Hormone Use And Abuse By Athletes

Physical activity exerts an important influence on the endocrine system, modulating synthesis and secretion of several hormones. Almost every organ and system in the body is affected by physical activity and exercise, mainly through the endocrine and neuroendocrine system. Mode, intensity, and duration of the exercise bout, age, gender and fitness level of the individual as well as environmental and psychological factors may affect the endocrine response to physical activity. On the other hand, several hormones are able to influence physical performance and body composition. Thus, a bi-univocal interrelationship between exercise and hormones exists. In this book new developments on metabolic and endocrine response to exercise are revised and introduce the "hot topic" of hormonal doping in sports. In the past decades, hormone abuse has become a widespread habit among professional and – most of all and more frequently – recreational athletes. A substantial part of this volume is devoted to the effects of exogenous hormones on performance. Anabolic steroids, growth hormone and erythropoietin properties, use and misuse in sports are widely described. Specific methods to detect hormone abuse are presented and discussed. The contributors to this volume are well-known experts and dedicated researchers in the fields of sports medicine and endocrinology, endocrine physiology, pharmacology, and doping detection. The purpose of this volume is to provide all professionals involved in sports medicine and endocrinology a state-of-the-art overview of the complex interactions between physical activity and the endocrine system and to focus on hormone abuse in sports at competitive and recreational level highlighting its negative consequences for long-term health.

Physical activity exerts an important influence on the endocrine system, modulating synthesis and secretion of several hormones. Almost every organ and system in the body is affected by physical activity and exercise, mainly through the endocrine and neuroendocrine system. Mode, intensity, and duration of the exercise bout, age, gender and fitness level of the individual as well as environmental and psychological factors may affect the endocrine response to physical activity. On the other hand, several hormones are able to influence physical performance and body composition. Thus, a bi-univocal interrelationship between exercise and hormones exists. In this book new developments on metabolic and endocrine response to exercise are revised and introduce the "hot topic" of hormonal doping in sports. In the past decades, hormone abuse has become a widespread habit among professional and – most of all and more frequently – recreational athletes. A substantial part of this volume is devoted to the effects of exogenous hormones on performance. Anabolic steroids, growth hormone and erythropoietin properties, use and misuse in sports are widely described. Specific methods to detect hormone abuse are presented and discussed. The contributors to this volume are well-known experts and dedicated researchers in the fields of sports medicine and endocrinology, endocrine physiology, pharmacology, and doping detection. The purpose of this volume is to provide all professionals involved in sports medicine and endocrinology a state-of-the-art overview of the complex interactions between physical activity and the endocrine system and to focus on hormone abuse in sports at competitive and recreational level highlighting its negative consequences for long-term health.

Doping, Performance-Enhancing Drugs, and Hormones in Sport: Mechanisms of Action and Methods of Detection examines the biochemistry and bioanalytical aspects of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and other questionable procedures used by athletes to enhance performance. The book informs the specialist of emerging knowledge and techniques and allows the non-specialist to grasp the underlying science and current practice of the discipline. With clear and compelling language appropriate for a broad spectrum of readers, this book provides background on prevalence, types of agents, their actual or supposed benefits, and their negative effects on health. The technical aspects of detection are discussed, followed by a discussion of why detection is a problematic and still-evolving science. To facilitate comprehension, each chapter is organized in a uniform way with six sections: (1) standard medical uses, (2) why the drugs are used by athletes, (3) biological mechanism of action, (4) what research says about efficacy in improving performance, (5) major health side effects from use and abuse in sport, and 6) concluding key points. Presents the scientific concepts of how performance enhancers work, how they are used, and how they are detected and masked from detection Features language that is neither simplistic to scientists nor too sophisticated for a large, diverse global audience Provides a short “close-up in each chapter to illustrate key topics that engage, entertain, and create a novel synthesis of thought

New developments in testosterone therapy are summarized here by internationally renowned experts. They review both basic and clinical knowledge in fourteen chapters. The book begins with the biochemistry of testosterone, its biosynthesis, metabolism and mechanisms of action in target organs. Three chapters deal with specific aspects of testosterone action, namely its role in spermatogenesis, its psychotropic effects and its effects on bones. Syndromes caused by androgen resistance are described in order to highlight the importance of properly functioning enzymes and receptors in the target organs. Causes and symptoms of male hypogonadism, the major indication for testosterone treatment, are described. Five chapters are devoted to the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and clinical uses and abuses of testosterone preparations. The new transdermal testosterone application is described in detail. Side effects of testosterone treatment are reviewed. The possible role of androgens in the development of prostatic hypertrophy and carcinoma is discussed extensively since this question is of major concern to the clinician.

