Use of Drugs in College Athletics: Ergogenic Drugs

Ergogenic drugs include amphetamines, anabolic steroids, and ephedrine.1 While ergogenic drug use is not as common as social drug use, it still poses a threat to student-athletes’ well-being. Amphetamines are the most common ergogenic drugs in both men’s and women’s sports.1 While the use of amphetamines has stayed relatively the same since 2005, the use of anabolic steroids and ephedrine have been decreasing.1 Much like social drugs, men’s lacrosse has the highest percentage of ergogenic drug use, including amphetamines, anabolic steroids, and ephedrine.1 Men’s and women’s basketball both use ergogenic drugs the least among individual sports.1 

Patterns of Ergogenic Drug Use by Women's Sports

Historically, women’s sports use ergogenic drugs less than men’s sports. The ergogenic drugs most commonly reported by men are testosterone boosters, creatine, and amino acids.2 Multiple men’s sports have seen increases in the use of amphetamines including baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and wrestling.1 Women’s sports have had fewer increases in ergogenic drug use. Anabolic steroid use has increased in field hockey and track, however, amphetamine use has increased in golf, tennis, and volleyball.1


Overall, 4.6% of student-athletes use amphetamines.1 Ephedrine and anabolic steroid use is much lower at 0.4% and 0.3% respectively.1 Social drugs are more common than ergogenic drugs, with alcohol  being the most common at 78% followed by marijuana, 16%, spit tobacco, 13%, cigarettes, 8%, and cocaine use is the least common at 1.5%.1


Patterns of Ergogenic Drug Use by Men's Sports



The usage trends between social drugs and ergogenic drugs continue to be rather similar. When it comes to individual sports, lacrosse continues to be among the sports that use social and ergogenic drugs the most while basketball continues to be among the sports that use social and ergogenic drugs the least.1 Social drugs may be used much more often than ergogenic drugs, but both types of drugs present serious health concerns to student-athletes.

 

 

 

References

1Rexroat, M. NCAA National Study of Substance Use Habits of College Student-Athletes [PDF document]. Retrieved from http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/Substance%20Use%20Final%20Report_FINAL.pdf

2NCAA Student-Athlete Substance Use Study: Executive Summary August 2014. Retrieved from http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/ncaa-student-athlete-substance-use-study-executive-summary-august-2014