Anti-doping education for coaches: Qualitative insights from national and international sporting and anti-doping organisations

Within anti-doping efforts, an emphasis has been placed on the importance of providing education programmes to key stakeholder groups, including coaches. Yet, very little is known about current coach education provision in the anti-doping domain across countries and sports. Therefore, this study aimed to: (1) establish the current status of anti-doping education for coaches; (2) gain an understanding of the system through which anti-doping education is provided to coaches; and, (3) explore the opportunities for future education provision. This was done through semi-structured interviews with thirteen individuals responsible for managing anti-doping education within national and international sporting and anti-doping organisations. Most stakeholders acknowledged the importance of providing education programmes for coaches. Some already had provision in place and others were in the process of developing programmes. However, the current focus is on sportspeople and the degree to which sporting and anti-doping organisations are able to devise, implement and evaluate anti-doping education programmes for coaches is hindered by the contextual constraints they face. These include a lack of resources and limited interagency coordination, as well as challenges to overcome negative perceptions of ‘anti-doping’ efforts. Taken together, the findings indicate that policy expectations regarding anti-doping education for coaches are not being fully operationalised, and this situation is unlikely to change without: (1) greater direction and regulation of the system through which education is provided; (2) frequent and effective communication and cooperation between Code signatories; and, (3) increased fiscal and human capital investment at every level of the sporting hierarchy. Ultimately, until anti-doping education is shown to be a key priority for decision makers within sporting organisations (i.e., chief executives and board members), it is unlikely to become a central priority for coaches.     

Evaluation of an anti-doping intervention for adolescents: Findings from a school-based study

The present study investigated the effectiveness of a school-based intervention in promoting an anti-doping culture in adolescents. Participants were 218 high school students attending Health Education programs in Greek secondary education. Students completed a questionnaire including measures of attitudes towards nutritional supplement and doping use, social norms and norm salience, and values and harms of sport. The intervention consisted of 10 teaching units focusing on the health, moral, social and psychological aspects of nutritional supplement and doping use. The results showed that intervention group participants reported significantly weaker attitudes towards doping use, and increased norm salience. Health was ranked as the most important value of sport in both intervention and control groups, and doping use was ranked as the most important threat to the integrity of sport in the intervention group. The findings are discussed with respect to policy making and the role of school-based interventions in promoting an anti-doping culture in young people.     

The social-cognitive mechanisms regulating adolescents' use of doping substances

Abstract

In this study, we assessed the longitudinal effects of social-cognitive mechanisms on the self-reported use of doping substances and supplements among Italian high school students. In total, 1232 students completed questionnaires measuring various psychological factors hypothesized to influence students' intention to use substances. Three months later, 762 of the students completed the same questionnaires a second time and also reported their use of substances during the time between assessments. Overall, the percentages of students using doping substances (2.1%) or supplements (14.4%) were consistent with values reported in the literature. Analysis of the data showed that adolescents' intention to use doping substances increased with stronger attitudes about doping, stronger beliefs that significant others would approve of their use, a stronger conviction that doping use can be justified, and a lowered capacity to resist situational pressure or personal desires. In turn, stronger intentions and moral disengagement contributed to a greater use of doping substances during the previous 3 months. Doping use was also correlated significantly to supplementation. In conclusion, our results provide novel information about some of the psychological processes possibly regulating adolescents' use of doping substances and supplements. The results also highlight possible areas for future study and intervention, focusing on the prevention of adolescents' substance use.     

