Anti-doping interventions as an essential instrument in promoting ethical values and preserving the integrity of clean sport

Abstract

Background. Doping in sports remains a significant global challenge, with implications not only for the physical and mental health of athletes but also for the ethics of competitions. The "cancer" of world sports has spread across all disciplines, being the most predominant cause of athlete suspensions. Objective(s). Highlighting the role of anti-doping interventions and elucidating the need to boost proper conduct through the implementation of educational strategies and awareness programs. Materials and methods. A focused review of the specialized literature was conducted using Google Scholar and the databases PubMed, Research for Life, and Medline, numbering 217 sources, from which 23 scientific articles were selected. The study analyzed the effectiveness of anti-doping programs worldwide, as well as the identification of major current tendencies. Results. The implementation of a worldwide anti-doping program has, on average, notable positive effects, evidenced by a consistent and significant reduction in susceptibility to doping by 6.3±2.4%. Globally, between 2018 and 2020, the trend of consuming nutritional supplements recorded a significant drop of 13.4±1.6%. In contrast, during the post-COVID period (2022–2024), a marked increase of 15.6±2.1% in supplement use was observed. The most substantial progress was noted in the overall increase in anti-doping knowledge, which rose by 36.9±3.2%, as well as in the strengthening of self-determined anti-doping behaviors, which improved by 44.1±2.4%. Conclusion(s). Difficult problems, like doping, cannot be solved but can be managed. The anti-doping movement aims to acknowledge this and to establish goals and strategies for research, testing, and education with the purpose of protecting clean sport as well as the mental health of athletes.