Taboo subject: doping
There is probably widespread agreement that doping in competitive sport is "part of everyday life" and that there are likely to be numerous other offenses in the future. But what about amateur, recreational and popular sport? More and more media such as ZEIT, Stern-TV and the Swiss magazine Beobachter are reporting on this. Of course, we are talking about a small minority. But it is growing! However, nobody really wants to talk openly about this taboo subject. We don't really either. But we think it's better for everyone if we do it anyway. According to our latest sample survey, our industry thinks so too ...
On November 13, 2015, the German Bundestag passed the new anti-doping law with votes from the CDU/CSU and SPD (see download page 27). It is intended to "lead to a new quality in the fight against doping", explains Dagmar Freitag (MP), Chair of the Sports Committee of the German Bundestag, in an interview with body LIFE (see page 30). These bans (self-doping, mere possession/unrestricted) do not apply to recreational and amateur athletes; however, the regulation originating from the German Medicines Act and "now transferred to the Anti-Doping Act, according to which the possession of even small quantities of doping substances is punishable," Dagmar Freitag continued in the interview. 
Also on November 13, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) excluded the Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) until further notice due to years of systematic and widespread doping. There is a consensus that "the entire system has failed not only in Russia, but worldwide", explained IAAF President Sebastian Coe in DIE ZEIT(2). So there really does seem to be movement in the fight against doping.
But is there a connection between competitive and popular sport? There are at least major parallels, as can be seen in the article "Der falsche Triumph" in ZEIT ONLINE (see link tips on page 28). In the extensively researched report, the team of authors spoke to numerous recreational athletes such as cyclists, footballers and strength athletes. The ZEIT summarizes: "Many of them were also recreational dopers. We also met with drug dealers, sports doctors, public prosecutors, customs officials and physiotherapists. If you put the picture together, you get a picture of a society addicted to performance."
The statements and confessions collected by DIE ZEIT make it clear that, as our society is less and less openly and consistently rejecting doping, it is becoming easier and easier for amateur athletes to engage in (self-)cheating, which can be life-threatening. In some cases, there is even social pressure on those who don't take part - a passionate cyclist confesses in ZEIT ONLINE: "I was even increasingly scrutinized because I was clean. It was almost as if I had to dope in order to belong." Later, he apparently gave in to the pressure and temptation and doped with the anabolic agent Bodenon, among other things.
Dagmar Freitag on the target group of the new anti-doping law: "The law is initially aimed at combating doping in competitive sport." But with the time restriction "initially", the politician is signaling that the goals of the further political development of this topic are still completely open ...
Dopingin recreational sports is on the rise
Top performance and success are factors that are no longer exclusively important in professional sports. More and more amateur and recreational athletes are striving for confirmation through top performance. One indication of this is the increasing number of participants in marathons, triathlons and similar competitions over the years. In addition to high performance, many trainers also strive for a visually "perfectly" defined body.
Source: Body LIFE
Image source: shutterstock
Published on: 28 January 2016