Drugs in sport
If you have questions about performance enhancing drugs in sports, this is where you’ll find answers. Is creatine safe? How about ribose, salbutamol and ephedrine? Doping in sports is a hot topic, so read on to find out… To browse our library of free sports training articles, browse using the categories on the left or use the search box.
4 Free Sports Injury reports: To download your free Achilles Tendinitis, Knee Pain, Core Stability and Shoulder Injuries reports, use the form below: (As a bonus, we'll start sending you our free weekly newsletter, Sports Performance Bulletin.)
You can either browse below to see everything, or you can click on one of these headers to skip down to that section.
Articles
We'll pay you to ask questions
Got a question about sport? We'll pay you to ask it, and pay more to answer others' questions!
Medicine Use Harms Sports performance
Athletes at risk from prescribed medicines
Prescribed drug can cause damage after eccentric exercise
Antidepressants may cause muscle damage…
Testosterone prohormone supplements: The Risks
Andro supplements don’t help and can be harmful
Pseudoephedrine's Ergogenic Effect
Drug removed from banned list is ergogenic
Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports
Drugs in sport: why testing is not enough
How caffeine boosts team play
What's good, what's bad and what's plain ugly?
Prohormones : Warning! - contaminated dietary supplements can seriously damage your career
sodium bicarbonate & sodium citrate
Sodium Bicarbonate & Sodium Citrate
Blood Doping: New warning on blood doping
Disordered eating is rare in Chinese athletes
Nandrolone testing
Banned Substances: Athletes still at risk of accidental doping
Sports Science Glossary Part 4
Sports Science Glossary Part 4
World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) : New WADA guidelines for 2006 - how do they affect athletes?
Antioxidant Diets: Low antioxidant diets may hamper fuel delivery
Body Composition & Exercise: Exercise intensity and body composition
Creatine: is it really safe for long-term use?
Creatine Use: Long-term creatine use is safe
Performance Enhancing Drugs
Drugs in sport: From EPO to gene doping: Ron Maughan on the ceaseless quest for the undetectable magic bullet and the sterling efforts of the 'good guys' to stay ahead of the game
Drugs in sport: “Far from being unfair, drugs that enhance performance actually promote equality”
NSAIDS: Contraction-induced muscle injury - why NSAIDS don't help
Salbutamol: Ergogenic effects of salbutamol
Gacik: is it even better than creatine?
serum ferritin levels | iron overload
Serum ferritin levels: Iron overload in cyclists
Modafinil: Banned drug works as ergogenic aid
Drugs in sport: Let athletes take drugs, but I don't want them in my club - or at my Olympics'
Adenosine: ATP is no creatine
Creatine supplements: Selective effects of creatine
Ribose - Why ribose does not make the grade as the 'new creatine' for sports performers
hodiola rosea | cordyceps sinensis
Hodiola rosea & cordyceps sinensis - Chinese supplements don't work for cyclists
ADHD drugs in sport
Creatine for vegetarians
Anabolic steroid abuse - Another risk of anabolic steroid abuse
Exercise induced asthma: Take a deep breath - and learn to manage your asthma without falling foul of doping regulations
Human growth hormone hGH - Don't waste money - and risk your reputation on human growth hormone; make your own instead!
Steroids - How steroids raise blood pressure
contraceptive pill and performance
The Pill may be the most effective contraceptive and the best way to manipulate your cycle for important events, but are you aware of its physiological effects and their impact on performance?
Ephedrine effects
performance enhancing drugs | supplement contamination
Performance enhancing drugs: How to protect yourself - and your reputation - from drug contamination
oral contraceptives | athletic performance
Oral contraceptives and athletic performance
Hiv Risk And Sport: What's the real risk of HIV transmission during sports activities?
Creatine: Sedentary elderly gain most from creatine supplementation
HMB supplement | beta-hydroxy betamethylbutyrate
HMB supplement benefits may not be so significant for trained athletes
Echinacea: Can the 'prairie doctor' give your immune system a boost?
Ergogenic aid, but with a price to be paid
Hydration: Drink your way to winning performances: the seven secrets of hydration.
