What Should Athletes Know About the Slippery Slope of Shortcut Culture?

Shortcuts are everywhere, and it’s easier than ever to take advantage of them. Whether you’re looking for a shortcut to finish a research paper or get ahead in your sport, social media likely has a suggestion that claims to make you better, faster, smarter, or stronger. But are shortcuts worth it? While some may not be harmful—and may even be helpful—shortcuts can send you down a slippery slope into dangerous territory.

Here, TrueSport Expert and licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Melissa Streno, shares tips for thinking about where shortcuts can lead, along with a framework for assessing whether a shortcut is a good idea.

What are shortcuts in sport?

For athletes, shortcuts are substances, equipment, or “hacks” that are marketed as making you better, faster, stronger, or more skilled at your sport, often without putting in the time, training, or recovery that real development requires.

Shortcuts stem from a desire to find any possible edge, says Streno. Athletes hear about something that promises to make them one percent faster without working harder and are tempted to try it. That’s a shortcut—but often, those promises overlook important questions, such as “Is it safe?”, “Is it allowed?”, Does it actually work?”

“For high school and collegiate athletes, it’s easy to feel like you need shortcuts,” says Streno, “There is a lot on the line for you, whether that’s making a team, earning a scholarship, or simply holding on to your identity as an athlete. You may also feel pressure from teammates, coaches, or social media. When there’s competition for things like starting positions or a certain role on the team, it’s easy to see why shortcuts seem like a good idea.”

In recent years, athletes have had more opportunities than ever to seek a competitive edge, but not every shortcut is harmful or against the rules. There are simple equipment-based shortcuts such as buying high-performance running shoes or a swimsuit designed for speed to gain a few seconds on the track or in the pool.

“These types of advantages are typically permitted unless the equipment is restricted by your school, league, or sport’s governing body,” says Streno. For example, some cycling programs ban the use of aerodynamic bikes to help create a more level playing field for athletes, since these bikes can be prohibitively expensive. In these equipment-based cases, the concern is typically access and cost rather than athlete safety.

“A lot of swimmers use speed suits to give them an edge and boost their confidence,” Streno says. “There is science behind these suits, and they are helpful. They can make a big difference when milliseconds matter in a race, and they can even be the difference between a spot on the national team or getting a scholarship.”

Another common shortcut Streno sees is the use of a wearable, like a watch or strap that monitors your heart rate, sleep, and other metrics throughout the day, providing information about your recovery, sleep, readiness, and overall health.

Shortcuts may make you faster or stronger in the short term, but in the long term, they can also lead to unhealthy habits and behaviors. “Wearables can provide lots of valuable data, and of course, they are legal in most sporting situations,” says Streno. “Having that information seems like a great way to get better in your sport, but for some athletes, wearables can lead to problems. The rigidity and the attachment to data can lead an athlete to become totally focused on certain numbers like calories burned, which can lead to disordered eating or an eating disorder.”

Then, there are some shortcuts that carry real health and sport eligibility risks. Supplements, IV drips, and peptides are often marketed as ways to build muscle, cut weight, recover faster, or train harder. But, athletes should be cautious before trying any product that promises fast results.

First and foremost, these substances can be dangerous, says Streno. And even substances that are legal to buy may contain ingredients not listed on, or different from, the label.

Similarly, peptide injections have become increasingly popular on social media, but many peptides are not approved for human use and can be dangerous, especially for young athletes accessing them without medical supervision.

What are the consequences of a shortcut culture?

While it seems like a big leap from using super shoes with carbon plates to ordering peptides from an online pharmacy, sport cultures that embrace shortcuts and applaud athletes for using them can be a slippery slope from shortcuts that are merely expensive to shortcuts that are dangerous or illegal. Ultimately, shortcuts in sport are dangerous because they can lead you in a direction you never planned to go. Not every performance tool carries the same level of risk. A pair of carbon-plated racing shoes is different from an unregulated supplement, a peptide purchased online, or a prohibited substance. But when a sport culture puts too much value on finding the fastest possible route to better results, athletes may begin to see more and more products or practices as necessary to keep up.

