WASHINGTON – California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is no stranger to athletic competition – or to steroids. And the former champion bodybuilder says there’s no place for drugs in sports these days.

Schwarzenegger says top athletes are inspirations to young people and to people trying to lose weight and stay fit.

The former action star says competition drives athletes to use drugs. His advice: “Come out, be clean and say, ‘Look, I used that, I made a mistake.'”

In an appearance Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the California Republican added that not using drugs or alcohol should always be a part of the message aimed at children in sports.

Schwarzenegger has said in the past that he used steroids in his bodybuilding days, long before they became illegal without a prescription.