{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,24]],"date-time":"2026-02-24T11:56:44Z","timestamp":1771934204475,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":98,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,15]],"date-time":"2024-11-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1731628800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medicines"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In recent years, the off-label use of medications in sports has increased significantly, primarily driven by psychological and social factors. Athletes frequently misuse drugs without adequate medical supervision, relying on unreliable sources of information, which leads to improper usage and serious health risks. This narrative review analyzes literature from PubMed\u00ae (Medline), Scopus\u00ae, and Web of Science\u00ae databases, focusing on studies up to December 2023, to examine the safety concerns related to off-label drug use in sports. The review presents an overview of the off-label use of pharmacological substances by athletes, focusing on both hormonal and non-hormonal drugs. Hormonal substances such as anabolic steroids and growth hormones, and non-hormonal agents like diuretics and \u03b22-agonists, are frequently abused. These practices are associated with severe side effects, including infections, cardiovascular complications, hormonal imbalances, psychological disorders, dependence, and even cases of death. The study emphasizes the need for stronger regulation, public awareness initiatives, and preventive strategies to mitigate the health risks associated with this growing trend.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medicines11080020","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,18]],"date-time":"2024-11-18T05:36:45Z","timestamp":1731908205000},"page":"20","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Safety Implications of Off-Label Medication Use in Athletes: A Narrative Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-9402-0341","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"V\u00edtor","family":"Silva","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidade Local de Sa\u00fade (ULS) de Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ricardo","family":"Madeira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Coimbra Health School, Farm\u00e1cia, 3046-854 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9979-0062","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Joaquim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Coimbra Health School, Farm\u00e1cia, 3046-854 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Cristiano","family":"Matos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Coimbra Health School, Farm\u00e1cia, 3046-854 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"QLV Research Consulting, 3030-193 Coimbra, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"340","DOI":"10.4158\/PS-2019-0540","article-title":"Off-label use and misuse of testosterone, growth hormone, thyroid hormone, and adrenal supplements: Risks and costs of a growing problem","volume":"26","author":"Irwig","year":"2020","journal-title":"Endocr. 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