Ginseng gets thumbs-down as ergogenic aid
athletes' lungs | training | asthma | lung diseases
How training takes its toll on athletes' lungs
Sports nutritional supplements survey
Sports Nutritional Supplements Survey: what the nutrition experts take
How do creatine and phosphate actually work?
Flexibility: A physiotherapist explains the science behind the importance of keeping flexible
Coffee to go: how caffeine may shave seconds off your time
St john's wort | endurance athletes
Is St John's Wort a good mood-lifter for depressed endurance athletes?
Chronotype and Performance: More research on the larks and the owls
Dhea Danger | Dhea Benefits | Dhea
Dhea Danger And Dhea Benefits: Is DHEA really, as some suggest, the fountain of youth in a bottle?
Bodybuilders: myths about nutrition
Bodybuilders: Myths About Nutrition: How do bodybuilders keep going on this diet of myths and contradictions?
PMT and performance
Distance Events: The risks of going long: when the super-fit endurance athlete turns into the heart attack victim
Creatine side effects: Supplementation with creatine is safe - but it works best for men
Chromium Supplements: Chromium is not all it's beefed up to be.
Marijuana shown to be a gateway to steroid use in Norwegian teens
Prozac: The amazing case of the burnt out athlete who suddenly caught fire.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: Tips for avoiding delayed onset muscle soreness (the dreaded DOMS)
Aerobic exercise beats drugs for depression
creatine side effects | creatine facts
Creatine side effects: are we to believe the latest scare stories about creatine?
Dietary Supplements
Dangers Of Chromium Picolinate
Dangers Of Chromium Picolinate: If you want to build muscle and lose fat, will a chromium supplement help? Here's a cool look at the facts
High-altitude Eating: Follow this eating plan to stop high altitude getting you down.
Genetic engineering and sport: has the future already arrived?
Coca-cola: Many athletes use Coca-Cola as a sports drink, but does exercise really go better with Coke?
creatine | endurance athletes | weight gain
Creatine and endurance athletes - The correct dose of creatine can help endurance athletes - without making them gain weight
Creatine Information: Could caffeine take the buzz out of your creatine?
Endorphins: Weight trainers miss out on the "runner's high"
athletes drug testing in sport
Athletes Drug Testing In Sport: What do you do when running breathes meaning into every moment of your life - and you're suddenly told that you can't run anymore?
Blood Substitutes: New blood substitutes pose lethal risks
Androstenedione effects - do andro supplements really work?
swimming pools medical hazards
A quick look at the medical hazards of swimming in pools.
Sports Supplements: Experts determine what's really in bee pollen - but does the stuff actually work?
Calories and resistance training
Calories and resistance training: Bulk up on calories
Tyrosine: Can Tyrosine boost exercise performance?
Pyruvate supplements get the thumbs down
Bone-strengthening: The remarkable soya bean can help guard against osteoporosis, and that's only the beginning.
Ergogenic Aids: Nasal Strips
Creatine facts: The latest research results are all good - and don't believe the rumour that it causes cramp.
Arginine: In the gym, bodybuilders push heavy pieces of iron around in order to bulk up their muscles, but at their dinner tables they do strange things.. In an attempt to become leaner, they reduce their caloric intakes as they train for important competitions, even though decreased eating can lead to losses of muscle mass.
Zinc deficiency: the risk for athletes
Eleutherococcus Senticosus: Can adaptogens help athletes reduce their risk of infections and overtraining?
Women suffer most muscle damage after strenuous exercise
Achilles Heel Injury Prevention: These exercises can turn your Achilles heel into a rock of Gibraltar
Creatine Accumulation: Factors modifying creatine accumulation in human skeletal muscle
Rub on skin creams for injuries: real relief or just quackery?
Endurance Performance: Conventional training for distance events is dead: now you need to work on your anaerobic power
Anyone for Crocodile Haemoglobin?
The Gender Gap 2: Women are getting slower; men are getting faster?
Creatine Effects: A man who is showing athletes how to use advances in sports nutrition to produce dramatic improvements in their performances.