Even with simple shortcuts like super shoes, there is a risk to an athlete’s mental health when they get caught up in a shortcut culture. “Shortcuts are not sustainable,” says Streno. “Athletes can be set up to feel disappointed or feel like failures when a substance or hack stops working for them or there are no more easy shortcuts to take.”

Some shortcuts carry real health and eligibility risks. Not only is your performance at risk from an outright ban if you test positive for an illegal substance from a contaminated supplement, but your fitness capabilities may suffer if the shortcut doesn’t do what you hope.

For example, supplements are not reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for safety, effectiveness, or label accuracy before they are sold, and we don’t yet know the long-term effects of peptides.

Finally, Streno notes that it’s also easy to slide from legal supplements to considering trying a prohibited substance, especially if there is perceived pressure from teammates or coaches for quick fixes.

Getting caught up in shortcuts can also impact the way you feel about your sport: You start focusing solely on the wins and results and forget about why you started playing in the first place. “When you focus on shortcuts, it’s easy to forget the love of playing your sport, the fun times you have with your teammates—all of that just gets pushed aside.”

Even if the shortcut you’re considering is legal in your sport, before you hit the “buy now” button, consider the consequences. Do you really need that supplement, or would it be better to spend an extra hour each week in the weight room?

Here’s what you should do before you try to take a shortcut:

• Check in on your “why” for wanting to try a shortcut. The use of many shortcuts starts out innocent, but Streno explains that often, it’s the intention that matters: Are you using super shoes because you feel pressure from teammates, or because you want to be your best? Are you using a wearable to obsessively track your calorie burn, or are you simply checking in on your sleep?

• Ask yourself why you feel you need to try a certain shortcut. “Has using shortcuts become the team norm because all of the older athletes on the team are using them?” asks Streno. “Are you seeing athletes using these shortcuts on social media? Sometimes, we start thinking about a shortcut simply because it seems normal when we see other people doing it.”

• Assess the shortcut itself. In recent years, science and technology in sport have moved so quickly that sometimes, the shortcuts we’re seeing are untested, unproven, and potentially carry dangerous long-term side effects. Yet, as Streno notes, the incentive to try new shortcuts is higher than ever. If there is a supplement that you’re considering because a teammate recommended it, pause and do some research. What are the proven benefits? Is it approved for athlete use by USADA? Is there a whole food way to get that nutrient instead of taking a supplement? Is there another supplement that has been third-party tested as safe for use by athletes? Be informed and clear about the possible effects on your body and mind, as well as on your performance and experience as part of the team or club.

• Ask yourself how you’d feel if someone important to you found out you were choosing this shortcut. “A great question to ask yourself is, ‘How would I feel if my friends/parents/coach/teammates found out that I was taking this shortcut?’” says Streno. “For a banned substance that you’re considering ordering from an online pharmacy, you should also ask how you would feel having to tell people that you tested positive for something and were banned from your sport.” Often, this assessment is a good way to catch whether you really think that this shortcut is a good idea for you.

• Remind yourself of your “why” for your sport. You already thought about your “why” for trying a shortcut but come back to your overall “why” for what got you into sport in the first place. “Ask yourself what your intention in sport is,” says Streno. “When you do that, then think about the shortcut and ask if engaging in this behavior, buying this wearable, using these supplements, or trying these injectables is actually aligned with what is most important to you about sport.”

• Talk to a trusted adult about whether a shortcut is right for you (or for your teammates), if there is a shortcut that you’re considering, or one that many of your teammates are already using. A coach or athletic trainer may be able to help you better assess whether you need super shoes or connect you to a dietitian who can help you figure out if you need a supplement. And if you’re worried about peer pressure to take a shortcut that feels uncomfortable, let someone know. “Reporting that other athletes are taking dangerous shortcuts anonymously can be an important thing to do,” says Streno. “It may be scary but just letting an adult know what’s going on can help change the sport culture at your school or club for the better.”