Athletes and Adderall

[AbsentMinded]

I think this topic is allowed, but I’ll remove it if it’s not. I just saw a brief interview with Simone Biles (who is amazing) about how she takes anti-anxiety meds. I know she also takes Adderall as do other Olympic athletes. I just wonder what you all think of it in regards to safety and health of these athletes, as well as the potential for this to start a trend. Especially in a sport like gymnastics with stunted growth and hyperfocus would help anyone, not just those with ADHD. I know they are being seen by doctors and it’s their business, but it’s just concerning to me. Taking it to study is one thing, but taking it while doing intense sports just seems so risky. To be clear, I’m not judging anyone who needs meds, I’m concerned about those who see these world champions and think getting a script themselves could give them an edge.

[DrewK15]

It’s surprising to me ADHD meds of any kind are allowed by international sport anti-doping agencies. I did a little research and it turns out they are allowed via ‘medical waiver’. NCAA, NFL, MLB, etc. have similar rules. Very naïve and easily exploited policies in my opinion. It’s all a bit silly to me. I remember reading somewhere that ‘ADHD’ is more than 3x as prevalent in Major League Baseball than the general population. Yeah right. 

 

Elite athletes look for an edge any way they can get it. As long as medical ‘ADHD’ waivers exist, stimulants will be exploited. Sacrificing long term health for short term performance is nothing new to sport (example: steroids).