Position Statement by the International Society of Sport Psychology

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) refers to the act of ingesting banned drugs as “doping”. Furthermore, doping is administering or the use of substances in any form alien to the body or of physiological substances in abnormal amounts and with abnormal methods by healthy persons with the exclusive aim of attaining an artificial and unfair increase of performance in competition. (Prokop, 1990, pp.5).

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are used by some athletes to enhance their performance (Wright, 1978, 1982) and to take them to higher levels of achievement (Anshel, in press). AAS are also used for relieving pressure and possible, pain resulting from intense, physically demanding training programs. Anshel (in press) indicates three categories of motives for AAS use by athletes: (a) psychophysiological causes (e.g.. pain reduction, rehabilitation from injuries, heightened energy and arousal, and weight control; (b) psychological and emotional effects (e.g., fear of failure, to be competitive, self-confidence, the “Superman Complex”, and perfectionism), and (c) social causes (e.g., modeling to look or behave like other top athletes, peer pressure and to receive social support).

AAS are generally taken by athletes who compete in events which require muscular power, strength, size, and speed (weight-lifting, track and field, swimming, ice-hockey, etc.). Most studies show that AAS can accelerate muscle growth (size) and strength, as well as increase aggressiveness (Haupt, 1984; Wilson & Griffin, 1980). Several researchers have described some positive effects, of AAS use. Holzbauer (1976) has reported that AAS increase self-confidence and pain threshold Rejeski, Brubaker, Herb, Kaplan, and Koritnik (1988) have described the arousal elevation produced by AAS which may be needed for enhancing performance. Bahrke and Yesalis (in press) maintain that AAS use enables athletes to cope more efficiently with the all-out physical effort required during training and competition in a variety o sports. Furthermore, AAS may reduce levels of fatigue, enabling longer, more frequent and/or more intense training sessions (Frood, Banks, Longson, & Burley, 1975).

AAS may increase the competitors motivation, self-confidence, and other desirable psychological states (Anshel, in press). Itil, Cora, Akpinar. Hermann, and Patterson (1974) have found that AAS intake was positively correlated with heightened mental alertness, mood elevation, improvement of memory and concentration, and the reduction of sensation of fatigue, all of which are manifestations of a stimulated central nervous system. In addiction, there may be a significant number of individuals, whose mental health has been improved thought the use of AAS.(Bahrke & Yesalis, in press). Although AAS may have some benefits for enhancing athletic performance, many scientists believe that they may result in negative and even dangerous consequences. Some of these adverse effects are reported in more detail by Anshel (in press) and Baharke and Yesalis (in press).

AAS has been reported to selectively stimulate neurons of the somatomotor system and circuits associated with aggression (Stumpf & Sar, 1976). Psychological and behavioral changes such as increased aggressiveness and irritability have been presented by Goldman, Bush, and Klatz (1984), Taylor (1982, 1987a, 1987b), and Wright (1978, 1982). AAS users have reported subjectively-perceived changes in enthusiasm, aggression, irritability, insomnia, muscle size and, libido (Blauk, Wright, Strauss, & Catlin, in press), and in episodes anger (in intensity and duration) and hostility attitudes toward other (Lefavi, Reeve, & Newland, 1990). Perry, Andersen, and Yates (1990) have found weightlifters to have increased hostility, aggression, depression, paranoid thoughts, psychotic features, and personality disturbances when using AAS.