NEWS

The main reason for the project implementation is to raise awareness, among youth recreationists in fitness centres and all beginners in grassroots level recreational sports, of a whole lot of negative consequences caused by using supplements with harmful additives. Using supplements for gaining muscle weight impacts the organism in a predominantly negative manner. For example, it can cause depleted testosterone levels, increase risks of cardiovascular and liver diseases. Besides, it can cause dysfunction of the female reproductive system (absence of period), hormonal dysfunctions and excessive hairiness etc. mostly due to lack of professional supervision and somewhat dilettante pursuit of faster track of progress. Appearance and performance enhancing drugs (APEDs) include a wide range of substances that vary from fitness supplements to pharmaceutical grade synthetic hormones, peptides or other drugs. The progression from fitness supplement use to synthetic hormone abuse is poorly understood and differs from the pattern of drug initiation for most other substances of abuse.
The goal is to stimulate youths and other Recreationists in fitness centres at grassroots level to continuously participate in doping free recreational activities within the context of healthy means for healthy goals in coordination and long-term consultations with duly educated fitness trainers.
This project proposal combines educational trainings for both Recreationists in fitness centres and fitness trainers, the media campaign as the most effective way to increase the awareness about dangers of doping intake and its negative health consequences and, last but not least, a new mobile application for mapping healthy fitness centres and fitness experts.

Doping affects not only top athletes but also Recreationists in fitness centres including youth Recreationists in fitness centres at grassroots recreational level, who may adopt an attitude either that taking dietary supplements for faster muscular mass or stamina gain is also beneficial (or at least not detrimental) to their health, or that the fact they are Recreationists in fitness centres puts them beyond the horizon of doping control, or many other harmful attitudes and prejudices. It is a growing problem of public health interest that cannot be ignored in any country or any sport. The main point is that Recreationists in fitness centres doing their workouts at fitness centres often use substances which lead to health risks, which is an issue that has so far been much ignored.

Through this project we provide anti-doping education and prevention programmes aimed at fostering the fundamental values that underpin recreational activities and informing youth of the moral, legal and health consequences of recreational activities.

The added value of the project at the European level is in the following:

• Stronger emphasis on the role of fitness trainers in the included area

• Innovative approach in the support to young recreationists and others and streamlining their access to adequate information

• Building closer ties and stimulating synergy of the partners

• Stakeholder consultations are encouraged to create functional models of cooperation at national and local levels

• Support of the national and European policies and strategies in the field of fight against doping in recreational environment

• Improving cross-border cooperation and transnational impact

• Dissemination and elaboration of best practices and “Healthy fitness campaign”

• Creation of practice tools and solutions that address cross-border challenges

Partners in “JUST SPORT” project are innovative consortium of organizations from Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Bulgaria, Portugal and Sweden. Project is co-funded by “Erasmus+” Programme of European Commission - Collaborative Partnerships, Small Collaborative Partnerships, Not-for-profit European Sport Events and will be implemented in the period 01.01.2017 – 30.06.2018.