UC Davis experts: Athletes and performance-enhancing substances

The UC Davis faculty has broad expertise on the physical and psychological effects of using performance-enhancing substances, as well as related matters. If you need information on a topic not listed, please contact Mitchel Benson, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9844, mdbenson@ucdavis.edu, or David Ong, UC Davis Health System, (916) 734-9049, david.ong@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.

Psychology

• Why athletes take steroids
• Psychology of sports and team dynamics

Image issues

• Reputation
• Better bodies through technology

Drugs and supplements

• Performance-enhancing drugs
• Dietary supplements

Fitness and medical issues

• Nutrition and fitness
• Strength and conditioning
• Biomechanics, movement and injury prevention

PSYCHOLOGY

Why athletes take steroids

Kim Cusimano, a psychologist with the UC Davis Sports Medicine Program, can discuss the pressure to succeed and athletes' sense of their personal commitment to excel as motivating factors fueling the desire to take anabolic steroids. Most athletes who use steroids perceive the substances as necessary to be competitive, providing them the difference between winning and losing. However, Cusimano says, these athletes rarely view their steroid use as "cheating." Instead, they believe they are demonstrating purpose, sacrifice and discipline by adhering to a strict regimen requiring knowledge of nutrition, the body and the cycling administration of steroids. "It may also be that for many athletes, their identity is so strongly affiliated with a sport that they will do anything to be the best, and thus may view themselves as athletes first and humans second," she says. Cusimano adds that many steroid users discount the risks and may regard the potential side effects as idiosyncratic at best, and consider the gains to far outweigh the possible harm. Contact: David Ong, UC Davis Health System, (916) 734-9049, david.ong@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.

Psychology of sports and team dynamics

Paul Salitsky, a UC Davis lecturer in exercise biology, studies the psychological aspects of sport and exercise. He specializes in sport and exercise psychology, sport sociology and motor learning, and has coached women's volleyball at the international, club and NCAA Division I level. Salitsky has conducted more than 350 clinics and workshops on the mental skills needed for performance success. A certified consultant for the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology, Salitsky has been listed on the U.S. Olympic Committee's Sport Psychology Registry since 2000. Also in 2000, he was selected to join the Sport Psychology Committee for USA Track & Field. He has joined the Positive Coaching Alliance and has mentored coaches, parents and leaders in youth sports through nearly 100 workshops across the United States. Salitsky's recent research interests have been in the area of exercise and mental skills training for cancer patients and survivors; in 2002, he survived non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Contact: Paul Salitsky, Exercise Biology, (530) 752-3381, pbsalitsky@ucdavis.edu.

IMAGE ISSUES

Reputation

Kim Elsbach, a competitive athlete and the faculty athletics representative at UC Davis, is a professor of organizational behavior in the Graduate School of Management. She studies how organizations, their leaders and individuals acquire and maintain images, identities and reputations -- and how those can be affected by negative publicity. Elsbach is UC Davis' representative to the Big West Conference and its appointed delegate to the conventions and other activities of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. She certifies eligibility for all student athletes for conference and NCAA competition, practice and financial aid, among other responsibilities. A member of the athletics administrative advisory committee since 2003, Elsbach is an active master's swimmer, marathon runner and triathlete. She was a member of the varsity swim team at the University of Iowa. Contact: Kim Elsbach, Graduate School of Management, (530) 752-0910, kdelsbach@ucdavis.edu.

Better bodies through technology

Carolyn de la Peña, a UC Davis associate professor of American studies, can talk about the history of products that promise better bodies and the relationship between technology, the human body and enhancements in American culture in general. According to de la Peña, early 20th century attitudes about using technology to release latent energy and reverse physical decline have carried over to today. She can discuss how Americans adapt to new technologies in their daily lives by generating and participating in cultural myths about our physical capabilities. De la Pe√±a's book, "The Body Electric: How Strange Machines Built the Modern American," was published in 2003. Contact: Carolyn de la Peña, American Studies, (530) 752-3375, ctdelapena@ucdavis.edu.

DRUGS AND SUPPLEMENTS

Performance-enhancing drugs

James Shaffrath is a lecturer in UC Davis' exercise biology program and the section of neurobiology, physiology and behavior. He is also a co-director of the Adult Fitness Program at UC Davis. He can discuss in general terms the physical and psychological effects of anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs. Contact: Jim Shaffrath, Exercise Biology, (530) 752-0704, jdshaffrath@ucdavis.edu.

Dietary supplements

Marlia Braun, a dietitian with the UC Davis Sports Medicine Program, can discuss dietary supplements that are hormone precursors, such as androsterone and DHEA, which are thought to have anabolic effects when converted to testosterone or other hormones. The primary anabolic effect is accelerated muscle growth with potential changes in bone growth and red blood cell production. But Braun says that research has not produced proof of any anabolic effect, or even that the actual conversion occurs. Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration generally does not regulate dietary supplements, Braun says that their quality and quantity are not guaranteed. The effects of long-term or repeated intake of hormone precursors are not clearly understood, and their adverse effects may not appear for years. These precursors are known to produce some acute side effects, such as acne, male-pattern baldness, unwanted hair growth, irritability, rapid heartbeat and prostate enlargement. Overall, Braun says, supplements should not be used until their effects, good or bad, are better understood. Contact: David Ong, UC Davis Health System, (916) 734-9049, david.ong@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.

FITNESS AND MEDICAL ISSUES

Nutrition and fitness

Liz Applegate, a UC Davis senior lecturer and director of Sports Nutrition, is a nationally known nutrition and fitness authority, and an expert on exercise and healthy eating. She has published several books, including "Bounce Your Body Beautiful," "The Encyclopedia of Sports and Fitness Nutrition" and "Eat Smart, Play Hard." She has written more than 300 articles for national magazines and is nutrition editor and a columnist for Runner's World magazine. Applegate serves on the board of trustees for the American College of Sports Medicine and is a nutrition consultant to various professional and U.S. Olympic teams. Contact: Liz Applegate, Nutrition, (530) 758-6281, eaapplegate@ucdavis.edu.

Strength and conditioning

When former Olympian Andy Bloom was named UC Davis' first full-time strength and conditioning coach, it was a nod to the more demanding Division I competition. He will assist all 26 varsity sports. A member of the UC Davis coaching staff since 2000, he joined the Aggie program as an assistant track-and-field coach, working with UC Davis shot-put and discus throwers. Prior to coming to UC Davis, Bloom was an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee. The highlight of Bloom's track-and-field career was a fourth-place finish in the shot put at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. He is also a two-time U.S. indoor champion in the shot put, finished first in the event at the 2000 World Grand Prix and 1999 World University Games, and placed fourth in the shot put at the 1999 World Championships. He was a two-time Academic All-America selection while a student at Wake Forest University, where he earned NCAA Division I titles in 1996 in both the shot put and discus. Contact: Andy Bloom, Intercollegiate Athletics, (530) 752-5124, ambloom@ucdavis.edu.

Biomechanics, movement and injury prevention

UC Davis biomechanist David Hawkins is interested in understanding what influences skeletal muscle performance and human movement. His work at the UC Davis Human Performance Laboratory aims to develop tools and training strategies that can assist people who have musculoskeletal disorders, as well as prevent injury and maximize athletic performance. He can talk about properties of biological tissues (i.e. bone, ligament, tendon and muscle) and how they respond to exercise and disuse. His recent research has focused on developing noninvasive techniques to study the behavior and adaptation of muscle-tendon units in living subjects. Contact: David Hawkins, Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences, (530) 752-2748, dahawkins@ucdavis.edu, Web site.

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