What is an Ergogenic Aid? - A substance or device that enhances performance - Illegal (e.g. blood doping) or legal (e.g. carbohydrate loading)

3 Types Ergogenic Aids 1. Nutritional Aids 2. Pharmacological Aids 3. Physiological Aids

1. Nutritional Aids  Substances used to enhance performance  Nutrients, metabolic by products of nutrients, food, substances commonly found in food provided in greater amounts than normal

Example: Creatine Description of the substance: - an amino acid produced in the liver that supplies some energy to muscle cells - found in skeletal muscle - increases production of ATP

Why does one take it? - Recall, when ATP is used during short bursts of activity, it turns into ADP - ADP needs a phosphocreatine to turn back into ATP - Supplementing extra creatine speeds up this process - Access is excreted

Availability and Cost - Health food stores, gyms, online, etc… - 20$ to 30$ for a container (500g-1000) - Found naturally in red meats and some carbs

Short and Long Term Effects - Water retention - More energy - Muscles cramps - Upset stomach - Liver dysfunction - Kidney damage - Unknown

Legal or Illegal - Legal Dangers and Risks - Possible damage to organs - May suppress bodies own need to create creatine naturally - Gateway drug - Most unknown

2. Pharmacological Aids  Aka ‘doping’  the use of an artifice, whether substance or method, potentially dangers to an athlete’s health and/or capable of enhancing performance  Need to be aware of over the counter drugs that contain traces  Almost universally banned  Regular testing

Example: Anabolic Steroids Description of the Substance: - Synthetic derivatives of the male hormone testosterone

Why does one take it? - Increase protein synthesis - Aids in the formation of muscle cells - Muscle grow bigger and repair faster Availability and Cost - Drug deals, online sites - $60 to $100 per bottle

Short and Long Term Effects - Muscle size increase - Liver damage - Aggressiveness - Facial hair growth - Deepening voice - Irregularities in the menstrual cycle

Legal or Illegal - Illegal without prescription Dangers or Risks - See side effects - Organ damage - Remember the man whose arms exploded ????

3. Physiological Aids  Practices used by an athlete  Help with performance  May alter heart rate, adrenaline rate, change the growth of muscles and bones  Types: blood doping and drug masking

Recall; Performance Enhancing Substances Include: 1. Nutritional AIDS Vitamins and minerals Proteins and amino acids Releasers of growth hormones Carnitine Creatin Caffine

2. Pharmacological AIDS Pain masking drugs Anabolic steroids Prohormone HGH Erythropoitin Restrictions: alcohol – prohibited Marijuana – impairs psychomotor Local anaesthetics Corticosteriods Beta bolckers

3. Physiological AIDS 1. Blood Doping - removal of one’s own red blood cells - give the body enough time to produce more - Then re-inject removed blood cells, thereby increasing the total volume of oxygen carrying red blood cells - Higher red blood cell count cause heart to work harder and increase the risk of cardiac fatigue and heart failure - Nowadays, blood doping has been replaced by injecting EPO (which causes body to create new RBC)

2. Drug Masking - Drugs used to mask or reduce presence of banned substances – 2 forms - Agents that dilute the concentration of banned drugs in bloodstream - Diuretics which increase amount of urine produced to dilute the substance

Drug Testing - Successful drug testing involves random, year round, and unannounced testing - Athlete provides urine sample – usually after competition but sometimes before - Even if detected, may not be enough - Feerations make pre-set limits for each banned substance - Masking agents are also banned - HGH, testosterone and EPO are more difficult to detect because they have to be distinguished from naturally occuring hormones in the body - Testing positive is based on threshold values for naturally occuring substances in the blood