Meta Description: Professional sports-persons and an increasing number of amateur body builders self-administer performance and image enhancing drugs, which increase their muscle mass, strength and sporting performance. The abuse of such drugs also has an impact on the endogenous opioid system, and the dopaminergic system (neurochemicals in the brain, which encourage continued use). Each of these systems is implicated in the mediation of aggressive behavior.

 

Professional sports-persons and an increasing number of amateur body builders self-administer performance and image enhancing drugs, which increase their muscle mass, strength and sporting performance. This contravenes the ethics of fair play and the law. Certain types of the PIEDs which are androgenic-anabolic steroids are controlled drugs and considered drugs of abuse by the Home Office. In 1996 their classification was changed from prescription only medicines to CDs, to account for their addictive nature.

 

Androgenic-anabolic steroids are still the most abused doping agent in sport, and accounted for the greatest number of adverse analytical findings in 2011. They have a significant impact on the stress responsive hypothalamic pituitary- adrenal axis. An abnormal response to stress may mediate the development or maintenance of addictive conditions. The abuse of such drugs also has an impact on the endogenous opioid system, and the dopaminergic system (neurochemicals in the brain, which encourage continued use). Each of these systems is implicated in the mediation of aggressive behavior.