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Comparative performance of wearable ECG devices for rhythm monitoring in endurance athletes.

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Cardiovascular Effects of Performance-Enhancing Drugs.

André La Gerche1, Maria J Brosnan2

  • 1From Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (A.L.G., M.J.B.); St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia (A.L.G., M.J.B.); and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Leuven, Belgium (A.L.G.). andre.agerche@bakeridi.edu.au.

Circulation
|December 29, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) pose health risks beyond direct cardiovascular effects, including exercise-induced arrhythmias. Athletes may face dangers from novel, unmonitored agents before regulatory awareness.

Keywords:
anabolic agentsarrhythmias, cardiacerythropoietinfibrosisgrowth hormonepeptidessubstance-related disorders

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Area of Science:

  • Sports Medicine
  • Pharmacology
  • Cardiology

Background:

  • Competitive sports offer health benefits but face threats from performance-enhancing agents.
  • Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) carry significant health risks and create unfair advantages.
  • Beyond direct cardiovascular effects, PEDs may indirectly cause exercise-induced arrhythmias by enabling athletes to exceed physiological limits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the known health effects of PEDs.
  • To highlight the emerging threat of novel, unrecognized performance-enhancing agents.
  • To discuss the potential for exercise-induced arrhythmias linked to PED use.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing research on PEDs and their health effects.
  • Analysis of the indirect consequences of PEDs on athletic performance and cardiac health.
  • Discussion of the time lag between athlete use of novel agents and regulatory detection.

Main Results:

  • PEDs can directly impact the cardiovascular system (myocardium, vasculature, metabolism).
  • Indirect effects of PEDs may lead to exercise-induced arrhythmias by pushing athletes beyond safe physiological boundaries.
  • Athletes often experiment with novel agents lacking efficacy and safety data, posing unmonitored risks.

Conclusions:

  • The covert use of unrecognized performance-enhancing agents represents a significant health threat in sports.
  • The delay in regulatory awareness of new agents creates a window for athletes to use them with relative impunity.
  • Addressing PED abuse may require considering all off-label drug use as illegal.