Nutritional supplements were considered the most important factor in making an athlete vulnerable to doping by sport organisation personnel ©Getty Images

The importance of rapid improvements in physical development has been identified by athletes as the leading factor in making individuals vulnerable to doping.

This finding is among the results of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Athlete Vulnerabilities Research Project, which also pointed the finger at supplements.

Some 574 respondents, representing 85 countries and 59 sports, answered a survey which produced results endorsed by WADA's Education Committee and Social Science Research Expert Advisory Group.

Of the respondents, 219 were athletes and 355 sport organisation personnel.

Nutritional supplements were considered the most important factor in making an athlete vulnerable to doping by sport organisation personnel.

This was followed by the pressure of expectation.

Athletes believe a negative social environment is second behind the need for fast physical development, according to the survey.

It also deemed male international-level athletes most at-risk when it comes to doping.

The data provided will aid organisations in the planning and implementation of anti-doping education programmes and other interventions, WADA claims.

Belarus' former 800m world champion Marina Arzamasova is on the long list of athletes to have blamed an anti-doping rule violation on contaminated supplements ©Getty Images
Belarus' former 800m world champion Marina Arzamasova is on the long list of athletes to have blamed an anti-doping rule violation on contaminated supplements ©Getty Images

"Our Athlete Vulnerabilities Research Project is a critical component of the priorities outlined in WADA’s 2020-2024 Strategic Plan, specifically with regard to being athlete-centered and to focus on impactful research that, when disseminated to stakeholders, is of use and actionable," WADA education director Amanda Hudson said.

"Social science research is an essential part of this process, helping us to gather insight and learn more about the behavior and realities of athletes. 

"We know that athletes start in sport clean, but we also now know that there are times during an athlete’s career where they can become vulnerable to making poor decisions.

"We share this report in our efforts to share research outcomes with the clean sport community, and we are grateful to those who took the time to respond to the survey. 

"Athlete vulnerability is something we all need to be more conscious of, investing in programmes that can better protect athletes during these times."

WADA worked with the Université de Sherbrooke in Canada on the study - specifically professor David Pavot, the institution's research chair on anti-doping in sport, and PhD candidate Samuel St-Martin.

WADA has promised further collaboration.

The full report can be viewed here.