PMID- 35509886
OWN - NLM
STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE
LR  - 20220716
IS  - 1664-0640 (Print)
IS  - 1664-0640 (Electronic)
IS  - 1664-0640 (Linking)
VI  - 13
DP  - 2022
TI  - Toxicological Characterization of GHB as a Performance-Enhancing Drug.
PG  - 846983
LID - 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.846983 [doi]
LID - 846983
AB  - Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are represented by several compounds used to 
      ameliorate the image, the appearance, or an athletic or non-athletic performance. 
      Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is an endogenous molecule first used as anesthetic 
      and then marketed as a nutritional supplement with a wide diffusion in the 
      bodybuilding community. The aim of the present work is to provide a toxicological 
      characterization of the use of GHB as a PED, including the scientific basis for 
      its use, the patterns of use/abuse, and the health risks arising from its 
      consumption in this peculiar recreative setting. A literature search was 
      performed on multiple databases including experimental studies on humans and 
      animals as well as epidemiological reports and forensic case reports/series. 
      Experimental studies demonstrated that the use of GHB as a PED is motivated by 
      the release of growth hormone and the induction of sleep. However, the panel of 
      desired performance-related effects was much wider in real cases and 
      epidemiological studies. Even though the use of GHB among bodybuilders has 
      decreased, its use to enhance some kind of performance, particularly sexual ones 
      or social-communicative ones, as well as means to increase mood and perceived 
      energy, is still common.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2022 Giorgetti, Busardo and Giorgetti.
FAU - Giorgetti, Arianna
AU  - Giorgetti A
AD  - Unit of Legal Medicine, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University 
      of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
FAU - Busardo, Francesco Paolo
AU  - Busardo FP
AD  - Department of Excellence of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, "Politecnica 
      delle Marche" University of Ancona, Ancona, Italy.
FAU - Giorgetti, Raffaele
AU  - Giorgetti R
AD  - Department of Excellence of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, "Politecnica 
      delle Marche" University of Ancona, Ancona, Italy.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Review
DEP - 20220418
PL  - Switzerland
TA  - Front Psychiatry
JT  - Frontiers in psychiatry
JID - 101545006
PMC - PMC9058118
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - forensic toxicology
OT  - gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB)
OT  - performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)
OT  - psychoactive performance
OT  - sodium oxybate
COIS- The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any 
      commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential 
      conflict of interest.
EDAT- 2022/05/06 06:00
MHDA- 2022/05/06 06:01
PMCR- 2022/04/18
CRDT- 2022/05/05 02:32
PHST- 2022/01/04 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2022/02/25 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2022/05/05 02:32 [entrez]
PHST- 2022/05/06 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2022/05/06 06:01 [medline]
PHST- 2022/04/18 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.846983 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - Front Psychiatry. 2022 Apr 18;13:846983. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.846983. 
      eCollection 2022.