Is it true? Does LSD enhance athletic performance by 20%?

Neuro Athletes!

We've got a great lineup of stories coming up in our Neuro Athletics newsletter, handpicked just for you. This series focuses on psychedelics as performance enhancing drugs for athletes. Read on to learn about…

• Psychedelics, MDMA & LSD

• What it is actually doing to your brain

• Which world renown athletes who advocate for drugs

The news of Naomi Osaka withdrawing from the French Open unveils the curtain on the pressures of elite competition. In the space of three days, she refused to participate in news conferences at the tournament, citing concerns for her mental health; won her first-round match at Roland-Garros; was fined $15,000 for failing to appear before the media; and promptly withdrew from the French Open altogether on Monday evening.

“Here in Paris I was already feeling vulnerable and anxious so I thought it was better to exercise self‑care and skip the press conferences,” Osaka, 23, wrote about her withdrawal. 

Following a previous email discussing the recent findings of NBA players speaking out about depression and anxiety, the entire concept of athletes managing bouts of anxiety and depression peeled back the curtain on the topic of drug use. There has been a lot of curiosity about the continued developments in the psychedelic therapy space recently. Designer drugs such as, Psilocybin, 3,4-Methyl​enedioxy​methamphetamine (MDMA) and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) have started to emerge within the athletic space.

But why? What comes to mind is the need to up their performance or to cope with pressure.

In May of 2019, a video was leaked featuring the Washington Capitals’ Evgeny Kuznetsov sitting near two lines of a white, powder-like substance that many presumed to be cocaine. It was taken while the team was in Las Vegas to play the Golden Knights.

This prompts a number of pressing questions: How common is drug use in sport? Which drugs are the most prevalent? Are the leagues concerned?

HOW DID WE GET HERE? A brief history..🍄

Psychedelic drugs have been used throughout history by different cultures as a means of altering consciousness. They are powerful tools for understanding the neurobiology of consciousness. There are three compounds that have regained traction over the past decade for potential mainstream use: Psilocybin—which comes from the psilocybe mushroom species—and two synthetic compounds, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). 

• Psilocybin is a Schedule I controlled substance, meaning that it has a high potential for abuse and serves no legitimate medical purpose. Psilocybin is classified as an indole-alkylamine (tryptamine). These compounds are abused for their hallucinogenic and euphoric effects to produce a "trip". Hallucinogenic (psychedelic) effects are probably due to action on central nervous system serotonin (5-HT) receptors. There are over 180 species of mushrooms that contain the chemicals psilocybin or psilocin.

• MDMA is a potent monoamine releaser that produces an acute euphoria in most individuals but it is not considered a classic psychedelic, as psilocybin is. Actually, unlike psilocybin, MDMA is not psychoactive—that is, it does not produce any hallucinations. However, it does produce a very noticeable increase in empathy.

• Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a classic serotonergic hallucinogen that acutely induces marked alterations of waking consciousness and has been shown to primarily depend on an interaction with the serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine-2A (5-HT2A) receptor. The effects of LSD are unpredictable and depend on the amount taken; the person's personality, mood, and expectation; and the situation in which the drug is used.

DRUGS IN SPORT

Based on the tangled reputation that LSD has had since the mid-1960’s it would seem impossible to believe that various experienced individuals have climbed some of the hardest big walls in Yosemite, heli-skied first descents off Alaskan peaks, competed in world-class snowboarding competitions, raced motocross bikes, surfed enormous Hawaiian waves, flown hang-gliders above 18,00 feet, or climbed remote peaks in the Rockies, the Alps, the Andes, and even above 8000 meters in the Himalayas–all while under the influence of LSD.

Baseball’s great psychedelic myth took place five decades ago, but the man behind it was far more than an amusing side note in the sport’s history.

On June 12th, 1970, the Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher, Doc Ellis, threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in a regular major league baseball game, which he admits occurred while he was on LSD. Ellis had thought he was off the pitching roster for that day and so had taken acid with friends in Los Angeles, only to find out, while high (from his friend’s girlfriend), that he had to pitch a game against the Padres that night.

Lamar Odom says regular, hour-long ketamine therapy sessions helped him through his addiction. 

Also, if you are into this you should watch the documentary below: 👇🏼

WHAT MDMA DOES TO THE BRAIN 🧠

MDMA affects the brain by increasing the activity of at least three neurotransmitters (the chemical messengers of brain cells): serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Like other amphetamines, MDMA enhances release of these neurotransmitters and/or blocks their reuptake, resulting in increased neurotransmitter levels within the synaptic cleft (the space between the neurons at a synapse).

MDMA causes greater release of serotonin and norepinephrine than of dopamine. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in the regulation of mood, sleep, pain, appetite, and other behaviors. The excess release of serotonin by MDMA likely causes the mood-elevating effects people experience. 

The massive serotonin release that accompanies MDMA use switches off serotonin receptors, which may result in the low that follows.

It is not surprising that athletes turn to drugs to escape the demands of their careers.

1. Eight-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer, Michael Phelps lost his endorsement contract with Kellogg’s after a photo emerged of him taking a hit of marijuana.

2. “Those feelings of uselessness and rejection have driven me to drugs” ~ The tragedy of Paul Vaessen – Arsenal hero.

3. Diego Maradona struggled with a twenty-year cocaine addiction, leading to three suspensions and multiple failed drug tests during his career.

4. Andre Agassi, who failed an amphetamine drug test in 1997 and claimed his drug usage was the result of drinking a spiked soda, later revealed he had done crystal meth frequently during his career.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

Why are athletes using MDMA as an escape? Will it get worse? Will drugs such as the ones described in this email be legalised for performance use in the near future?

This topic always surprises me when I post about it. Leave your comments and thoughts below!

TWEET OF THE WEEK

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