This valuable new addition to the Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine series provides a comprehensive and logical look at the principles and mechanisms of endocrinology as related to sports and exercise. It looks at growth hormone factors involved in exercise and the endocrinology of sport competition. It considers various factors and stresses on the body that may alter sporting performance. It covers topics from the acute responses and chronic adaptations of the human endocrine system to the muscular activity involved in conditioning exercise, physical labor, and sport activities. This book is an essential reference for helping to plan better programs of physical fitness, to prepare for sports competitions, and to manage the medical care of athletes.

Enables you to detect, identify, and characterize hundreds of drugs that may be used by athletes Mass spectrometry has become essential to sports drug testing. This book examines both the principles of sports drug testing and the use of mass spectrometry techniques and mass spectral data to detect, identify, and characterize hundreds of known and unknown drugs that athletes may use to enhance their performance. The author provides a detailed overview of the mass spectrometry of numerous classes of therapeutics and agents, various analyzers to detect low- and high-molecular weight drugs, as well as techniques to discriminate between endogenously produced and synthetically derived compounds. Mass Spectrometry in Sports Drug Testing begins with a full chapter dedicated to the history of sports drug testing. Next, the book provides the principles and techniques needed to maximize the specificity and sensitivity of mass spectrometric assays, including: Detailed, step-by-step assays with sample preparation Discussion of both chromatographic separation and mass spectrometric analysis Characterization of analytes in order to unequivocally identify banned substances Mass spectrometric behavior of low- and high-molecular weight analytes Throughout the book, descriptive examples illustrate the principles, advantages, and limitations of different assays. Mass Spectrometry in Sports Drug Testing not only sets forth the role mass spectrometry plays in detecting drug use among athletes, it also adds new insights into the health and ethical issues of doping in sports.

It has been known for over 40 years that GH-deficient-children benefit from replacement with the hormone. But GH, essential for longitudinal growth, also plays a role after completion of final height. With the introduction of biosynthetic human GH 20 years ago, the use of GH was no longer restricted to severe growth retardation in hypopituitary children. This book will take the reader behind the myths of GH and into the real world of clinical endocrinology. The contributions stem from recognized clinicians and scientists who have been working in the field for decades. The contents encompass traditional end points of GH therapy such as body composition, bone biology and physical performance. Attention is also devoted to diagnostic aspects and side effects. Additional features range from clinical epidemiology to quality of life, and novel areas such as the impact of traumatic brain injury on pituitary function are also covered. The present volume of Frontiers of Hormone Research is essential reading for health care professionals interested in clinical endocrinology and GH.

Now in its second edition, the Oxford Textbook of Endocrinology and Diabetes is a fully comprehensive, evidence-based, and highly-valued reference work combining basic science with clinical guidance, and providing first rate advice on diagnosis and treatment.

This book is an up-to-date, extensive overview of the effects of physical activity and training on endocrine function. It gives insights into a complex relationship by describing effects with respect to exercise performance, growth, development, and ageing. It includes discussions of the endocrine response depending on exercise mode, intensity, and duration as well as on gender, age, and fitness level. Additionally the book deals with the impact of environmental and psychological factors on endocrine level. A substantial part of Sports Endocrinology is devoted to the 'hot topic' of hormonal doping in sports. The properties of androgens, growth hormone, erythropoietin, and dietary supplements are highlighted. The use and abuse among professional and recreational athletes is discussed and specific methods of detection are presented and explained. All contributors are well-known experts in sports medicine and endocrinology, endocrine physiology, pharmacology, and doping detection, so this book is a must-read for every professional involved in the field.