Individual and contextual factors in ethical decision making: A case study of the most significant doping scandal in Canadian university sports history

This case study is written for instructors of sport management courses focused on ethics and integrity-related issues in team environments. The case highlights the real world example of the University of Waterloo Warriors varsity football that, in 2010, experienced the most significant doping scandal in Canadian university sports history, with a total of nine anti-doping rule violations asserted through the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. This case study also incorporates the findings of an independent review of the Waterloo football program in relation to the use of banned substances, and includes first-hand accounts from Bob Copeland who was the acting director of athletics. These findings are then interpreted in the context of relevant theory related to performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) use. Along with the findings of this review, which included interviews with athletes, coaches, and administrators, the case study provides important insights into ethical decision making processes and leadership structures in a team sport environment. Particular emphasis is placed on the role that individual cognitive antecedents and contextual organizational factors (i.e., policies, leadership, ethical climate, and infrastructure) play in ethical decision-making processes.     

Money matters: The impact of prize money on doping behaviour

In professional sports, the amounts disbursed in rank-based prize money distributions decline sharply, and differences in performance are extremely small. This disparity may provide a high incentive for doping. Due to the complexity of doping, obtaining meaningful insights on the influence of prize money distribution and the pecuniary value of prize money on doping behaviour of elite athletes using game theory or other approaches has not been possible. The authors perform a computerised social simulation through agent-based modelling to analyse doping behaviour in competitive sport. The results show that the distribution of prize money in particular has an enormous impact on the prevalence of doping. By contrast, the total amount of prize money is less decisive for doping behaviour. Further, doping costs are observed to have only a marginal effect on doping prevalence, depending on the tested prize money distribution and its amount. The simulation results can be used by sports federations and competition organisers who should distribute the prize money more evenly to all athletes to reduce doping.     

Justifying anti-doping: The fair opportunity principle and the biology of performance enhancement

Abstract

Doping is a complex moral and scientific dilemma and its prevention has led to a costly but less than perfect control system implemented worldwide by the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA). For a substance or method to be considered for the WADA Prohibited List, three criteria must be met: (1) the substance or method has the potential to enhance, or enhances, sport performance; (2) use of the substance or method represents an actual or potential health risk to the athlete; and (3) use of the substance or method violates the “spirit of sport”. The “spirit of sport” is defined as “the celebration of the human spirit, body and mind” and explained with reference to a series of ideal values: ethics, fair play, and honesty; health; excellence in performance; character and education; fun and enjoyment; teamwork; dedication and commitment; respect for rules and laws; respect for self and other participants; courage; community and solidarity. These values do not lend themselves to clear-cut interpretation and are of little help in drawing unambiguous lines in concrete cases. A proposal is made of how to interpret the “spirit of sport” in more precise ways in terms of a combination of the fair opportunity principle and a biological and evolutionary understanding of athletic performance as a result of the systematic utilization of the phenotypic plasticity of the human organism. The argument is that such understanding improves significantly the possibilities for drawing of lines when it comes to doping issues.     

A meta-cognitive approach to doping in sports: The effects of thought validation on attitudes related to doping

ABSTRACT

To better understand doping-related attitude change, it is important to consider not only the amount of thinking (i.e., elaboration) done by message recipients, but also the favourability of their thoughts in response to the proposal, as well as the perceived validity in their thoughts. The main goal of the present study was to analyse the effects of a meta-cognitive process (i.e., thought validation) on attitudes related to doping. Thus, we randomly assigned participants to read a message either against or in favour of legalising several doping behaviours. Participants listed their thoughts regarding the proposal and indicated the perceived validity in their thoughts, then reported their attitudes. As hypothesised, the message against legalisation elicited more unfavourable thoughts and attitudes than the message in favour of legalisation. Most relevantly, the effects of the message direction on attitudes were greater for participants with higher (vs. lower) levels of thought validity. Furthermore, consistent with the thought validation process, results revealed that thought favourability was a better predictor of attitudes for participants with higher (vs. lower) perceived thought validity, indicating that perceiving one’s thoughts as valid plays an important role in persuasion. These findings provide novel insights for research and interventions regarding doping in sports.     

