way that showed a multiplicity and complexity of reasons for using APEDs, which stemmed from tensions they perceived between the context of bodybuilding and other life domains. The participants’ reasons for the use of APEDs included not only enhancing their body, appearance and performance but also enhancing other subjectively important psychological characteristics, such as agency and self-control, the development of knowledge and expertise, sense of meaning, well-being, and quality of life. In the analysis, we integrated these themes through the concept of the “extraordinary self,” based on which our participants strived for self-actualization through bodybuilding and the use of APEDs. In the sense making of our participants, a potential “exit point” subverting their APED use emerged from a tension between such “extraordinary selves” and the “ordinary selves” through which they perceived APEDs as preventing them from living normal, balanced lives outside the context of bodybuilding. However, success in balancing the two selves also created the possibility of the future use of APEDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juraj Macho
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology and Didactics, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jiri Mudrak
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology and Didactics, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Pavel Slepicka
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology and Didactics, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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Liokaftos D. Sociological investigations of human enhancement drugs: The case of microdosing psychedelics. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2021; 95:103099. [PMID: 33518382 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.103099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Microdosing psychedelics is the regular use of sub-perceptive threshold doses of substances such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin ('magic') mushrooms. The phenomenon has attracted increasing public and scientific attention in numerous countries in recent years. This commentary looks at microdosing psychedelics as an emerging facet of human enhancement through drugs. After presenting a narrative based on a multidisciplinary body of literature on human enhancement drugs and microdosing, the commentary maps out directions for further sociological studies of the phenomenon as well as outlining the different fields such research can contribute to.
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