Performance enhancing and other substance use among amateur boxers

England Boxing (formerly the Amateur Boxing Association of England) is the key stakeholder for this research. England Boxing’s view is that it has a responsibility to promote the health and welfare of its members and those participating as amateur boxers. With this in mind, they approached the University of Brighton seeking support for research to help with the development of an educational programme about substance and supplement use.

This project focused solely on amateur boxers and the substances that do, or are perceived to, enhance performance, including supplements, as well as illegal substances. The focus was on two sets of people:

  • individuals who accessed two community drug treatment needle exchange programmes in Sussex and
  • staff and individuals who work, train in, or attend a number of amateur boxing gyms.

Project timeframe

The project ran from 2015 and ended in 2016. It is expected that this project will expand and continue.

Project aims

The research considered the following question:

What is the extent/scope of performance enhancing and/or other substance use among amateur boxers?

There are four specific objectives:

  1. To explore the frequency of use, types of substance(s), pattern of use (historical and current), and any associated social and health issues, amongst amateur boxers.
  2. To examine the attitudes to, and knowledge of, performance enhancing/substance use amongst staff and individuals who work and train in or attend boxing gyms.
  3. To explore the factors influencing performance enhancing/substance use amongst individuals who train or attend boxing gyms.
  4. To gain an insight into the extent to which there is a culture of substance use (that is, use of substances that do, or are perceived to, enhance performance, including supplements, as well as illegal substances) within boxing gyms.

A secondary aim of the research is to make recommendations for any adjustments to the research design, methods, data collection tools, and analysis techniques, reflecting the status of this project as a pilot study. The recommendations are to be considered in the development of a more in-depth research study conducted on a wider scale.

Project findings and impact

Project findings, output and impact will be updated in due course.

Research team

Dr Darren Britt

Dr Thomas Carter

Mark Jordan

Dr Christine Magill

Dr Christopher Matthews

Output

Output will be added on completion of the project

Partners

Funder

England Boxing