True Strength A prevention program for fitness athletes in the Netherlands Hans Wassink International Conference on Doping and Public Health June 7-9 th 2017, Oslo Content A long story short A public health problem Goals & Strategies Campaigns and interventions Next steps 1
Dopingauthority Founded in 1989 Oldest NADO 95% focused on organized sports Since start: bodybuilders are target group Almost 28 years of experience Fitness in the Netherlands 2,5 million fitness athletes Dutch population = 17 million 2.000 fitness centers Commercially organized Mean: 13 employees (mostly instructors) 2
It s a public health problem Doping use is high: 8,2% (TNO, 2009) Lot s of different substances Almost always (serious) side effects Bad advice by dealers or peers No medical guidance Lot s of counterfeit products (> 50%) Goals & Strategies Prevent the use of doping: o Information about health risks o Information about clean fitness (training, nutrition, etc.) o Promote True Strength Reduce the harm of doping to health: o Information about reducing health risks during use o Direct to Anabolics Clinic for specialized medical screening (no prescription nor systematic guidance) But. 3
Ambition versus Capacity Target group 2,5 million 1 fte prevention worker Limited budget Few scientific data Detection doping trade has low priority Model NL Active (fitness branch organization) Owner Fitness instructor (in education) Fitness instructor Fitness athletes low risk at risk user 4
Body, sport & substances (1994-2004) 1994: First study among fitness athletes (16-25 years) Doping use is a health problem Information & Education Strategy: side effects of doping + healthy alternatives Plus: medical guidance Book series (training, nutrition, weight loss, supplements) Articles Sport & Fitness True Strength (2005-2007) Website Articles in BB-magazines Education fitness instructors Outreaches Book True Strength True Strength posters, leaflets, containers, T-shirts 5
Message in a bottle Not anti-doping, but pro-clean fitness : True Strength 6
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Fitness instructors in education True Strength (2008-2014) Website Articles in BB-magazines Education fitness instructors Outreaches Book True Strength (2 nd edition) New edition posters, containers, T-shirts Video True Strength fitness centers Video series training & expert opinion 8
Ambassadors: Clean Hunks Role models Great results without doping Showing and expressing the values of True Strength Should inspire youngsters Are active on social media Join the Clean Hunks 9
True Strength (2015-now) Website Articles in BB-magazines Education fitness instructors Outreaches (at BB and fitness contests) Book True Strength (soon 3 th edition) Again new edition ads, containers, T-shirts Book Doping: the sober facts Documentary Bigger than Big 10
Harm reduction Website Articles BB-magazines Book: Doping: the sober facts Outreaches (at BB and fitness contests) Documentary Bigger than Big: the evolution of bodybuilding? Anabolics Clinic Motive Bigger than Big There are counter movements in bodybuilding: o No Ms. Olympia since 2015 o IFBB wants a natural bodybuilding category o Old school bodybuilders are complaining o Events are changing; more classes and fitness is added Facilitate and strengthen these changes 11
Follow-up Premiere video + Expert meeting (March 2016) Dissemination video to fitness public Educate fitness instructors More responsibility towards beginners Helping to promote natural contests Anabolics Clinic dr. Pim de Ronde Endocrinologist 12
Partnerships NL Active (Dutch branch organization 890 centers) Europe Active (European branch organization; project FAIR) CIOS & ROC (vocational education in sports; fitness) Private fitness instructor education Healthcare Inspectorate Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority Anabolics Clinic 13
Withdrawn from the market 2003 Efedra 2012 DMAA 2013 Iomax 2013 Dexaprine 2014 Nor-DMAA 2015 Noxpump (Dorian Yates) Blackbombs (Dorian Yates) Lipo-bolic (Revolutions) 2017 Wispy Life, Wispy Tea, Emtea Irem Naturel and Niva Detox Problem High prevalence of use in fitness (60%) Doping risk of supplements seems to increase Little knowledge among fitness athletes and instructors Supplement market is enormous (> 3.000 ingredients) and divers..it s a jungle! 14
Field of supplements is a jungle Goal More responsable supplement use: Awareness that supplements can have health risks More knowledge about supplements No use of supplements with doping No use of ineffective supplements Prevention of pill mentality Show what could be effective and how 15
Qualifications Works Insufficient evidence Doesn t work Doping Dangerous Dubious Effectiveness Peculiarities 16
Future directions More focus on selling our products More awareness campaigns Co-operation with health sector Co-operation with other partners > expand action radius 17
Thanks for having me! h.wassink@dopingautoriteit.nl 18