体育道德强度与体育专业大学生比赛中亲-反社会行为的关系:体育道德推脱的中介作用

体育道德强度反映了个体对体育情境中道德事件本身道德性质的认知水平,对于个体在运动中的体育道德行为具有重要影响。研究以568名体育专业大学生(男生307名,女生261名,平均年龄=19.1±1.04)为被试进行问卷调查,通过数理统计检验体育道德强度与体育专业大学生比赛中亲-反社会行为之间的关系和体育道德推脱在体育道德强度与比赛中亲-反社会行为关系中的中介作用。结果显示,体育道德强度与体育专业大学生比赛中的亲社会行为之间存在显著正相关,与比赛中的反社会行为之间存在显著负相关;体育道德推脱对体育道德强度和比赛中亲-反社会行为之间关系均表现出了显著的中介效应。研究表明,体育道德强度一方面直接影响体育专业大学生比赛中的亲-反社会行为,另一方面通过体育道德推脱的中介作用对比赛中的亲-反社会行为产生影响。     

Doping control in sport: An investigation of how elite athletes perceive and trust the functioning of the doping testing system in their sport

Doping testing is a key component enforced by anti-doping authorities to detect and deter doping in sport. Policy is developed to protect athletes’ right to participate in doping-free sport; and testing is a key tool to secure this right. Accordingly, athletes’ responses to anti-doping efforts are important. This article explores how the International Standards for Testing, which face different interpretations and challenges when policy is implemented, are perceived by elite athletes. Particularly, this article aims to investigate how elite athletes perceive the functioning of the testing system (i.e., the efforts of stakeholders involved in testing) in their own sport both nationally and worldwide. Moreover, it seeks to identify whether specific factors such as previous experience of testing and perceived proximity of doping have an impact on athletes’ perceptions of the testing system. The study comprises a web-based questionnaire (N = 645; response rate 43%) and uses qualitative findings to elaborate on and explain quantitative results. Results showed that two-thirds of the athletes reported the national testing programme in their sport to be appropriate. A majority of the athletes who had an opinion on the subject regarded testing programmes in some countries as not extensive enough or believed that in certain countries doping control was downgraded to win medals. Past experience of testing seemed to have a positive influence on trust in the concrete measures; however, if athletes experienced flaws during the control procedures, this could increase distrust and cause worry. The proximity of doping in an athlete's sport influenced the athlete's perception of the testing system. Particularly, athletes who need the testing system to be effective and to function well across the world show greater distrust of or dissatisfaction with the current testing system. The athletes’ diverging views indicate that contemporary anti-doping policy is simultaneously met with support, (dis)trust and frustration. By integrating the views and experiences of Danish elite athletes, this study confirms that the current testing system is confronted with obstacles, and it contributes knowledge about some of the challenges WADA faces when policy is implemented. Implications of results and recommendations for anti-doping authorities are outlined in the paper.     

The psychomotor vigilance test: a comparison of different test durations in elite athletes

The 10-min Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT-10) is regarded as the gold-standard for assessing vigilant attention following sleep loss; however, other studies have investigated whether shorter versions of the test elicit similar results to the PVT-10. The present study compared the PVT-10 with 3-min (PVT-3) and 5-min (PVT-5) versions of the test in elite female basketball players. Athletes performed all three tests in the morning and evening for seven consecutive days. Response speed (mean reciprocal reaction time; mean 1/RT), number of errors and number of lapses were determined for each test and time point. The PVT-3 elicited significantly faster response speeds than the other two tests (p < 0.01), while the PVT-5 and PVT-10 were not different. The PVT-10 resulted in more lapses than the PVT-5, followed by the PVT-3, with all tests being significantly different to each other (p < 0.01). In conclusion, while the PVT-5 and PVT-10 were generally similar for response speed, the PVT-3 did not produce results comparable with the PVT-10 for response speed, lapses or errors, and should therefore not be used interchangeably. Further research is required to determine whether the shorter tests are a suitable replacement for the PVT-10 in professional basketball players.     