Genetics and Performance: Now science is getting to the long and the short of how genes influence performance
Creatine: Now school kids are creatine users
Clenbuterol side effects: Rats! Clenbuterol may reduce, not enhance, performance, and stiffen heart muscles to boot
swimming stroke technique training
Swimming Stroke Technique Training: Here's an overview of the basics of technique for all strokes (plus a bit extra) and specific training needs
Choline: Supplements of this essential compound have helped swimmers, basketball players and distance runners
Creatine: Much of the research work on creatine supplementation has focused on short-term exercise, since creatine is linked to the phosphocreatine energy pathway. A paper by workers at West Sussex Institute examined the effect of oral creatine supplementation in longer-term exercise, this time on the bike.
Alcohol And Sport: What effects does alcohol have on sports performance?
Steroids boost injury risk from strength training
Echinacea - Ward off infection with 'the prairie doctor'
mitochondria functions and research
Mitochondria Functions - More mitochondria mean more PBs, but what do you have to do to get them?
Creatine serves tennis players poorly
Sport By Sport Diet Guide: Whatever your sport, nutrition should be an integral part of your training and competition strategy. Although the emphasis will vary according to the activity you're involved in, there is a consensus among sports scientists on guidelines that athletes should be aiming for.
Creatine works for competitive squash players...
Fat burning zone - Why athletes, fitness enthusiasts and slimmers should steer clear of the fat burning zone
Sports Supplements: Here's a survey of what the nutrition experts take
Dangers Of Ephedrine: Here's what happens when you put a little ephedrine in your coffee.
Creatine Monohydrate Effects: Dietary supplementation with an important amino acid called creatine has been linked with greater muscle strength during weight-lifting exercise, faster running times during 1000-metre intervals, and improved recovery following intense exercise.
Race And Sport 2: The race to the swift - if the swift have the right ancestry
St john's wort | endurance
Is St John's Wort a good mood-lifter for depressed endurance athletes?
gender verification | olympics | sport
Gender verification at the Olympics
Vitamin C & Zinc: Do these popular supplements really reduce your risk of getting a cold?
Creatine: Another knock for creatine - it doesn't seem to help cyclists.
Adaptogens: What exactly are " adaptogens" and can they really help your performances.
Nutrition: The latest wisdom on supplements: look, listen and think - before you eat (or drink)
Farabloc: How muscles can be shielded against delayed onset muscle soreness
Beta blockers side effects and exercise
Beta Blockers Side Effects And Exercise: Many people with heart disease or high blood pressure (hypertension) are on long-term B-blocker therapy.
Creatine supplements work at lower levels
swimming related sports injuries
Swimming related sports injuries: You may think that swimmers never get hurt. If so, read on
Creatine: Can creatine work for younger performers?
Delayed muscle soreness - aspirin
Delayed muscle soreness - is it worth taking an aspirin?
glucosamine chondroitin sulphate
Glucosamine Chondroitin Sulphate: This substance looks beneficial for osteoathritis, but will it do anything for an athlete's stiff joints?
Ergogenic Aids - Oxygen Supplementation
Ergogenic Aids - Oxygen Supplementation
Benefits Of Chromium Picolinate
Benefits Of Chromium Picolinate: If you want to build muscle and lose fat, will a chromium supplement help? Here's a cool look at the facts
Can Vitamin E (a-tocopherol) supplementation boost the performances of endurance athletes? Some sports nutritionists think that it might.
Salbutamol does not boost endurance
Overtraining: Can adaptogens help athletes reduce their risk of infections and overtraining?
Factors modifying creatine accumulation in human skeletal muscle
Endurox | sport nutrition supplement
Endurox: Don't be taken in too soon by the claims of this latest " magic potion"
creatine studies and information
Creatine Studies And Information: This German study suggests that low doses of creatine can help endurance athletes when they need to surge or kick for the line
Carbohydrate protection against muscle damage
Eating in a way that keeps your body primed for peak fitness can also reduce your risk of injury. Firstly, eating foods that will help to fend off fatigue will minimise injuries arising from tiredness and weakness. Secondly, some of the metabolic processes which can lead to muscle soreness and damage can be counteracted to a degree by dietary factors.
