[The use of drugs to improve athletic performance]

In sports, medical drugs are applied for supposedly ergogenic effects. Forbidden drug use (doping) implies that the drug enhances performance, which is not always the case. Amphetamines are ergogenic particularly during short-term, explosive exercise. Amphetamines exert an ergolytic effect on high-intensity endurance exercise. Caffeine has an ergogenic effect on endurance performance in dosages of 3 to 6 mg/kg. Doping regulations allow a small amount of caffeine intake. Androgenic and anabolic steroids elicit an increase in muscle growth and strength. In females low doses appear to be ergogenic in all sport types. beta 2-adrenergic agonists appear to have a positive effect on strength and muscle growth. The effects on endurance performance are still unknown. Although growth hormone is used in sports, scientific studies show that compared with placebo no difference in strength and muscle volume is observed. Blood doping and administration of erythropoietin are effective in enhancing endurance performance.