Fitness Doping and Body Management: An Explorative Study of Body Investment Practices

TY - BOOK

T1 - Fitness Doping and Body Management

T2 - An Explorative Study of Body Investment Practices

AU - Thualagant, Nicole

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - This PhD thesis examines in a first paper the conceptualization of fitness doping and its current limitations. Based on a review of studies on bodywork and fitness doping it is emphasised that the definition of doping does not provide insights into bodywork of both men and women. Moreover, it is argued that the social and a cultural context are missing in the many epidemiological studies on the prevalence of doping. The second paper explores the difficulties of implementing an anti-doping policy, which was originally formulated in an elite sport context, in a fitness context and more specifically in a sport-for-all context. It is questioned whether the anti-doping policy contradicts some of the national sport-for-all organisation, DGI’s values of fostering fellowship, challenge and health. Last but not least, this thesis examines in a third paper the bodywork of the users’ of the club-based fitness centres. Based on a survey in ten Danish club-based fitness centres and on narratives from semi-structured interviews, it is highlighted that the objectives of bodywork differ according to the users’ age and gender. Two different ways of investing in the body are explored inthe paper, namely a work on the body and a work with the body. As it is concluded, different orientations towards bodywork imply various uses of body enhancing strategies. Although the objectives of bodywork and the body investments are different, these practices seem to be based on the same quest, namely the search for body control and thus a management of the body.

AB - This PhD thesis examines in a first paper the conceptualization of fitness doping and its current limitations. Based on a review of studies on bodywork and fitness doping it is emphasised that the definition of doping does not provide insights into bodywork of both men and women. Moreover, it is argued that the social and a cultural context are missing in the many epidemiological studies on the prevalence of doping. The second paper explores the difficulties of implementing an anti-doping policy, which was originally formulated in an elite sport context, in a fitness context and more specifically in a sport-for-all context. It is questioned whether the anti-doping policy contradicts some of the national sport-for-all organisation, DGI’s values of fostering fellowship, challenge and health. Last but not least, this thesis examines in a third paper the bodywork of the users’ of the club-based fitness centres. Based on a survey in ten Danish club-based fitness centres and on narratives from semi-structured interviews, it is highlighted that the objectives of bodywork differ according to the users’ age and gender. Two different ways of investing in the body are explored inthe paper, namely a work on the body and a work with the body. As it is concluded, different orientations towards bodywork imply various uses of body enhancing strategies. Although the objectives of bodywork and the body investments are different, these practices seem to be based on the same quest, namely the search for body control and thus a management of the body.

UR - https://rex.kb.dk/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=KGL01009088658&context=L&vid=NUI&search_scope=KGL&isFrbr=true&tab=default_tab&lang=da_DK

M3 - Ph.D. thesis

SN - 978 87 9177 147 7

BT - Fitness Doping and Body Management

PB - Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen

ER -