Meldonium Wikipedia

An autopsy later revealed the presence of amphetamines and a drug called nicotinyl tartrate in his system. Tragically, several professional and elite athletes have lost their lives due to substance use disorder. One of the most devastating of these is professional wrestler Chris Benoit.

International Patients

He also won ALCS MVP in 2000 and was a part of the World Series Championship team in 2009. In 2014, Michael Phelps was arrested for DUI after a night of partying. Phelps has also admitted to using marijuana and other drugs in the past. Phelps has said that he is now sober and has not used drugs in over a year. There is no doubt that years, and even decades, of practice and competing can cause a variety of injuries and chronic pain in athletes. For athletes with severe or chronic pain, opioid pain medication might be prescribed by a physician to help with the healing process.

League One

Many of them begin their sport during early childhood, continuing to push their body’s limits through high school, college, and long into adulthood. When we think of professional and elite athletes, we assume they are the picture of health – hours in the gym improving their physical fitness, carefully chosen meals to maximize nutritional benefit, and ensuring that their bodies can operate at peak performance. By working together, social workers, Twelve-step program coaches, trainers, and other stakeholders can help to identify and support athletes who are struggling with substance use, and to promote healthy behaviors and attitudes.

Disqualified

• His autopsy and toxicology reports showed that he had high levels of testosterone in his system, in addition to steroids found in his home.
• One notable example is gymnast Simone Biles, who tested positive for stimulants and was able to provide proof from her physician of an ADHD diagnosis and stimulant prescription.
• Cannabis is a psychoactive drug that can improve focus and concentration.
• Some people try to get more nutrients from products called supplements.

After treatment, he went on to medal multiple times the 2016 Rio Olympic games. A study published in the Journal of Sports Media found that athletes who were exposed to messages promoting substance use on social media were more likely to use substances themselves 5. Another study published in the International Journal of Sport Communication found that social media can be used to promote a substance-free sports culture, by sharing messages that promote healthy behaviors and attitudes 6. Research suggests that substance use is a significant problem among athletes. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology found that nearly 70% of athletes reported using substances such as painkillers, stimulants, or sedatives during their careers 1.

Athletes Who Have Struggled With Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

Some of these athletes turn to diuretics to lower their body weight prior to competitions. For many professional and elite athletes, and even athletes at the high school or college level, there is a tremendous pressure to be on top of their game always and perform to a high standard. Performing well can lead to idolization from fans, corporate sponsorships, college scholarships, multi-million dollar contracts, or being drafted to the top teams in the nation. When you’re in the spotlight, having an off-day doesn’t just affect you for that game. It can lead to outcries from fans, including social media bullying, lost medal hopes, and shattered expectations after years of training. Professional and elite athletes typically spend most of their lives perfecting their craft.

Over the past 45 years, great progress has been made regarding anti-doping policies but yet it continues to play a role at all levels of sporting competition. The recent doping scandal at the 2022 Beijing Games reminded the world of sport, doping has not gone away. What has become evident is that doping practices have evolved substance abuse in sports from the use of anabolic steroids to improve strength, to masking agents to cover banned substances and strategies to improve endurance and speed-up recovery time from injury and overtraining.

No athlete should feel shame or embarrassment if they struggle with addiction. Some of the world’s most accomplished athletes have faced similar challenges. At the University of Maryland, he was a first-team All-American forward. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics as the second overall pick, only to die two days later, at the age of 22, from cardiac arrythmias caused by a cocaine overdose.