Project Activities

The project started on 1st January 2011 and ended on 31 March 2012.

The Project Partners Were:

AGAP - Portugal (Portuguese Fitness Association) - www.agap.pt
BAHF - Bulgaria (Bulgarian Association of Health and Fitness) - www.bahf.bg
DFHO - Denmark (Danish Fitness and Health Organisation) - www.dfho.dk
DSSV - Germany (German Fitness Association) - www.dssv.de
DADR - Poland (Department of Anti-Doping Research of Institute of Sport) - www.insp.waw.pl
FIA - UK (Fitness Industry Association ) - www.fia.org.uk
Fit!vak - Netherlands (Dutch Fitness Association) - www.fitvak.com
HCA - Hungary (Hungarian Coaching Association) -www.magyaredzo.hu
ICCE (International Coaching for Coach Education) - www.icce.ws
ISCA - Denmark (International Sport and Culture Association) - www.isca-web.org
QUALICERT - Switzerland (Swiss Certification Body) - http://www.qualicert.ch

The Project Objectives are Summarised:

• Fitness Against Doping Flyer - Bulgarian
• Fitness Against Doping Flyer - Danish
• Fitness Against Doping Flyer - Dutch
• Fitness Against Doping Flyer - English
• Fitness Against Doping Flyer - French
• Fitness Against Doping Flyer - German
• Fitness Against Doping Flyer - Hungarian
• Fitness Against Doping Flyer - Polish
• Fitness Against Doping Flyer - Portuguese

Brussels 9^th November 2011

FAD - Interim Report - November 2011

Preliminary Results of EHFA’s Fitness Against Doping Project Shed New Light on the State of the Fitness Sector

A better understanding of the use of performance-enhancing substances at fitness centres will help develop effective intervention strategies.

At the European Health and Fitness Association (EHFA) we are developing a coordinated strategy to further professionalise the European fitness sector, which serves an estimated 44 million consumers who regularly attend fitness centres across Europe, and represents a cross section of the overall population.

This sector actively promotes the benefits of regular healthy exercise and health-enhancing physical activity. However, there has been concern that doping practices are prevalent in some parts of this sector. Our Fitness Against Doping (FAD) project, which is co-funded by the European Commission, is a proactive reaction to that concern. It will enable us to see a clearer picture of what is actually happening, and in turn, help us to develop an educational campaign and policy recommendations on anti-doping practices.

The FAD project began in January this year with desk research into existing evidence of doping practices and policies for elite and amateur sport - which includes fitness. Furthermore, this summer, between July and August, we surveyed over 10,300 consumers, exercise professionals and club/facility managers from nine European countries - the largest research of its kind so far. As well as gathering demographics, the survey focused on three particular areas: PIEDs (Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs), societal-based drugs (often called recreational drugs), and food supplements.

Preliminary results of the survey have now been collated and were presented in our FAD interim report at our Brussels Summit on 8^th November 2011. This interim report will be used for consultation and further investigation. The FAD final report and recommendations will be presented at our Fitness Against Doping conference in Denmark in February 2012, and to the Commission in March of the same year.

Initial findings

The EHFA Survey, which is based on quantitative and qualitative research, using the methodology of desk and field work, has so far given the following preliminary results:

• First and foremost the survey confirms that the fitness sector is making an extremely positive contribution to the well-being of European citizens, the vast majority of whom attend fitness centres to improve health and fitness.
• However, a very small minority of users (2.52%) take banned substances such as anabolic steroids and societal-based drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine and ecstasy. Those who do so are predominantly men, but not necessarily, as is often perceived, adolescents or young males.
• 37% of consumers play another amateur sport (cycling being the most popular) and they represent over 40% of responses where doping was admitted. It would therefore appear that a likely reason for some doping practices does not rest with fitness – but with the desire to improve competitiveness and performance in other sporting activities.
• Significantly, the survey also showed that the use of banned substances is lower in countries where the fitness sector is more developed. Therefore, as the sector continues to develop towards more balanced health and fitness training and away from bodybuilding gyms, we should see a corresponding reduction in consumption of banned substances in these less developed markets.
• Another positive finding is that fitness consumers take much lower levels than the general population of societal-based drugs. This counters speculation that fitness centres are in any way a hot spot for this kind of activity and reinforces the understanding that fitness centre users are more conscious of their health and well-being.
• Over two-thirds of managers and fitness centre owners sold food supplements at their centres, but a significant minority of over 30% was unaware of, or did not check to see if, those products were certified to be clear of banned substances. This suggests that more regulation or harmonised control in the area of food supplements, for example, through consistent testing and labeling, would give added protection to the unwary consumer, the fitness centre owner/manager and retailers.

Based on the findings so far, there was general agreement that better information, campaigning and positive promotion can be beneficial as an anti-doping strategy.

• In this respect EHFA will continue to improve the level of education and understanding of the harm of doping practices, to inform its employees and customers, and provide information and guidance for operators to have effective anti-doping measures in place.
• Our next steps will be to investigate these findings further and to develop policy outcomes. Our outcomes and recommendations for targeted interventions and educational programmes will be presented to the Commission in March 2012 following the Copenhagen Fitness Against Doping conference in February 2012.

The FAD interim report confirmed the position of social responsibility of the fitness sector by asking delegates from across Europe to sign-up to the following Charter:

The European Fitness Sector Anti-Doping Charter

The European health and fitness sector is committed to improving the health of European citizens and as such it is fundamentally opposed to the use of doping and other performance-enhancing substances that harm health.

EHFA and its members commit to do their utmost to eradicate doping practices and will cooperate with the Commission, doping agencies, authorities and governments in studying and implementing the most effective policies, campaigns and measures to combat doping. The sector commits to educate and inform its employees and customers, and to provide information and guidance for operators to have in place effective anti-doping measures.

END

click here for the 20th February EHFA Position Paper on Anti Doping

The FAD Final Conference – 28^th February 2012

EHFA releases the Executive Summary of the final report of the FAD project and new position statement.

Click here to download the Executive Summary

Click here to download the Position Statement

Click here for the powerpoint presentation delivered in Copenhagen, 28th February 2012.

Click here for a copy of the PowerPoint presentation made at Sportvision 2012, Copenhagen

click here for the 20th February EHFA Position Paper on Anti Doping

FAD - Interim Report - November 2011

The Fitness Against Doping project is co-funded by the European Union Commission