Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Examining the Confusion & Inconsistencies Regarding Sports and Drugs

Examining the Confusion & Inconsistencies Regarding Sports and Drugs

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Sep 27, 2019

No Comments

When talking sports and drugs, be prepared to grapple with the confusion and inconsistencies that exist as it applies to what is and isn’t permitted.  What is legal? Illegal? Performance-enhancing? Dangerous?  These are just a few of the many questions today that sports leagues struggle with, and how leagues respond to these questions essentially lays out for athletes what they can and can’t do as it applies to maximizing their athletic abilities.  Additionally, it’s important to note that millions of young athletes often model what professional and college athletes do, making the questions around drugs and sports even that much more important.

Breaking down drug categories

The discussion around drugs and sports has expanded greatly in recent years, with increasingly more grey areas to delve into with respect to safety and artificial performance enhancement.  But before dissecting these questions, I have broken down drugs in sports into three general categories:

A.) Performance enhancement (i.e. steroids, HGH).  To date, sports leagues ban these kinds of substances — but there are athletes who not only still try and use these substances discretely, but even argue that leagues should allow athletes themselves to decide what risks they are OK taking as they work to maximize their athletic abilities.  The thinking here is that if most athletes used these substances the playing field would be level, and that any long-term negative consequences would be a result of the individuals that made those choices.

B.) Prescription drugs (i.e. antidepressants, psychostimulants).  Countless athletes are prescribed various anti-depressants and ADD stimulant drugs (i.e. Adderall), often by simply asking their physician for a script.  These drugs are widely accepted in sports, yet the FDA potential side-effects include things like suicidal/homicidal ideation (anti-depressants).  Another concern, ironically, has to do with performance enhancement — many athletes have told me how they secure Adderall prescriptions specifically to help with on-field focus.  Still, sports leagues currently do nothing to prevent these abuses (advantages?) from occurring.

C.) Recreation drugs (i.e. marijuana).  Marijuana is now legal in many states, as well as picking up speed in the science community when it comes to the efficacy of the drug used with various medical conditions, yet is still not widely accepted by sports leagues.  Marijuana doesn’t help with on-field performance, but may help with injury rehabilitation, yet is regularly banned.  Some athletes use marijuana to deal with the pressures and anxieties associated with being in the public eye, and do so on their time and in the privacy of their homes — should these individuals be banned from their respective sports for these choices?

Putting it all together

The point here today is not to advocate for any kind of drug usage, but instead point out the inconsistencies between drug classifications.  Do athletes gain a competitive advantage using performance enhancing drugs?  Many athletes say no, arguing that steroids don’t allow baseball players to hit better or throw more strikes. And what about prescription drugs, especially psychostimulants that, in theory, heighten awareness and attention and could arguably be seen as providing athletes advantages — yet these drugs are accepted by sports leagues.  And then there are recreation drugs like marijuana that might be legal in your state (and don’t provide any athletic advantage whatsoever – if anything marijuana negatively impacts athletic performance), yet leagues regularly test for this drug.  There are many moving pieces when it comes to developing rules and policies balancing performance enhancement, medical needs, and dangers, and getting this exactly right is like threading a needles perfectly.

Final thoughts

The confusion over drugs and sports will only continue to grow as we see more athletes prescribed psychotropic medications, and more states legalize recreation drugs like marijuana.  Similarly, “hybrid” steroid/HGH-type supplements will always be manufactured, staying one step ahead of testing and allowing athletes to cheat until rules are changed.  What should be banned and what should be approved?  What drugs are potentially dangerous, yet currently approved to use?  And what should sports leagues do in states where recreation drugs like marijuana are legal, but the league still says the drug is banned?

drstankovich.com

 

anxiety, depression, drugs, marijuana, performance, policies, psychology, sport, steroids

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • May 6, 2025 Beyond the Numbers: How Overusing Sport Analytics Can Undermine Expert Judgment
  • April 21, 2025 Juggling Sports and Schedules: The Hidden Costs of Playing Multiple Sports
  • April 17, 2025 Earning Power: College Athletes Aren’t Greedy, They’re Just No Longer Free Labor
  • April 16, 2025 Decoding Intuition: What Happens When We Follow Our Inner Compass?
  • April 8, 2025 Precision, Purpose, Performance: The Psychology of Efficiency in Success

PREVIOUS POST

The Top 5 Best Sport Parenting Strategies

NEXT POST

Insulting Players Shouldn’t be a Coach Motivation Technique

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Athletic Counseling , Continuing Education , Habit Change , health psychology , Leadership , Mental Disorders , NCAA , Off Field Issues , Performance Enhancement , Performance Supplements , Prep , Pro , Pro and College Sports , Sport Philosophy , Sport Psychology , Sport Sociology , Sports Culture and Society , Sports Leadership , Sports Parenting , Sports Performance Science , Uncategorized , Youth Sports

Tags

anxiety, depression, drugs, marijuana, performance, policies, psychology, sport, steroids

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Beyond the Numbers: How Overusing Sport Analytics Can Undermine Expert Judgment
  • Juggling Sports and Schedules: The Hidden Costs of Playing Multiple Sports
  • Earning Power: College Athletes Aren’t Greedy, They’re Just No Longer Free Labor
  • Decoding Intuition: What Happens When We Follow Our Inner Compass?
  • Precision, Purpose, Performance: The Psychology of Efficiency in Success
  • The Importance of Passion & Purpose for Sport Success
  • How Human Arousal Impacts Sport Performance
  • Bouncing Back: How Coaches Can Help Kids Learn from a Tough Loss
  • Learn Sports Fear Reduction with these 5 Psychology Tips
  • Why Does Your Kid Play Great in Practice, but Not in Games?
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1207 Grandview Ave., Suite #218, Columbus, OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482

    Media & General Inquiries

    information@drstankovich.com

    Sales & Product Support

    sales@drstankovich.com

  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2025 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