Passion linked to athletes accepting prohibited substances

Athletes with obsessive passion for their sports are more likely to be lenient towards the use of performance enhancing drugs, or PEDs, says a new study.

Previous research has indicated that there are two types of passion involved with leisure activities.

Harmonious passion involves feelings of enjoyment, and the activity blends with the athlete's life.

Obsessive passion involves an inability to disengage from an activity, or feelings of guilt from not participating.

"Passion is often associated with positive words, such as love and dedication, but research suggests that it can control us as well," said lead author Wade Wilson, lecturer at University of Waterloo in Canada.

As part of the research, published in the Journal of Intercollegiate Sport, nearly 600 male and female athletes from different Ontario universities completed a series of surveys.

"We found that regardless of gender, athletes who reported higher obsessive passion indicated more lenient attitudes towards PEDs, while athletes who reported higher harmonious passion held more conservative attitudes towards them," Wilson said.

"These results suggest that the closer an activity or sport is linked to our identity, there is an increased possibility we might do anything to maintain that identity," Wilson warned.