Abstract
Background: One sub-population potentially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are strength athletes who use anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS). We examined links between disruption in AAS use and training due to the pandemic and mental health outcomes in this population, hypothesising: (a) the pandemic would be linked with reduced training and AAS use; and (b) athletes perceiving greater impact on their training and AAS use would report increases in detrimental mental health outcomes.Methods: Male strength athletes using AAS (N = 237) from 42 countries completed an online questionnaire in May 2020. A sub-sample (N = 90) from 20 countries participated again 4 months later. The questionnaire assessed pre-pandemic and current AAS use and training, alongside several mental health outcomes.Results: At Time 1, most participants perceived an impact of the pandemic on AAS use (91.1%) and/or training (57.8%). Dependent t-tests demonstrated significant reductions in training frequency (t = 7.78; p < 0.001) and AAS dose (t = 6.44; p < 0.001) compared to pre-pandemic. Linear regression showed the impact of the pandemic on training was a significant positive predictor of excessive body checking (B = 0.35) and mood swings (B = 0.26), and AAS dose was a significant positive predictor of anxiety (B = 0.67), insomnia (B = 0.52), mood swings (B = 0.37). At Time 2, fewer participants perceived an impact of the pandemic on AAS use (29.9%) and/or training (66.7%) than at Time 1. Training frequency (t = 3.02; p < 0.01) and AAS dose (t = 2.11; p < 0.05) were depressed in comparison to pre-pandemic. However, AAS dose had increased compared to Time 1 (t = 2.11; p < 0.05). Linear regression showed the impact of the pandemic on training/AAS use did not significantly predict any mental-health outcomes. However, AAS dose was a significant negative predictor of depressive thoughts (B = −0.83) and mood swings (B = −2.65).Conclusion: Our findings showed impact of the pandemic on the training and AAS use, reflected in reduced training frequency and AAS dose. However, whilst we detected some short-term consequential effects on mental health, these did not appear to be long-lasting.
Highlights
Originating in Wuhan, China, the outbreak of the SARS-CoV2 virus of 2019 rapidly evolved into a worldwide pandemic [1], forcing many national governments to implement isolation procedures
The overarching aim of this research was to investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the drug use and training behaviours of strength athletes who use image and performance enhancing drugs (IPEDs), and whether such disruption was linked with detrimental mental health outcomes
To examine whether the impact of the pandemic on training and anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) use at time point 1 (T1) predicted mental health outcomes at this time point, we conducted a series of hierarchical logistic regression analyses. In each of these analyses we entered T1 training frequency and AAS dose in the first step to examine and control for their effects on the outcome variable, before entering the impact of the pandemic on training and AAS use at T1 in the second step. These analyses showed that at T1, AAS dose was a significant positive predictor of anxiety, insomnia, and mood disturbance, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on training was a significant positive predictor of excessive body checking and mood disturbance when controlling for the effects of training frequency and AAS dose
Summary
Originating in Wuhan, China, the outbreak of the SARS-CoV2 virus of 2019 (hereafter, COVID-19) rapidly evolved into a worldwide pandemic [1], forcing many national governments to implement isolation procedures. These measures have negatively impacted many aspects of life through termination of jobs, restrictions in travel, cessation of recreational activities, and producing a decline in national economies. To curb the spread of the pandemic many countries adopted strategies of social distancing and self-isolation as part of national lockdown procedures [6, 7] These strategies included the closure of gyms, hampering leisure and social activities. We examined links between disruption in AAS use and training due to the pandemic and mental health outcomes in this population, hypothesising: (a) the pandemic would be linked with reduced training and AAS use; and (b) athletes perceiving greater impact on their training and AAS use would report increases in detrimental mental health outcomes
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