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. 2023 Nov 15;9(4):e001702.
doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001702. eCollection 2023.

Sport specialisation and performance-enhancing substance use by young athletes

Michael McNaughton  1 , Danielle L Hunt  2   3 , Michael O'Brien  2   3   4   5 , Dai Sugimoto  3   6 , William P Meehan  2   3   4   5   7 , Patricia Miller  4 , Andrea Stracciolini  2   3   4   5   7
Affiliations

Sport specialisation and performance-enhancing substance use by young athletes

Michael McNaughton et al. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. .

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the association of reported legal performance enhancing substance (PES) use and consideration of banned PES use among sport-specialised and non-sport-specialised young athletes.

Methods and design: Cross-sectional study of 1049 young athletes enrolled in an injury prevention programme from 2013 to 2020. We used logistic regression modelling to determine the independent association between sports specialisation. We reported (1) legal PES use and (2) consideration of banned PES use after adjusting for the effects of gender, age, having a relative as a coach, unrestricted internet access, use of a weight training regimen, and weeknight hours of sleep.

Results: The final cohort consisted of 946 athletes with a mean age of 14. 56% were female, and 80% were sport-specialised athletes. 14% reported legal PES use, and 3% reported consideration of banned PES use. No difference was found between sport-specialised athletes who reported legal PES use (OR=1.4; 95% CI 0.81 to 2.43; p=0.23) or consideration of banned PES use (OR=3.2; 95% CI 0.78 to 14.92; p=0.1) compared with non-sport-specialised athletes. Reported legal PES use was more common among athletes who were male, older, used weight training, and slept less. Reported consideration of banned PES use was more common among male and older athletes.

Conclusions: PES use is not independently associated with sport specialisation in young athletes. Athlete sex, age, training, and sleep patterns are important factors for young athletes to consider in PES use.

Keywords: Adolescent; Performance; Public health; Sports medicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Multivariable analysis for reported legal performance-enhancing substances (PES) use.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Multivariable analysis for consideration of banned performance-enhancing substances (PES) use.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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