Doping Use among Finnish Fitness Enthusiasts Project Manager M.A. Tuuli Salospohja Youth, Fitness and Doping -project Life Tastes Better Without Drugs NGO http://www.pumppaa.fi 1
Youth, Fitness and Doping -project 2005-2008 (EOPH) Mission: 1. To look at the concept of doping abuse in Finnish society and 2. Develop tools for preventive work and counselling services (2009 e.g. interactive work in vocational institutes and garrisons, virtual meetings on Internet forums, health consultation on the Internet and via telephone, information about risks to the target group) Focus: 15-35-year-old exercisers, excluding competitive athletes
Doping Use among Finnish Fitness Enthusiasts -researhc (University of Turku) The lack of sociological knowledge on the subject: From a sociological and cultural point of view, what kind of a phenomenon is doping use among adolescents and young adults in Finland? Survey (N=1319) Prevalence and content of phenomenon 3
The term doping and its concept is inexact, and it depends on the situation of use. 1. The Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods in Sports The list is based on the Prohibited list published by the World Antidoping Agency WADA. The Finnish Antidoping Agency FINADA is responsible for all doping control in Finland. In focus: bluffy benefit against other competitors. 2. Doping substances referred to in the Penal Code a) Synthetic anabolic steroids and their derivatives b) Testosterone and its derivatives c) Growth hormones, and d) Chemical substances that increase the production of testosterone, its derivatives or growth hormone in the human body. 3. Used Substances among Fitness Enthusiast Ephedrine and clenbuterolbesides the Penal Code. 4
Doping use is an expanding phenomenon outside competitive sports in western cultures (Huhtaniemi 1994, Kinnunen 2001, Karila 2003, Papadopoulos ym. 2006...) Why? 1. Human bodies in pop-culture and commercials have changed Music Video Body 2. Idealtype of a human has changed 24/7 (incl. economic concideration) 3. The everything for me right now -mentality 4. medicalization 5. Speed and expansion of communication (internet) 6. Influence of competitive sports, friends and parents 7. Negative body image & bad self-esteem 8. Feeling of being in control from extreme phenomena and exciting experiences in an uncertain world 5
Profile of typical doping user according to survey Lives in the city 23-27-year-old male (or 28-30-year-old female) Vocational education Earns over 2000 euros per month Studies / works efficiently about 40 hours per week Lives in a relationship = The lifestyle is impressingly middle class + use of drugs and nutritional supplements 6
More typical features of doping users An active and usually passionate gymgoer: regular training for about 8 years, on average of 4 times a week ( naturals about 4 years, on average 3 times a week) Self-mentioned reasons for use: musclemass / power (40%), fatburning (16 %), faster / better process / force to training (17 %) Self-mentioned benefits of use: 87% musclemass / power (over 40 %), fatburning (17 %), faster / better process / force to training (yli 20 %) Self-mentioned adverse effects of use: 36% changes of mood, acne, gynaecomastia, arrhytmia and other cardiovascular anxiety The most important information resources are other users and the Internet Doctors are the most important resources only for 9 % of users 42% of users would like to have more reliable information of subtances 7
Doping and drugs Random or regular use of alcohol is similar between doping users and the naturals group doping users 85 %, naturals 87% Random or regular use of snuff and tobacco is about twice as common in doping users than in the naturals group snuff: doping users 24 %, naturals 10 % tobacco: doping users 41 %, naturals 25 % Experiment and randomor regular use of cannabis is about twice as common for doping users than for the naturals group doping users 40 %, naturals 19 % Experiment and random or regular use of amphetamine, extacy and cocaine is ten times more common for doping users than for the naturals group doping users 17 %, naturals 1,7 % 8
The Stairs of Doping Use WOMEN MEN Ephedrine users 34 % clenbuterol 41 % clenbuterol 19 % anabolic hormones 53 % anabolic hormones Clenbuterol users 46 % anabolic hormones 86 % anabolic hormones Clenbuterol users: 83 % uses also ephedrine 92 % uses also ephedrine Male users of anabolichormones: 66 % uses also ephedrine 44 % uses also clenbuterol 91% of doping users and 78 % of naturals use nutritional supplements regularly 1,5 % of doping users and 8 % of naturals don t use and haven t tried nutritional supplements Doping users spend money to nutritional supplements 66 euros, naturals 34 euros per month 9
The Stairs of Doping Use Illegal drugs Nutritional supplemens ephedrine Anabolic hormones clenbuterol women men 10
Thank you for your attention!