[Recreational athletes and doping--a survey in 11 gyms in the area of Frankfurt/Main]

Doping no longer concerns exclusively competitive sports, but also recreational sports.

Survey of 484 recreational athletes in 11 gyms in the area of Frankfurt/Main.

12.9% of the men and 3.6% of the women reported to take anabolic drugs. Theyconsumed anabolic steroids (100%; 35% p.o., 71% parenterally), stimulants (14%) and growth hormone (5%). Suppliers were friends (39%), sports mates (28%), physicians (28%) and coaches (6%). The acquisition costs amounted to an average intake over 9 weeks to 175 Euro. Information about doping side effects came from literature (67%), physicians (38%), sports mates and the so-called Black Book (14% respectively), coaches, friends and Internet (5% respectively). 2% of the athletes with abuse of doping substances were smokers, 11% had a drink several times a week, 3% also consumed other drugs, 35% had consumed other drugs in the past. Abusers of doping substances primarily intended to increase muscle size (86%) and strength (61%).

From a sports medical point of view it is concerning that the proportion of doping drugs prescribed by physicians has doubled in the decade after the publication of the predecessor study in Northern Germany despite optimized sports medical and legal education measures.