Side effects of performance-enhancing drugs
An athlete who uses performance-enhancing drugs not only jeopardizes their career and public reputation, but also puts their health at risk. This is because the use of performance-enhancing drugs can cause irreversible damage to the body or even lead to death.
The range of possible side effects is wide, ranging from heart and liver damage to psychological and physical dependence. In this section, you can learn about the side effects to expect when taking banned substances.
The following section provides information on the side effects of stimulants, peptide hormones, narcotics, beta-2 agonists, and diuretics, as well as a link to information on the side effects of anabolic steroid hormones
Side effects of performance-enhancing drugs
The use of high doses of amphetamine can trigger psychosis, hallucinations, and severe psychological dependence.
These side effects correspond to the effects of norepinephrine: blood pressure rises due to constriction of the blood vessels in the periphery. Insufficient dissipation of the heat generated during physical activity leads to heat accumulation.
The body cannot counterregulate this condition and instead overheats. Numerous heart attacks have been observed, some with fatal consequences. "During athletic performance, the fatigue threshold is raised, thereby depleting the so-called 'protected reserve.' It was the famous cyclist drugs (amphetamine, fenetylline, methylphenidate, etc.) that led to numerous deaths."
The most well-known deaths are those of the Danish cyclist Knut Erik Jensen in 1960 at the Olympic Games in Rome and the British cyclist Tom Simpson during the 1967 Tour de France. Essentially, these cases involved the abuse of amphetamine.
Do not underestimate over-the-counter ephedrine
Even ephedrine, despite being available over the counter, should not be underestimated in terms of its effects. In high doses and under competitive conditions, where the human body is subjected to extreme stress, undesirable and unpredictable reactions can occur.
The literature describes side effects and intoxication from ephedrine similar to those of amphetamine:
Restlessness, anxiety, urinary urgency, central nervous system stimulation, psychological changes, muscle tremors, central and myogenic tachycardia, increased blood pressure, extrasystoles, palpitations, insomnia, fever, delusions, visual and auditory hallucinations, convulsions, hyperthermia, cardiac and circulatory collapse, respiratory paralysis.
Chronic use of amphetamine leads to psychological dependence, while physical dependence is only mild.
It was only with the introduction of competition testing that the abuse of these substances could be curtailed, so that health risks are now less likely to occur. However, this applies only to events where doping controls are conducted.
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Example: HGH
Prolonged, uncontrolled use of HGH can lead to elevated blood sugar levels. This can result in damage similar to that seen in diabetes. In general, high doses of HGH can cause clinical symptoms similar to those seen in patients with elevated HGH secretion (the clinical picture of acromegaly).
In such cases, growth processes are observed in all non-bony structures, particularly in organs. In the heart, this can lead to growth processes with pathological changes, potentially resulting in cardiac death.
Example: EPO
Side effects may occur with uncontrolled use of EPO, particularly with high doses over an extended period. The constant increase in the number of red blood cells (hematocrit) leads to a deterioration in blood viscosity, elevated blood pressure, and an increased risk of thrombosis.
Further information
When discussing the side effects of morphine, a general distinction is made between acute and chronic effects:
The most significant acute side effects occur in the event of an overdose in the form of respiratory paralysis, which can lead to vascular damage (oxygen deprivation) and circulatory shock. Fatalities resulting from this are known in the drug scene.
The chronic effects of morphine are generally known as opioid addiction, which can lead to physical and psychological dependence.
The following side effects and intoxications are reported in the literature:
All narcotic analgesics cause nausea and, to varying degrees, have respiratory-depressant and addictive effects; they lead to cerebral seizures, changes in mood (euphoria, occasionally dysphoria), changes in cognitive and sensory performance, changes in activity levels (mostly sedation, occasionally increased activity), dependence, tolerance development, withdrawal syndrome, dry mouth, vomiting, bile duct spasms, orthostatic regulation disorders, circulatory collapse due to oxygen deficiency, dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, coma, and respiratory paralysis.
Side effects of β2-agonists can affect the heart when administered in high doses, as there is a residual effect via β1 receptors. These effects include tachycardia (increased heart rate), angina pectoris, and cardiac arrhythmias.
The most common side effects include muscle tremors, hyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose levels) due to increased glycogen breakdown in the liver, and a decrease in blood potassium levels, which can lead to muscle weakness and cardiac dysfunction, among other things.
The risks faced by athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs are associated with extreme fluid loss, prolonged diuresis, an initial drop in blood pressure in acute cases, and—over time—life-threatening electrolyte imbalances and, in some cases, cardiac arrhythmias.
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