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Sports Medicine
Published in: Sports Medicine 5/2016

01-05-2016 | Current Opinion

Considerations in the Use of Stimulants in Sport

Authors: Claudia L. Reardon, Robert M. Factor

Published in: Sports Medicine | Issue 5/2016

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Abstract

Medication treatment of adult athletes with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is controversial. Some articles and guidelines support the use of stimulant medications in this population, while others advise against it. We believe that the important issues regarding the use of stimulant medications in athletes include the likelihood of performance enhancement, poor inter-rater reliability of ADHD diagnosis in relation to therapeutic use, policies of sport-governing bodies, psychiatric treatment of mental illness, and dangerous consequences of use. We review the literature on these five issues and conclude by discussing the ethical principle of fairness, and suggest some proposals regarding the use of stimulants by athletes that balance these five issues and fairness. Our ultimate recommendation is that stimulants should not be used by high-level adult athletes.
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Metadata
Title
Considerations in the Use of Stimulants in Sport
Authors
Claudia L. Reardon
Robert M. Factor
Publication date
01-05-2016
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Sports Medicine / Issue 5/2016
Print ISSN: 0112-1642
Electronic ISSN: 1179-2035
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0456-y

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