Study aim: To assess the degree of acceptance of risk by experienced and inexperienced athletes. Material and methods: Two male teams participated in the study: juniors (football; n = 9) aged 16 - 18 years and seniors (volleyball; n = 13) aged 20 - 32 years. The subjects were requested to assess the doping-related risk of losing every of 6 values: health, medals, ranking position, physical attractiveness, psycho-emotional balance, bonuses and respect of personages, in three modes: importance of losing given value (scale 1 - 6), general likelihood of a doping-related loss of given value (scale 0 - 100) and the doping-related risk of losing given value the subject would be ready to take (scale 0 - 100).
Results: Seniors and juniors rated the importance of individual values and the doping-related general likelihood of losing them alike. As compared with senior athletes, the junior ones significantly underrated the risk of losing health and respect and overrated that of possible bonus.
Conclusions: The emotional, cognitive and social maturation of young athletes throughout a decade have an impact on perceiving doping-related risks and the associated decisions.
