Dwain Chambers was a promising young english sprinter who achieved gold in the 100m at the 2002 European Championships. He had everything going for him. The future was bright. When a few failures followed, one which stopped him winning another medal, Chambers did something that not only helped him win a race, but consequently caused him to lose his medals, and any chance of ever entering the Olympics…

What led to this, and a 2 year ban from athletics, was the taking of performance enhancing drug THG, an Anabolic Steriod one of several types of drugs used to improve athletic performance. But professional athletes aren’t the only ones tempted by performance enhancing drug (PED) related shortcuts to athletic success. Increasingly teenaged athletes are being tempted by the promise of improved achievement. Many unaware of the side effects, particularly dangerous in bodies not yet fully developed.
Russell Langley, head of press for Drug Free Sport at UK Sport, (the national anti doping organisation for the UK), told me why athletes are willing to go to these measures.

“Athletes look for improvement to their strength and stamina and their ability to recover from injury or training, so they can push themselves harder”. Russell also told me that young people are using these drugs outside of sport, “There is evidence to suggest that they are being used for cosmetic purposes such as bulking up”, a practice popular with bodybuilders and football players.

Teen athletes in particular can be unaware of the vast range of side effects caused by many performance enhancing drugs.

Here’s a list of the main drugs and their potential side effects.

Steroids – synthetic versions of the hormone testosterone. Steroids can damage the heart and liver and can halt bone growth, so are particularly dangerous for those still growing. In males steroids can cause impotence, increased acne and baldness, in females, male characteristics. Teens who take anabolic steroids may have angry outbursts know as ‘roid rage’.

Growth hormones – build muscle, strengthen connective tissue and decreases recovery time. They can trigger diabetes, Thyroid deficiency, acromegaly (a condition marked by growth of hands, feet and head), an enlarged heart and cancer. The most common side effects are blurred vision, erratic heartbeat and severe headaches.

Blood doping and EPO – boost red blood cells enhancing athletic capacity and stamina. Side effects include kidney damage, circulatory strain, blood clotting and heart failure.

Worryingly many of these drugs are available through over the counter prescription and the internet. According to an article published by Mayo Clinic, a not-for-profit medical practice, there are 3 million users of anabolic steroids in the USA alone and 10% of these are teenagers. It’s thought that young athletes find out what is available via word of mouth from friends, fellow athletes, coaches and support staff. So apart from the easy access, how do young athletes come to actually taking these drugs? The answers I found fit many other teenage situations.

Drug testing came into action in the late 60s and has progressed as the problem has become more severe. In 1999 the world Anti doping agency was founded to control policies and testing and to make sure each country sticks to central guidelines. So if testing is doing its job why are athletes still taking drugs? Dwain Chambers was reported to say in a BBC’s Inside Sport programme, “I was under the assumption that I wouldn’t get caught”. I asked Russell what he thought of Dwain’s remark, “It’s a naive assumption and he’s had to suffer the consequences of getting caught”.
Russell told me there have been cases where coaches have been involved in promoting drugs to young athletes. In fact Chamber’s own coach, Korchemny, was revealed to have who supplied illegal drugs to athletes for some years. To stop coaches influencing athletes they now come under the world anti doping code. Meaning they will be banned from sport if they are found to be responsible.

Drug testing for athletes is random and clearly very strict. I was surprised to find out normal supplements can also be classed as drugs. Russell told me, “We have found that many supplements contain banned substances that are not on the labels and a number of athletes have failed tests as a result.” Despite all these measures, judging from the amount of athletes and people taking PEDs, it seems drug use will always be in sport. I asked Russell for his thoughts, “I think it’s unlikely it will be totally eradicated so there will always be a job for us to do”. It’s a sad thought but he’s probably right. Some people just aren’t happy with what they achieve and want better, but why bother at the cost of true achievement?

As a young athlete myself I understand the huge pressure on athletes which may cause them to consider taking drugs. We push ourselves so hard to achieve it’s understandable some try for an easy solution. But those who do give in to temptation, are not only cheating themselves, they are also putting their bodies at risk of dangerous substances. If you are a young athlete, wouldn’t you rather achieve something that you have put time and effort into instead of taking a drug to win? Surely the buzz and sense of achievement you get from a fake win is nothing you get from the real thing? As Russell Langely of UK Sport put it “If you work hard, look after your body, and if you are dedicated, you can succeed; you don’t need drugs to win at the highest level.”

So go on, get training!

Natalie Myers