Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center

Intoduction

Recently published in Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, researchers from the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center revealed that the use of legal drugs is less common among athletes.

3-fold increased use of snus

However, snus seems quite popular among young Norwegian elite athletes, and specifically among the team sports.

Competing in team sports was associated with a 3 fold increased use of snus [OR=2.8, 95% CI 1.6 to 4.7].

Huge cohort from Elite Sport High Schools

The purpose of this huge cohort study first-year students at 16 Norwegian Elite Sport High Schools (n=677) and two randomly selected high schools (controls, n=421) was to examine cigarette smoking, use of snus, alcohol, and performance-enhancing illicit drugs among adolescent elite athletes and controls

This study conducted by PhD-candidate Marianne Martinsen (picture) and professor Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen is part of a large intervention project aimed to identify and prevent young elite athletes at risk for eating disorders.

More controls than athletes smoke

Totally, 602 athletes (89%) and 354 (84%) controls completed the questionnaire. More controls than athletes were smoking, using snus, and drinking alcohol.  

For controls, not participating in organized sport was a predictor for smoking (OR=4.9, 95% CI 2.2 to 10.9).

Similar use of snus among gender

A similar percentage of male and female handball (22.2% vs 18.8%) and soccer players (15.7% vs 15.0%) reported using snus.

Female athletes were more prone to drink alcohol than males (46.3% vs 31.0%, P < 0.001).

Only, 1.2% athletes and 2.8% controls reported use of performance-enhancing illicit drugs.

In conclusion, use of legal drugs is less common among athletes, but this relationship depends on type of sport and competition level. The association between team sports and use of snus suggests that sport subcultures play a role.