Aus: Sport juniors using drugs to win, national study shows

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http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/sport-juniors-using-drugs-to-win-national-study-shows/story-fni0fiyv-1226982260212


Peter Rolfe sports affairs
Herald Sun
July 09, 2014 12:00AM


CHILDREN as young as 12 are using performance-enhancing drugs to compete in Australian sport, national research has revealed.

A three-year study, to be released today, has found doping was “prevalent’’ and passing largely unchecked in junior athletes due to a lack of testing.

Separate research, which surveyed adult elite athletes — including AFL players — to be released today found 20 per cent believed their competitors took banned drugs such as steroids.

About 4 per cent of rising Aussie sports stars aged 12-17 admitted using performance-enhancing drugs in the study commissioned by the Federal Government.

Ten per cent of more than 900 junior athletes said they suspected their opponents of being drug cheats and about a third said they used “nutritional supplements” themselves.

Researchers at Griffith University and the University of Canberra found 8 per cent of adult athletes surveyed had been offered performance-enhancing drugs.

With Australian sport still reeling from the Essendon supplements scandal, University of Canberra professor Stephen Moston said the findings would shock the public.

“Sadly, we found a widespread perception that drugs are being used in sport,’’ Dr Moston said.

“There is also a wilful ignorance about issues of drugs among sports staff ... there is a tendency to undermine anti-doping efforts.

“It’s a denial of reality.”

Of 938 participants in the junior study, about 5 per cent said they intended to use banned drugs to “improve their sporting performance”.

Junior athletes thought about a third of all elite athletes used banned drugs.

One in five athletes aged over 18 believed their peers were using banned drugs to obtain an unfair advantage.

Males were more likely to use performance-enhancing drugs than females. Cycling, athletics and rugby league were the sports where doping was of most concern and warranted increased testing.

Dr Moston said the junior sports findings were of most concern.

“It’s against the rules, it’s a form of cheating,” he said.

[-YT-]

not really surprising well certainly not in regards to professional athletes. Remember watching a doco about the tour de france the history etc and back in the day it seems coke and speed were certainly not unknown to the riders for enhancing stamina/endurance.

What kinda things would teenagers etc be using mostly supplements? wonder if caffine counts stuff like those energy drinks etc

Yeah pretty much most facets of society have their element of dodgyness or maybe thats just humans haha