AUTHOR=Zoob Carter Barnaby N. , Boardley Ian D. , van de Ven Katinka 

TITLE=The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Male Strength Athletes Who Use Non-prescribed Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.636706

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2021.636706

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> One sub-population potentially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are strength athletes who use anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS). We examined links between disruption in AAS use and training due to the pandemic and mental health outcomes in this population, hypothesising: (a) the pandemic would be linked with reduced training and AAS use; and (b) athletes perceiving greater impact on their training and AAS use would report increases in detrimental mental health outcomes.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Male strength athletes using AAS (<italic>N</italic> = 237) from 42 countries completed an online questionnaire in May 2020. A sub-sample (<italic>N</italic> = 90) from 20 countries participated again 4 months later. The questionnaire assessed pre-pandemic and current AAS use and training, alongside several mental health outcomes.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> At Time 1, most participants perceived an impact of the pandemic on AAS use (91.1%) and/or training (57.8%). Dependent <italic>t</italic>-tests demonstrated significant reductions in training frequency (<italic>t</italic> = 7.78; <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) and AAS dose (<italic>t</italic> = 6.44; <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) compared to pre-pandemic. Linear regression showed the impact of the pandemic on training was a significant positive predictor of excessive body checking (<italic>B</italic> = 0.35) and mood swings (<italic>B</italic> = 0.26), and AAS dose was a significant positive predictor of anxiety (<italic>B</italic> = 0.67), insomnia (<italic>B</italic> = 0.52), mood swings (<italic>B</italic> = 0.37). At Time 2, fewer participants perceived an impact of the pandemic on AAS use (29.9%) and/or training (66.7%) than at Time 1. Training frequency (<italic>t</italic> = 3.02; <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01) and AAS dose (<italic>t</italic> = 2.11; <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) were depressed in comparison to pre-pandemic. However, AAS dose had increased compared to Time 1 (<italic>t</italic> = 2.11; <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). Linear regression showed the impact of the pandemic on training/AAS use did not significantly predict any mental-health outcomes. However, AAS dose was a significant negative predictor of depressive thoughts (<italic>B</italic> = −0.83) and mood swings (<italic>B</italic> = −2.65).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Our findings showed impact of the pandemic on the training and AAS use, reflected in reduced training frequency and AAS dose. However, whilst we detected some short-term consequential effects on mental health, these did not appear to be long-lasting.</p>