BACKGROUND

In the history of drugs in sport, sport administrators, athletes, and the general public have often seen doctors as protagonists in doping. The main accusations made are, firstly, that some are engaged in medically assisted doping, and, secondly, that they supply athletes with doping agents, either deliberately or through carelessness. In study of Laure at al. up to 61% of adult amateur athletes stated that they obtained anabolic steroids and other banned drugs from a doctor. Doctors, however, do not appear to have much knowledge of the subject of doping, as underlined by a study of the Nederlands Centrum voor Dopingvraagstukken on 1000 general practitioners, according to which 85% of the respondents admitted that they were not familiar with banned drugs or their side effects.

Somerville at al. has showed that the team doctor was by far the most common source of information for the athletes (61%). There are also no published studies that assess the competence of team doctors with doping issues. One of those who admitted an accidental breach in Somerville study alleged that the team doctor had given him a drug containing a banned substance. Two most common suggestions from elite sportspeople to improve the anti-doping education (Somerville at al.) were increase awareness through website, and provide regular updated list of acceptable supplements and medicines.

Pilot study done in cooperation between Anti-Doping Agency of Serbia and Sport Medicine Association of Serbia has showed that representatives (mainly medial doctors) of Sport Associations of Serbia dont know proper answers on one third of the basic questions about doping. On two questions regarding the role of WADA (1.WADA and National Anti-doping agency can advise athletes on which nutritional supplements are safe and legal to use. 2. WADA could test athletes in competition while they are competing at an event) 100% of participants have given wrong answer. The same study showed that Doping Control Officers (only medical doctors) have given wrong answers on 22% questions in spite the previous anti-doping education.

Considering these elements, the aim of this survey is to examine attitudes and experience of medical doctors from Balkan Countries with regard to doping and their contact with doping on an everyday basis. Knowledge about doping in the Balkan region is not on the proper level. On the Olympic Games in Sidney 44% athletes from Balkan region were positive. On last Olympic Games 20% of positive cases have come from Balkan countries. If we add Hungarian athletes, who are geopolitically and mentally part of the Balkan Region, there were 40% of positive cases. Athletes from the Balkan countries have lost on last two Olympic games 5 medals (4 in weightlifting and 1 in gymnastics) and 4 athletes has been positive on out of competition testing.

Doping test carried out on last two Olympic Games

Competition test during Olympic Games in Sidney

Out of competition test during Olympic Games in Athens

Competition test during Olympic Games in Athens

Hypothesis is that athletes are not informed because of poor knowledge of medical doctors, specially the team doctors and others who are involved in sport medicine. From another side there is still present Eastern German strategy of necessity of doping, common believing that there is no success in sports (weightlifting, track and field, gymnastics, bicycling etc.) without support of certain substances (steroids, diuretics, epo, growth hormone etc.) It is important that not only athletes, but also their physician understand they can do doping offence and be exclude form sport association. It would be therefore essential that medical doctors, especially team doctors receive regular updates and be assessed on their knowledge of doping issues.

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