Social and charitable impacts of a charity-affiliated sport event: A mixed methods study

In this mixed methods research, the authors examine a unique type of small-scale event – a charity-affiliated sport event – and define and measure its social and charitable impacts as perceived by residents. Findings from interviews (N = 37) and surveys (N = 459) with residents indicated that the event’s social impacts can be defined by its capacity to develop social capital, enhance collective identity and pride, and promote sport, health, and well-being. Three types of charitable impacts also emerged, including empathy for cause, informational support, and tangible support. Of them, empathy for cause, which addresses a central social issue in the host community, had the strongest association with residents’ perceptions of social impacts. These results provide evidence of a variety of positive impacts that a charity-affiliated sport event has on a community, which can be used to bolster appeals for corporate sponsorship and government support to assist in event delivery.     

中国女子竞技体育跃迁现象的文化学探索

中国女子竞技体育在国际竞争中,取得了令人瞩目的成绩,引起了世人的关注。人们曾就此问题进行过讨论,提出了不同的看法。本文从文化学的角度,沿着中国女子体育运动发展的历史轨迹,分析了中国女子竞技体育产生跃迁的原因。     

The prevalence and severity of injuries in field hockey drag flickers: a retrospective cross-sectional study

The drag flick is the preferred method of scoring during a penalty corner in field hockey. Performing the drag flick requires a combination of strength, coordination and timing, which may increase susceptibility to injuries. However, injury prevalence in drag flickers has not previously been investigated. Therefore, this study compared the injury prevalence and severity of lower limb and lower back injuries between drag flickers and non-drag flickers in field hockey. A total of 432 local, national and international adult field hockey players (242 males, 188 females) completed an online questionnaire to retrospectively determine the 3-month prevalence and severity of ankle, knee, hip and lower back injuries. Of this group, 140 self-identified as drag flickers and 292 as non-drag flickers. The results showed that drag flickers had significantly higher prevalence of hip (OR: 1.541; 95% CI: 1.014, 2.343) and lower back injury (OR: 1.564; 95% CI: 1.034, 2.365) compared to non-drag flickers. No significant differences were observed between drag flickers and non-drag flickers in injury prevalence at the ankle and knee. There were no significant between-group differences in injury severity scores. Overall, the prevalence of hip and lower back injuries was significantly higher in drag flickers compared to non-drag flickers.     

射箭运动员在不同训练时期血液氨基酸变化的研究

目的：观察射箭运动员在不同运动负荷状态时的血液氨基酸的变化。方法：用高效液相法测定射箭运动员冬训期间不同的训练时期血液中四种氨基酸——门冬氨酸（Asp）、谷氨酸（Glu）、甘氨酸（（Gly）和r-氨基丁酸（GABA）的含量。结果：在进行中等强度训练期和大强度训练期运动后1h血浆中谷氨酸的血浆浓度明显升高（P〈0．01）。而在大强度训练期后明显下降,甚至低于安静值;门冬氨酸在中等强度训练后血浆浓度也升高（P〈0．05）,在疲劳期则呈下降趋势,但仍高于安静值;在进行中等强度训练期和大强度训练期运动1h后血浆中r-氨基丁酸、甘氨酸均上升。大强度训练期明显升高,与训练前期安静值相比有显著意义（P〈0．01）。结论：射箭运动员在长时间大强度大运动量训练后,血液中的氨基酸会发生变化,中枢疲劳可能从血浆氨基酸的变化反映出来。     

The development of a tournament preparation framework for competitive golf: A Delphi study

Tournament preparation in golf is used by players to increase course knowledge, develop strategy, optimise playing conditions and facilitate self-regulation. It is not known whether specific behaviours in tournament preparation should be given priority in education and practice at different stages of competition. This study aimed to achieve consensus on the importance of specific tournament preparation behaviours or “items” to players of five competitive levels. A two-round Delphi study was used, including an expert panel of 36 coaches, high-performance staff, players and academics. Participants were asked to score the relative importance of 48 items to players using a 5-point Likert-type scale. For an item to achieve consensus, 67% agreement was required in two adjacent score categories. Consensus was reached for 46 items and these were used to develop a ranked framework for each competitive level. The developed framework provides consensus-based guidelines of the behaviours that are perceived as important in tournament preparation. This framework could be used by national sport organisations to guide the development of more comprehensive learning environments for players and coaches. It could also direct future studies examining the critical behaviours for golfers across different competitive levels.     

