Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/30423
Title: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Male Strength Athletes Who Use Non-prescribed Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids
Contributor(s): Carter, Barnaby N Zoob (author); Boardley, Ian D (author); van de Ven, Katinka  (author)orcid 
Publication Date: 2021-03-22
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.636706
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/30423
Abstract: 

Background: One sub-population potentially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are strength athletes who use anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS). We examined links between disruption in AAS use and training due to the pandemic and mental health outcomes in this population, hypothesising: (a) the pandemic would be linked with reduced training and AAS use; and (b) athletes perceiving greater impact on their training and AAS use would report increases in detrimental mental health outcomes.

Methods: Male strength athletes using AAS (N = 237) from 42 countries completed an online questionnaire in May 2020. A sub-sample (N = 90) from 20 countries participated again 4 months later. The questionnaire assessed pre-pandemic and current AAS use and training, alongside several mental health outcomes.

Results: At Time 1, most participants perceived an impact of the pandemic on AAS use (91.1%) and/or training (57.8%). Dependent t-tests demonstrated significant reductions in training frequency (t = 7.78; p < 0.001) and AAS dose (t = 6.44; p < 0.001) compared to pre-pandemic. Linear regression showed the impact of the pandemic on training was a significant positive predictor of excessive body checking (B = 0.35) and mood swings (B = 0.26), and AAS dose was a significant positive predictor of anxiety (B = 0.67), insomnia (B = 0.52), mood swings (B = 0.37). At Time 2, fewer participants perceived an impact of the pandemic on AAS use (29.9%) and/or training (66.7%) than at Time 1. Training frequency (t = 3.02; p < 0.01) and AAS dose (t = 2.11; p < 0.05) were depressed in comparison to pre-pandemic. However, AAS dose had increased compared to Time 1 (t = 2.11; p < 0.05). Linear regression showed the impact of the pandemic on training/AAS use did not significantly predict any mental-health outcomes. However, AAS dose was a significant negative predictor of depressive thoughts (B = −0.83) and mood swings (B = −2.65).

Conclusion: Our findings showed impact of the pandemic on the training and AAS use, reflected in reduced training frequency and AAS dose. However, whilst we detected some short-term consequential effects on mental health, these did not appear to be long-lasting.

Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: Frontiers in Psychiatry, v.12, p. 1-11
Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation
Place of Publication: Switzerland
ISSN: 1664-0640
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 160508 Health Policy
110604 Sports Medicine
160299 Criminology not elsewhere classified
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 440706 Health policy
440201 Causes and prevention of crime
320225 Sports medicine
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 920414 Substance Abuse
920499 Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health) not elsewhere classified)
940499 Justice and the Law not elsewhere classified
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 230402 Crime prevention
200413 Substance abuse
200201 Determinants of health
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Files in This Item:
2 files
File Description SizeFormat 
openpublished/TheImpactVanDeVen2021JournalArticle.pdfPublished version204.51 kBAdobe PDF
Download Adobe
View/Open
Show full item record

SCOPUSTM   
Citations

13
checked on Feb 24, 2024

Page view(s)

1,286
checked on Mar 7, 2023

Download(s)

46
checked on Mar 7, 2023
Google Media

Google ScholarTM

Check

Altmetric


This item is licensed under a Creative Commons License Creative Commons