Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz. 2026 Apr 27. doi: 10.1007/s00103-026-04238-2. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Against the backdrop of the ideological rivalry between communism and capitalism, sport in the GDR was exploited for political ends. This was evident, among other things, in a state-directed, controlled, hierarchically organized and, in parts, totalitarian competitive sports system. A key component was a conspiratorial, state-controlled program of compulsory doping, which was systematically implemented from the 1970s onwards and affected an estimated 15,000 underage athletes. Performance-enhancing substances, primarily anabolic-androgenic steroids, were administered covertly, without the knowledge, information, or consent of those affected, often before puberty and despite known health risks. In addition to the effects of the doping substances, which enabled training loads beyond physiological limits, there was discipline, pressure to perform, surveillance, isolation, and abuse by sports officials. The resulting impairments to biopsychosocial development are still evident today in the form of serious health damage. Alongside disruptions to hormonal regulatory systems, growth and organ damage, cardiovascular diseases, tumors and degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system, and mental disorders with a lifetime prevalence of up to 98% are of particular concern, especially depressive, phobic, and somatoform pain disorders. Despite the laws providing assistance to victims of doping, the political and legal management of this particular injustice perpetrated by the SED remains unsatisfactory. Furthermore, society rarely acknowledges the violation of the human rights of former competitive athletes in the GDR who were forcibly doped as minors and continue to suffer from severe physical and psychosocial consequences to this day.
PMID:42045688 | DOI:10.1007/s00103-026-04238-2