title: Considerations in the Use of Stimulants in Sport.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 6001 Research Park Boulevard, Madison, WI, 53719, USA. clreardon@wisc.edu.
authors.forename: Claudia L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Reardon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 6001 Research Park Boulevard, Madison, WI, 53719, USA.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Factor
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000941:ethics; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011640:Public Policy; D012307:Risk Factors; D013177:Sports / Q000941:ethics*
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances