The fight against fitness doping in sports clubs – Political discourses and strategies in Denmark

Abstract

This article focuses on the anti-doping policies led in Danish fitness centers in a sport for all context. Fitness, an ever growing training form is gaining in popularity and has in this context been adopted as a training activity by DGI, one of the leading sports for all organization in Denmark. As a result of this gain in popularity, fitness activities are not only offered in commercial fitness centers but also in fitness centers attached to sport for all clubs. This development has emancipated a focus on doping and thereby in the establishing of anti-doping policies in sport for all clubs. Denmark is one of the few countries who illegalizes doping in fitness centers and who tests its members for doping. This article contributes with a discussion concerning the challenges, DGI, as a sport for all organization encounters in relation to the anti-doping policies and its objectives of fostering health, personal development and a sense of community. This contribution debates whether the national anti-doping policies fits to the current situation of the club based fitness centers and if the policies comply with the centers aims and ideologies, i.e. with DGI's objectives and philosophy of sport for all. This debate is based on survey and interview data gathered during a research project (2009–2012) on body management and doping in Danish fitness centers.