Course Description
This course is designed to increase the learner’s understanding of the often-overlooked science of medication use in athletes. This includes the use of performance-enhancing drugs to gain a competitive advantage, dietary supplements used for general health and nutrition, and prescription medications used to treat chronic medical conditions in athletes. Students will explore the pharmacology, guidelines, legality, and ethics of different categories of medication use. This course will describe the unique considerations athletes face within healthcare, highlight athlete-specific considerations when treating medical conditions with medications or dietary supplements, performance-enhancement with and without medication and dietary supplement use, and review the anti-doping initiative and drug testing. Learners will discuss the ethics around medication use in sport, including the use of hormone replacement therapy in transgender athletes, participation in untested competitions, and the use and distribution of non-approved ingredients in the United States. Ensuring effective, safe, and ethical uses of medications and dietary supplements in athletes is a team sport. The course will highlight the important role of interprofessional teams within sport and how each of their roles advocates and optimizes athlete health.
Objectives
After completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Identify unique healthcare considerations in athletes and explain the pathophysiology and treatment of common medical conditions experienced by athletes
- Summarize the major components of the anti-doping initiative and ethical considerations of medication use in various scenarios
- Review the pharmaceutical properties of common classes of substances used in sport, including anabolic agents, peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances and mimetics, hormone and metabolic modulators, beta-2 agonists, stimulants, diuretics and masking agents, narcotics, cannabinoids, glucocorticoids, and beta-blockers
- Describe prohibited doping methods, including manipulation of blood and blood components, chemical and physical manipulation, and gene and cell doping
- Outline the process of drug testing for select performance-enhancing substances
- Summarize the regulation of medications, dietary supplements, and other ingredients in the U.S.
- Recognize common ingredients found in dietary supplements used for performance-enhancement and critique evidence surrounding their safety and efficacy
- Describe the role of sports physicians/nurse practitioners/physician extenders, athletic trainers, dieticians, psychologists, pharmacists, and athlete support personnel
- Evaluate sources of drug information for reliability, accuracy, and usability.
Topics
- Unique Considerations in the Athlete’s Healthcare
- Medication and Supplement Regulation, Drug Information and Evidence Evaluation
- Introduction to the Anti-doping Initiatives and Prohibited Medications in Sport
- Medication classes covered:
- Anabolic agents, peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances and mimetics, hormone and metabolic modulators
- Beta 2 Agonists, Beta-Blockers, Stimulants
- Narcotics, Glucocorticoids, and Cannabinoids
- Diuretics and Masking Agents
- Drug Testing
- Consequences of Doping in Sport and Anti-doping Resources
- Therapeutic Use Exemptions and the Healthcare Team
- Common Musculoskeletal Injuries, asthma management, and mental health in athletes
- Dietary Ingredients with Performance-Enhancing Properties
- Evaluating the Risks of Dietary Supplement Use in Sports
- Careers Impacting Athlete Health