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Review
. 2022 Feb;291(2):181-196.
doi: 10.1111/joim.13431. Epub 2022 Jan 10.

Performance-enhancing drugs and the Olympics

C James Watson  1   2 , Genevra L Stone  2 , Daniel L Overbeek  1   3 , Takuyo Chiba  4 , Michele M Burns  1   5
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Performance-enhancing drugs and the Olympics

C James Watson et al. J Intern Med. 2022 Feb.
Free article

Abstract

The rules of fair play in sport generally prohibit the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) oversees global antidoping regulations and testing for elite athletes participating in Olympic sports. Efforts to enforce antidoping policies are complicated by the diverse and evolving compounds and strategies employed by athletes to gain a competitive edge. Now between the uniquely proximate 2021 Tokyo and 2022 Beijing Olympic Games, we discuss WADA's efforts to prevent PED use during the modern Olympic Games. Then, we review the major PED classes with a focus on pathophysiology, complexities of antidoping testing, and relevant toxicities. Providers from diverse practice environments are likely to care for patients using PEDs for a variety of reasons and levels of sport; these providers should be aware of common PED classes and their risks.

Keywords: Olympics; antidoping; athletics; doping; medical history; performance-enhancing drugs; toxicity; toxicology.

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