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Androgenic anabolic steroids increase muscle strength, muscle size, and lean body mass. They are also illegal and 99% of users report adverse side effects, some which are permanent and/or life threatening.
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Human growth hormone can affect body composition but there is no evidence that it increases strength, endurance, power, or workload capacity.
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Blood doping and erythropoietin increase endurance and Vo2Max but carry significant risk for cardiovascular complications and infectious diseases. These
Nutritional Supplements and Ergogenic Aids
Section snippets
Key points
Introduction and overview
In the so-called age of performance-enhancing drugs, there are both increasing pressures to compete and increasing means, both legal and illegal, by which athletes try to obtain a competitive edge (Table 1). Nutritional supplements and ergogenic aids have been used for centuries and are becoming ever more sophisticated and supported by science. Regardless of the level of athletes one cares for, these following general facts are important:
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Athletes of all ages and competition levels may use
Overview
The use of androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) has become a hot topic not only in sports medicine but also in the mainstream media. The use of AAS has left indelible images in our society from US congressional hearings to Olympic controversies. Initial accounts of AAS use in the Olympics have been traced back to the 1950s by Soviet weightlifters, who were alleged to have used testosterone to enhance their performance. The mentality is echoed in comments from 1956 Olympic hammer-throw Gold
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Athletes
2019, Clinics in Sports MedicineCitation Excerpt :Athletes with ADHD who are treated with stimulant medication benefit from the mitigation of symptoms but may seek a secondary gain to use stimulant medication as a performance enhancer outside of ADHD treatment. Amphetamines have been used by athletes to increase alertness, delay fatigue, and provide a feeling of aggressiveness.29 Amphetamines may increase strength, muscle power, speed, acceleration, aerobic power, and anaerobic capacity, and improve reaction time when fatigued.30,31
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2017, Food and Chemical ToxicologyCitation Excerpt :However, in higher dosages (more than 2000 mg/day), it can cause severe hypertension, arrhythmias, seizures and even death. Individuals that are more sensitive may present adverse effects at lower dosages (Schwenk and Costley, 2002; Holmgren et al., 2004; Kerrigan and Lindsey, 2005; Liddle and Connor, 2013; Gurley et al., 2015). Caffeine is a major component of dietary supplements, mainly in products for weight loss, energetics and athletic performance enhancers (Gurley et al., 2015).
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