Steroids boost injury risk from strength training
Creatine and recovery intervals
Female cyclists | health | nutrition
Female cyclists health and nutrition: A guide to the proper care and feeding of female cyclists.
Achilles heel, tendons, achilles tendinitis therapy and surgery
Achilles tendinitis interrupts many training programmes and ruins many plans for PBs. It is also the most common injury in athletes over the age of 40, and - unfortunately - it's a problem which doesn't go away very quickly: Traditional treatments for Achilles tendinitis (ie, rest, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, orthotics, cortisone injections, icing, ultrasound, and conventional physical therapy) are not very successful, and about 25 per cent of athletes who suffer from chronic Achilles-tendinitis problems end up undergoing surgery.
Tennis Elbow Treatment: Between 10 and 50 per cent of players suffer from this nagging complaint. Here's what science says about treating and preventing it.
Sports Psychology Resistance: Why is it that athletes so often resist the benefits of sports psychology?
Creatine now shown to boost performance in trained sprinters
Ginseng: Another scientific study gives the thumbs down.
How Creatine Can Prevent Mental Fatigue
Vanadyl Sulfate: Body builders swear by it, but is this stuff really any use to athletes?
Exercise-induced Diarrhoea
alpha lipoic acid | acetyl L-carnitine
Alpha lipoic acid and acetyl L-carnitine: could alpha lipoic acid and acetyl L-carnitine combine to form the Elixir of Life?
Steroid side effects: steroid side effects may persist after withdrawal
conjugated linoleic acid | cla
Conjugated linoleic acid: is conjugated linoleic acid really a magic route to fat loss and a healthy old age?
Ibuprofen | delayed onset muscle soreness
Ibuprofen muscle soreness: Does Ibuprofen reduce the painful effects of delayed-onset muscle soreness?
vitamin C | delayed-onset muscle soreness
Vitamin C: post-exercise Vitamin C does not aid recoveryf rom delayed-onset muscle soreness
zinc | athletes | immune systems
Zinc supplements and athletes' immune systems
adenosine triphosphate | phosphocreatine
Adenosine triphosphate is often called the universal energy donor, but a better label would be the body's 'primary energy currency'
pseudoephedrine | phenylpropanolamine | ephedrines decongestants
Pseudoephedrine and phenylpropanolamine: ephedrine decongestants are not ergogenic
Chromium picolinateclaims: just how ergogenic is this trace element - and how much is too much?
Questions
What alternatives are there to NSAIDs .
I am a 48 year old 1st Dan Black Belt, I tested in May of 06, I am continuing on to work toward my 2nd degree. I want to continue and perserve my joints in the process.
What do you think of the Peak Performance Premium area? (!)
As the main provider of information in this area, I'd like to find out what you think about the videos and the articles in particular.
How do u get more a more ripped look, without 'bulking' too much ?
I normally train in functional principles but would like someone to give me a couple of answers for a change :) i am about average bodyfat and would love to get 'cut' for the summer.
When should Creatine be taken, before or after training?
I am a 38yr old athelte who is starting to take creatine to improve my training and performance, as I have read that Creatine should be used as a suppliment for older athletes.
As a teenager would they affect your hormones?
How do you tell if you have shin splints. I have a pain in my left leg above my ankle, but I don't know what it is.
I have been a 71yr old active softball/tennis player for over ten yrs who was recently(2 yrs) prescribed 10 mg simvastatin.
What are the best supplements for distance running?
i have a big 10mile fell race in 3.5 weeks and am training hard and improving all the time but am looking for that extra edge over my opponents, target time of sub 1hr 20, time last year, 1hr 30.
If i Drink Skimmed milk every day for a month and not drink anything else or eat anything else cept from veg and fruit.. will that be a healthy lifestyle?
What do you think of Juice Plus?
Juice Plus is a natural supplement with mega doses of antioxidants.
What are the benefits of boxing as a sports to college students?
I want to know the psychological benefits a college student can get from boxing as a sport. People tend to associate boxing with violence thus it is not offered as a P.E.
