"Stop doping"

The number of German top athletes who dope does not match the official figures that can actually multiply by eight. So says Professor Dr. Perikles Simon, sports physician and researcher specializing in doping, in his academic report. Fitness.com interviewed him to better understand the reasons of doping and the fight against this scourge in the world of professional sport.

Apparently Germany is more mired in doping scandal than assumed. In collaboration with researchers from the University of Tübingen, Professor Perikles Simon conducted an anonymous survey with 480 athletes. Seven percent admitted to being doped. This is eight times more than the official data of the National Agency for the Fight against Doping. Furthermore, this study found that the average age of the athletes who dope is 16 years, which is especially disturbing and terrifying. Scientists at the University of Saarland estimate that 35% of top athletes dope. This corresponds to a third of German sports professionals. Professor Perikles Simon talks about the spread of doping and anti-doping.

Fitness.: About seven percent of young professional athletes admit to having doped, leaving imply that it is much more a reality. Is doping has become routine for young aspiring athletes?
Professor Simon: Do not generalize. In fact there are differences between the sports practiced at high level. Many athletes of the 70 and 80 have become coaches themselves today. At the time there were mostly stand up to the sports of former communist countries. These coaches naturally have a definite philosophy of sport. The latter is not to practice a sport in healthy conditions but to win.

Fitness: How is it that the result of your study increased eightfold official figures of the Agency for the Fight against Doping? Is doping is not taken seriously?
Professor Simon: Yes, I think the problem is taken seriously. But unfortunately it is analytically increasingly hard to pin an athlete who dope. We can not expect major changes in this area knowing that the money invested in the doping of the screening process is a joke. On the one hand we have millions of euros that are injected into the sports industry, one can even speak of billions of euros, and on the other hand, the 6 million euros invested in the fight against doping. You understand that this is not enough. This is what a professional footballer earns in a year !!

Fitness: What are the most affected by sports doping?
Professor Simon: We use a screening process based on anonymity. In obtaining the results, it is impossible to know from people who dope sport called into question. Similarly we can not verify who responded with yes or no to doping issues. Anonymity is in this case a huge drawback. With this method it is possible to analyze the phenomenon of doping, one can simply understand the frequency.