Doping is not only in top but also in grassroots sport is a big Problem. Doping researcher Mario Thevis points in the DW-Interview on the high health hazards, the dopende Amateur athletes in purchasing.
DW: Mr. Thevis, in the framework of the “Operation Viribus” were arrested in raids in 33 countries, hundreds of Suspects. There are around 3.8 million in drugs and counterfeit medicines were seized – including as many as 24 tons of steroid powder. It has surprised the large crowd?
Mario Thevis: The extent of finds, in particular, the cooperation and how the action performs the delivery, was impressive and surprising. We have, however, in Germany alone, per year also finds about a ton of illegal substances, so that it moves when you break the total amount to the individual countries in a common framework.
The Operation shows that Doping in sport is a very common Problem – is larger than in the top sport. What drives the Amateur athletes to take banned substances, even though they earn differently than the pros – with your Sport, no money?
That’s a good question, and the answer is probably more in the area of sport psychology. Often, it is described that the cult of the Body, or the desire to increase his personal best performance, are the backgrounds of the Whole. Since, in this context, it is not controlled, and access and use of these preparations are, in the truest sense of the word, in an uncontrolled manner possible, is associated with a particularly high risk to health in order.
The raids of “Operation Viribus” have taken place in several fitness studios. Such facilities are the main places where Amateur athletes with banned substances in contact, or are also consumed in other sports banned substances?
I think that in the area of Fitness-Sport might be quite a larger distribution are present as in other sports, but in fact, one can exclude here, not sports. The current action shows once more that there is a larger Problem, which affects not only the performance and elite sport.
Larger quantities of unknown drugs
In the case of the athletes, the forbidden, with a higher efficiency, may be a weight loss, and you feel generally fitter – so positive effects are felt. But: What are the health risks consumers are taking in buying?
It depends on what they take everything to themselves, what quantities and over what period of time. In particular, in the case of anabolic steroids, in anabolic steroids, are drugs, the long-term health risks are of particular importance. Since we are talking of cardiovascular diseases, for example, by the deepening of the voice in women, the menstrual cycle is altered or even absent. There are so many risks that go with it.
Main thing is, quick muscle growth: For Amateur bodybuilders taking is widely used steroids far
But there are also other risks, the rates of with the mode or a complete lack of quality control in these products. This means that it takes much larger quantities than you really wanted to. Or that it takes other products to than you may have thought. This may lead to acute health risks. An example from the past: The Person consuming thought you would have ordered the growth hormones, and accordingly administered, but it is not a growth hormone but Insulin. This is in the worst case, even life-threatening.
Athletes who take illegal means, have noticed the “Operation Viribus” may be that the risk of being discovered, quite is given. Do you think that this is a new way of thinking, or makes the mass more, as before?
I think the one or the other has detected more that it is illegal machinations, and that there are particular health risks associated with these products and preparations. We assume that, at least in the short term to a slump in the availability of the preparations. However, we need to be sustainable in this area particularly closely. And the controls for import and trade with these preparations to remain active.
Professor Mario Thevis directs the centre for Preventive doping research at the German sport University in Cologne. The 46-year-old chemist and a sports scientist is a member of the expert group the prohibited list the world Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has developed further. His research interests are in the field of development of new detection methods for doping analysis.
The Interview was conducted by Andreas Sten-Ziemons