Examining Potential Substance use Disorders among Former Interscholastic Athletes

Abstract

Background Despite numerous studies examining the association between competitive sports participation and substance use behaviors among adolescents and young adults, the use of standardized measures to assess potential substance use disorders has been largely neglected. The objective of this study was to examine if past involvement in interscholastic sports (competitive school-sponsored sports) was associated with potential substance use disorders in young adulthood. Methods Data for this study were taken from the Student Life Survey (SLS). A total of 3442 young adults participated in the SLS during the spring semester in 2013, with 74% of males and 71% of females indicating participation in interscholastic sport during high school. Results Respondents who participated in interscholastic sports during high school had higher odds of positive screens for potential alcohol use disorders, when compared to their peers who did not participate in interscholastic sports. No association was detected between interscholastic sports participation and potential drug abuse disorders. Moreover, previous involvement in certain types of sports was found to be associated with positive screens for potential alcohol use disorders (i.e., crew and football), and positive screens for potential drug abuse disorders (i.e., lacrosse) among the sample of young adults. Conclusions School and community sport organizations should be aware of the potential link between sports participation and potential substance use disorders, and may consider brief substance use screeners during yearly physicals to monitor potential substance use problems among athletes.

Competitive sports participation in high school and subsequent substance use in young adulthood: Assessing differences based on level of contact

“…In particular, respondents who participated in high-contact sports during the 12th grade had higher odds of engaging in binge drinking and marijuana use 1 to 4 years after 12th grade when compared to respondents who did not participate in these types of sports. This result extends what has been found in cross-sectional studies regarding the association between substance use and involvement in high-contact sports among adolescents (Denham, 2011, 2014; Veliz et al, 2013a, 2013b, 2015), and suggests that these risky drinking and drug use behaviours among this subgroup of athletes may persist into young adulthood (Veliz and McCabe, in press). It is noteworthy that these findings held after controlling for several possible selection factors including high school substance use, school difficulties, social time, and socio-demographic characteristics as well as college and marital status during the transition to adulthood.…”

Physical Activity and the Development of Substance Use Disorders: Current Knowledge and Future Directions

“…There were no significant findings between high school sports team participation and other drug use disorders in college. [37] Likewise, Suetani et al (2017) found that among 3,493 adolescents, those who engaged in infrequent physical activity (exercise or sports 1–3 days/week) at baseline had a reduced odds (OR=0.75 [95% CI: 0.62–0.91]) of developing any SUD at 7-year follow-up compared with those reporting frequent physical activity (exercise or sports ≥4 days/week). [38] In summary, physical activity in adolescents, typically measured through sports team participation, is associated with reduced cigarette and illicit drug use but increased alcohol use.…”

Exercise as a Prevention for Substance Use Disorder: a Review of Sex Differences and Neurobiological Mechanisms

“…Higher risk of heroin use have also been reported in high-school athletes participating in these types of high-risk of injury sports (ice hockey, wrestling, weightlifting; 12). Participation in sports during high-school, even if non-contact, also predicts increased binge alcohol use during adulthood, and participation in contact-sports (e.g., football, wrestling, ice hockey) during high-school predicts not only increased binge drinking, but also, increased marijuana use, and prescription opioid misuse during adulthood (27–28). Although these findings have been observed in samples that include both males and females, the enhanced opioid use/misuse reported is likely associated with male athletes given that the sports identified are expected to be comprised predominantly of males (also see 13).…”

“…Modest exercise conditions also promote decreased acquisition and maintenance intake as demonstrated by recent findings showing that voluntary wheel running (2-hr/day) prior to each self-administration session robustly attenuates acquisition of nicotine self-administration and its reinforcing effects in male rats (8). Concurrent access to a wheel (1-hr/day) during methamphetamine self-administration sessions also decreased acquisition and maintenance intake (28), and weighted ladder-climbing (~2-hr sessions) reduced cocaine self-administration in females rats (34). While greater efficacy is observed with longer exercise access (35), individual differences within a particular condition generally do not predict the efficacy of exercise with results demonstrating beneficial effects even in animals with low exercise output (e.g., in aging hamsters, males versus females, Sprague Dawley versus Wistar rats; 34,37,43).…”