竞技太极拳发展研究:冲突与认同

竞技武术改革之后,竞技太极拳、剑的比赛率先得到了社会认可,其背后存在着一系列的冲突和认同。冲突在于竞技太极拳融入了长拳的难度动作,传统武术人士一时难以接受,并认为其偏离了太极拳的内涵;并且竞技太极拳基于赛场这一特殊的环境,潜在地调整了功能展示次序,突出了评判、表演,亦与传统认知相左。认同在于从观赏的角度,观众接受了竞技太极拳的审美超越;从传播的角度,竞技太极拳不时出现在电视节目中,散发影响力;从时间的角度上,大众逐渐接纳磨合了业内曾经的争议;而且,竞技太极拳的社会地位也在磨合中不断提升。     

The Health Risks of Doping during the Cold War: A Comparative Analysis of the Two Sides of the Iron Curtain

This article compares East Germany's Cold War-era approach to doping to that of the USA's in terms of their respective impacts on medical risk. Although deserving of criticism on many levels, the GDR doping programme featured a number of safeguards designed to minimise medical dangers. Unlike their East German counterparts, American governmental units were not directly involved in the administration of performance-enhancing substances. The US approach to doping was not ideal in terms of medical risk, however. As a result of the country's regulatory approach to doping, the country's athletes frequently turned to black market sources for doping agents. It was also relatively common for American athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs without the benefit of medical supervision. The US approach to doping was in these ways inferior to that of East Germany's on the subject of medical risk.     

The effect of individualised sprint training in elite female team sport athletes: A pilot study

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate whether an individualised sprint-training program was more effective in improving sprint performance in elite team-sport players compared to a generalised sprint-training program. Seventeen elite female handball players (23 ± 3 y, 177 ± 7 cm, 73 ± 6 kg) performed two weekly sprint training sessions over eight weeks in addition to their regular handball practice. An individualised training group (ITG, n = 9) performed a targeted sprint-training program based on their horizontal force-velocity profile from the pre-training test. Within ITG, players displaying the lowest, highest and mid-level force-velocity slope values relative to body mass were assigned to a resisted, an assisted or a mixed sprint-training program (resisted sprinting in the first half and assisted sprinting in the second half of the intervention period), respectively. A control group (CG, n = 8) performed a generalised sprint-training program. Both groups improved 30-m sprint performance by ~1% (small effect) and maximal velocity sprinting by ~2% (moderate effect). Trivial or small effect magnitudes were observed for mechanical outputs related to horizontal force- or power production. All between-group differences were trivial. In conclusion, individualised sprint-training was no more effective in improving sprint performance than a generalised sprint-training program.     

从现代运动训练的基本特点看高校运动训练

通过分析现代运动训练的基本特点以及高等学校运动训练的现状 ,找出两者的联系和区别 ,从而提出高校运动训练以及高水平运动队管理的发展趋势。     

Correlates of health in adolescent elite athletes and adolescents: A cross-sectional study of 1016 adolescents

The primary aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare subjective correlates of health, such as nutrition, self-esteem, sleep and stress, between adolescent elite athletes (n?=?625) and a reference group of adolescents (n?=?391) not involved in elite sports. A secondary aim was to study predictors for self-perceived stress. A questionnaire was e-mailed to all participants containing valid questions about competence-based self-esteem, nutrition, self-perceived stress and sleep. Our results show that adolescent elite athletes reported significantly (p?p?相似文献