On going pain coming from the back of the knee ,its even starting to hurt when i walk. If i kneel down on both knees and then lean bk i get a sharp pain at what seems the back of my right knee.
I can no longer access this, can i have the website address and access to this. I paid for the service at the time but due to computer errors i was not able to gain all info.
Im looking for a good protien supplement, with no side effects!!
Im in good shape, 10%bf and musculer. Want to step up my gains and size as i train hard 6 days per week. Ive been taking supplements, a lot of them are very questionable!
Is clenbuterol dangerous if taken only for 4 weeks
I am trying to reduce fat , i like good food and a good glass of wine , i am not trying to get a six pack i just want to look how i feel and that is good because i know i am dedicated to train and i
Do you have a question for our community?
PP Online has over 10,000 registered users, all of them keen sportsmen and women, including many coaches, personal trainers and sports scientists.
Blogs
As many of you will know track and field is my main sport of choice for participation.
usually the only supplements i use for total body health are "electrolyte stamina"for my salt intake/and fo ti tieng to restore my internal organs to top health.
5 Ways to Increase Testosterone Naturally
Every personal trainer should seek to educate themselves on ways to improve the hormonal profiles of their personal training clients.
Have shoulder pains? You came to the right place.
“The 7 Deadly Sins of Lifting” this is another installment from A. Jay of a series of motivational articles.
Drug testing what's out there a physiotherapists view point
Testing Athletes for Drug Use Why do some “athletes” try to enhance their performances on the track and field by taking drugs?
Here is the first and not the last instalment of Nick Mitchell’s long awaited All Strength Q&A.
Are you making these mistakes as an Athlete?
Don’t get me wrong nobody’s perfect, especially me, many of these ideas came from my “Stupidity”, a rollercoaster of discovery, injuries and re-injury, does that sound about right?
The Big Lie Caffeine has been introduced to the sports world as an enhancer of performance. Even by many top coaches. The Truth is:
Sports Medicine Foot and Ankle Rehabilitation
This article was a long time coming. After writing and then scraping and re-writing it is a good way to describe this.
The Insider’s Secrets to a Flat Stomach
Hey regular blog readers myself and Nick sat down and and had a conversation, long story short this article was born.
When to turn to a clinical sport psychologist?
As a sport psychologist, there is always the possibility of encountering an athlete that does not simply need help with performance, but may need clinical help, for example relating to eating behaviou
Rotational Carbohydrates "RO-CHO" ?
Rotational Carbohydrates "RO-CHO" Article by Steve Blades. It is all about carbohydrate rotation for ultimate performance.
Another great read by Steve Blades aka "Marmite". If you are not making gains in the gym or the track this will change everything completely.
You are a Beginner, READ THIS!
A great,long article about everything on general bodybuilding ,training, nutrition and supplementation as a beginner.
A great new update to hit Rawgrip.com, a great article for all of the new found health freaks this year.
Squat Rx Video Creator Interview
If you are a serious lifter you must have heard of the “Squat Rx” video series all over the net. The Videos are available on YouTube.
How Focused Are You at the Gym?
Sean discusses The Top 10 Reasons why you are slacking in the Gym and How to prevent this. He exposes some great Tips how to make your training sessions more productive for better end results.
Finally an article created for all you serious weight shifters. C Pikey discuses the truth about A massive Bench Press and gives some tips How To Improve your Weak Bench.
Glycemic Index in Athletes and Weight management
An article about the glycemic index of carbohydrates pertains directly to athletes and their performance.
A new article by Michael Nystrom discussing the protein intake amounts in athletes. Athlete Protein intake article
It's a very exciting day for us today, because we've had our first major relaunch in 7 years.
When we set up the new PP Online site, one of our biggest aims was to create a place where anyone with a passion for sport could share their opinions and experiences.
According to Amy Shipley writing for the Washington Post, Marion Jones will admit to using the infamous THG steriod in the lead up to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Pre-Season Soccer Speed Training
Justin Gatlin
Steroids are banned, dangerous drugs. DON’T TAKE THEM.
