Hello everyone! In this months section I decided to focus on two important topics. With school starting again soon, it means that sports will be starting again soon as well. I thought it was important to address the issues of performance enhancing drugs and their usage.

With that, I also wanted to again address the pressures that many adolescents face to be thin, including athletes, as well as ways educators can help them look at any misconceptions they may have. I hope you all have a great 'rest of the summer.'

Angela Roth (& Terri Covey, webmaster)
Secondary Section Editor

The pressure to succeed as a high school athlete may not be as strong as it is at the collegiate or professional levels, but it exists and can cause teenagers to engage in behaviours that are dangerous.

Teen athletes and performance enhancing substances: What parents can do. Is your teenager involved in athletics? If so, you need to know about the dangers of performance enhancing drugs and supplements. Find out why.

How Performance-Enhancing Drugs Work
When the Olympics begin, we hear about athletes using or at least being tested for performance-enhancing drugs. Sometimes, competitors raise the question when one athlete does particularly well. Other times, tests catch athletes with drugs in their systems. Get the straight dope on doping.

The Future of Performance Enhancing Substances in Sport - Athletes have used performance-enhancing substances (PESs) since ancient times, and still do. Testing during the 2000 Tour de France revealed the presence of various performance enhancers (drugs and supplements alike) in the urine of 45% of competitors who were tested. Furthermore, some of today's athletes use relatively simple medical techniques, such as homologous and autologous blood transfusions, to improve performance.

Scientists may be inadvertently making it easier to circumvent drug tests by creating new delivery modalities such as patches and gels to administer "old" drugs such as testosterone. This method provides stable levels of the drug in the blood, rather than the "spikes" that follow injections, and thus reduces the chance of positive tests.

Muscle Gene Therapy - Some critics argue that reports of steroid use in baseball have tarnished the game's integrity. But anti-doping officials are looking beyond the present, to a day when steroids will seem old-fashioned. This ScienCentral News video reports that a new study brings us one step closer.

Gene Doping: Will athletes go for the ultimate high? - In 1998, the press jumped on H. Lee Sweeney's first study showing that gene therapy could enhance mouse muscle. Soon, the calls and e-mails started flowing in, first as a trickle, then as if from a fire hose. They're still coming, Sweeney says. Some people beg him to reverse their muscle degeneration caused by disease or aging. However, about half of the calls and e-mails come from healthy individuals - professional power lifters, sprinters, and weekend wannabe athletes of all stripes. They want bigger, higher-performing muscles. Read the rest...

Gene Doping - This is a new volume in a series of topical publications, published by the Netherlands Centre for Doping Affairs. The topic of this latest publication is 'gene doping.' If you want really thorough information on this topic, then this is a resource you want to read. It's a 38 page PDF file, so should be either 'bookmarked' or printed out.

Myostatin
Myostatin is a gene that limits muscle growth. This protein is a member of a superfamily of molecules called transforming growth factors beta (TGF-b). It is also called growth and differentiation factor 8 (GDF-8). Scientists have discovered that a mutation in the myostatin gene is responsible for increased muscle mass, also known as 'double muscling,' in animals. A mutation in this gene has similarly been found to account for unusually large muscle mass in humans. Scientists hope that myostatin inhibitors may be able to treat diseases such as muscular dystrophy, which waste human muscle. In addition, there is some concern about the possibility of abuse of myostatin inhibitors by athletes. Also, read a current MDA article.

Muscle Madness: The ugly connection between body image and anabolic steroid use. Uncovers the relationship between anabolic steroid use and poor body image among young men. (PDF file)

Blood doping is the practice of illicitly boosting the number of red blood cells (RBCs) in the circulation in order to enhance athletic performance. Because they carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles, more RBCs in the blood can improve an athlete's aerobic capacity and stamina. Athletes have also died from using this practice. Read this great info.

EATING DISORDERS

Another pressure that teens face is to be thin. Just look at magazine covers. It is no wonder that kids are growing up with a distorted perception of what being healthy and looking good really means.

In general, many teens face the potential for eating disorders head on. All teens are at risk for acquiring eating disorders; however some sports render athletes more susceptible to eating disorders than non-athletes. Sports such as gymnastics, cheerleading, wrestling. or any sport where weight clearly is a factor in the sport itself, opens the door for teens to engage in poor eating habits.

Eating Disorders: Anorexia & Bulemia - Here is an educational article that describes in detail the difference between the two most common eating disorders (Bulemia and Anorexia). I know that many of you are familiar with them, however with school starting in just over a month, (meaning sports starting as well) it is important to once again be aware of the disorders, their consequences, their signs, and treatments.

CONSEQUENCES & TREATMENT

Some girls are more likely to develop an eating disorder based on the sport they are involved in. Gymnasts, ice-skaters, and ballerinas operate in a culture where weight loss is important, and even runners need to stay slim. In an effort to make their bodies perfect, please others, and to stay lean for performance enhancement, these athletes can end up with eating disorders.

Whatever the cause of an eating disorder, the effects can be damaging, if not downright devastating and life threatening. People who weigh at least 15% less than the normal weight for their height may not have enough body fat to keep their organs and other body parts healthy.

A person with anorexia can do damage to the heart, liver, and kidneys by not eating enough. The body processes slow down as if it were starving, causing a drop in blood pressure, pulse, and breathing rate. (For girls, this starvation mode may mean they stop getting their periods.) Lack of energy can lead people with anorexia to feel light-headed and unable to concentrate. Anemia (lack of red blood cells) and swollen joints are common in people with anorexia, as are brittle bones. Anorexia can cause a person's hair to fall out, fingernails to break off, and a soft hair called lanugo to grow all over the skin. In severe cases, eating disorders can lead to severe malnutrition and even death.

