Use of prescription drugs in athletes

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Use of prescription drugs
in athletes

• Highly trained athletes - increased frequency of
  allergies, asthma, stress injuries
• Increased use antiasthmatics, antiallergics,
  NSAIDs, oral antibiotics
• Pharmacological management - compliant with
  doping regulations
• Potential adverse effects - influence on athletes
  exercise performance

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Pharmacoepidemiological studies in elite athletes

• Berglund, 2001 - use of NSAIDs and B2 agonists
  in Swedish Olympic
  athletes in 1996 (Atlanta), in 1998 (Nagano), in
  2000 (Sydney).
• NSAIDs use 11.5 - 6.7 - 7.6
  (6
  to 10 fold higher than in general population of
  the same age)
• B2 agonists 1.5 - 15.2 - 6.4
• 1998 - Winter Olympic games in Nagano large
  group of cross-country
  skiers - high prevalence of EIA

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Pharmacoepidemiological studies
in elite athletes

• Corrigan, 2003
• Sydney Olympic Games 2000 - NSAIDs use in 25.6
  of athletes
• Concomitant use of multiple medicines-danger of
  upper gastrointestinal bleeding
• Alaranta, 2006
• Use of caffeine,pseudoephedrine,ephedrine-in 13
  of 446 athletes-to enhance performance
• Huang, 2006
• Canadian athletes at Atlanta (n 257) and Sydney
  ( n 300) Olympic Games NSAIDs use in 33 and
  38 (all medications use-61 and 54 )

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Pharmacoepidemiological studies
in elite athletes

• Alarante, 2006
• Finnish elite athletes x general population
  physician prescribed medications
• Athletes 35 x controls 25
• Antiasthmatics 7.0 x 2.3
• Antiallergics 12.6 x 6.0
• NSAIDs 8.1 2.7
• Oral antibiotics 2.7 x 1.3
• Types of sport impact on medication use
• Power-sport athletes 18.6 NSAIDs , 4.4
  antibacterials
• Endurance athletes - more antiasthmatics and anti
  allergic medications

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Conclusion

• Elite athletes use antiasthmatics, antiallergics,
  NSAIDs and oral antibiotics
  significantly more frequently than general
  population of the same age
• All these medicines have potential adverse
  effects that may have deleterious impact on the
  exercise performance of elite athletes.
• Physician in sports medicine, athletes,couches
  and pharmacists should be better counselled on
  the adverse effects of the most used medicine and
  their effect on athletes and exercise performance