Prevalence of performance-enhancing substance use by Johannesburg male adolescents involved in competitive high school sports

Abstract

Objective: Goals for winning in sports can overshadow the virtues of fair play, friendship and unity among competitors. Adolescent athletes are using substances to achieve these goals, often at the expense of their health. The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of performance enhancing substance (PES) use in South African male adolescents and to determine which substances are regularly used. Moreover, the study investigated whether the subjects were using legal or illegal substances, and also determined the reasons for using these in sports. Design: The study used a cross-sectional study design, using a self-administered questionnaire adapted from a previous South African study that investigated doping in elite athletes. The questionnaire included questions on high school sport participation, nutritional supplements and doping substances used to enhance performance. The sample of subjects was obtained from male adolescent high school athletes involved in regular competitive sports at the 1st and 2nd sports team levels. Results: The results indicated that the prevalence of PES use in this sample was reasonably low (30/100). The subjects indicated a variety of substances used for performance enhancement, including banned substances, (namely, growth hormone (5/100), anabolic androgenic steroids (4/100)), and adrenaline/ephedrine (4/100), and permissible supplements, (namely, creatine (32/100), vitamins (61/100), protein (61/100), caffeine (57/100) and carbohydrates (54/100)). Conclusion: The findings indicate that the use of banned substances for performance enhancement is present. A holistic approach to educational interventions and behaviour change may help to reduce the prevalence of banned substance use in adolescents.