Fortunately, people with eating disorders can seek treatment, and gradually learn to eat normally again. Because anorexia and Bulemia involve both the mind and body, medical doctors, mental health professionals, and dietitians will often be involved in a person's treatment and recovery.

Therapy or counseling is a critical part of treating eating disorders - in many cases, family therapy is one of the keys to eating healthily again. Parents and other family members are important in helping a person see that his or her normal body shape is perfectly fine, and that being thin doesn't make anyone happy.

Teen Athletes Prone To Eating Disorders
Whether it's soccer, tennis, or dance, there's a good chance your daughter plays a sport. But a new study found that teenage girls who participate in athletics are also at a higher risk for poor eating habits. Read this info and watch the informative video. See also, Eating Disorders & Athletes.

About Eating Disorders
Part 1: Types Of Eating Disorder And The Tell-Tale Signs And Symptoms - This is not the same old information 'rehashed.' Scroll further down the page and you'll find some really good symptoms and behavioral characteristics of athletes suffering from Anorexia and/or Bulemia.

About Eating Disorders
Part 2: Risk Factors, Effects On Health And Performance And Some Advice On Treatment And Prevention - In Part 2 we look at the risk factors that predispose to the development of eating disorders, the effects of such disorders on the health and sports performance of the athlete, and finally, the treatment and prevention of eating disorders.

Team Management of the Female Athlete Triad
The female athlete triad of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis affects many active women and girls, especially those in sports that emphasize appearance or leanness. Because of the athlete's psychological defense mechanisms and the stigma surrounding disordered eating, physicians may need to ask targeted questions about nutrition habits when assessing a patient who has a stress fracture or amenorrhea, or during pre-participation exams.

Anorexia Nervosa: The Most Deadly Mental Illness
She didn't choose anorexia. I know that now, but that doesn't make it any easier to watch her starve herself, and fade away into nothing. It's like a nightmare where you see the boogeyman and you know it's going to kill her so you warn her, but she can't see it, so she doesn't believe you, and then she dies. Read the rest...

Pro-Anorexic Websites Inspire Dangerous Behaviors in Young People - A young girl feels anxious and self-hating because, despite efforts to lose weight, she feels fat. Seeking insights, tips on more effective ways to weight loss, and support for behaviors and attitudes that may be extreme or dysfunctional, she logs on to one of the upwards of 400 controversial pro-anorexic web sites on the internet that instruct both dyed-in-the-wool and "wannabe" anorexics how to become the best anorexics they can be. Read the rest...

Find out very thorough information on pro-ana and pro-mia websites, and all the type of information & support you would expect to find at those sites, at Wikipedia.com.

Dangers of pro-anorexia websites - People who set up pro-anorexia websites which dissuade sufferers from seeking help should be sued, according to a group which helps people overcome eating disorders. There are hundreds of "Pro-ana" websites creating an online community where fellow anorexics encourage each other to starve themselves further. Read more...

pelinks4u is here to provide educational resources, and that can't always be done 'softly.' For the convenience of physical education instructors, one 'pro-ana' website has been included in this section. I believe it's fine to read information about this topic, but the truth is only realized when checking out the 'real thing.' It's the same difference as hearing about a car wreck, and actually being at the scene and witnessing the tragedy. See "PRO-ANA-NATION.COM." This site is a better 'pro-ana' site than most, and it also has a link on information in regard to 'anorexia kills.'

ANTI-PRO-ANA -- Warning: Disturbing photos. If you really think those movie stars look great, or those magazine models are so beautiful (why can't I look like them? I'm so jealous!), you might want to look at these pictures. Although not in English but French, it is easily understood that the photos are retouched. Skeletal is retouched to look slim and sleek. 2 pages of photos. Please use discretion in viewing - Photos retouchées.

How Exercise Works
When you exercise, you're using your muscles to create motion. Your body focuses its attention on giving the muscles everything they need to do their work. Learn about all of the amazing changes that take place inside your body when you exercise.

How Your Lungs Work
You breathe in and out anywhere from 15 to 25 times per minute without even thinking about it -- it just happens naturally. Learn all about your lungs, various conditions and diseases, and what makes the breath of life so crucial.

How Your Heart Works
Almost 2,000 Americans die of heart disease each day. That is 1 death every 44 seconds. The good news is that the death rate from heart disease has been steadily decreasing. With a little knowledge about your heart and what is good or bad for it, you can significantly reduce your risk for heart disease. Find out what you need to know now.

Understanding Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure is a condition in which the heart weakens and fails to keep the blood moving adequately. As a result, the supply of blood to the body's tissues decreases, lowering efficiency and endurance. With poor circulation, the kidneys fail to remove enough water, salt, and wastes from the blood. Other complications follow. Learn more.

How Congestive Heart Failure Works
Congestive heart failure (CHF) afflicts an amazing number of people. While many other forms of heart disease have become less common in recent years, CHF has been increasing steadily. Learn the causes, early warning signs and treatment options for this common heart disease.

How Heart Disease Works
Heart disease is a major cause of death all over the world. In the U.S. alone, almost 2,000 people die of heart disease each day. Chances are, at some point in your life, you or one of your loved ones will confront some aspect of heart disease. Find out what you can do to lower your risk.

Children And Diabetes
Diabetes is among the most common chronic diseases in school-age kids, affecting one of every 400 to 500 children and adolescents. Every day in America, about 35 more kids are diagnosed with the disease. And because these are children, there are additional concerns and challenges. Learn about children and diabetes.