Lifetime alcohol use in former professional rugby athletes: implications for interpretation of clinical findings

Excessive alcohol consumption is a culturally accepted and known practice for many athletes, particularly within the sport of rugby league. Studies on retirement from elite sports have recognised that former athletes display high levels of alcohol consumption. Although the detrimental effects of long-term alcohol misuse on the brain and cognition is well documented, few studies have attempted to describe alcohol use patterns and associated health consequences in former elite rugby league athletes. The present thesis investigated the prevalence, predictors, and changing trends of alcohol use in a cohort of former elite rugby league athletes. Additionally, this project used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and neuropsychological assessments to evaluate the brain health of athletes with hazardous alcohol use as identified by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). A follow-up telephone interview was also conducted in a representative subsample of the cohort to examine the associations of lifetime alcohol consumption and drinking motives on current alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. Despite a sizable percentage of former rugby league athletes demonstrating hazardous/risky alcohol use, we were unable to identify any significant risk factors associated nor any significant differences on cognitive performance or neurometabolite concentrations between athletes grouped by hazardous/risky alcohol use. The subsample analysis revealed that greater past year alcohol consumption was associated with greater lifetime alcohol use and number of alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms. The results of this thesis highlight the importance of screening for hazardous alcohol use when assessing the health and well-being of former elite rugby league athletes.