Newsgroup: it.sport.ciclismo
Titolo: Da una recente intervista...

...dell'8 agosto
[vi lascio immaginare quale ciclista possa aver detto queste cose]
She is vehemently anti-drugs, refusing to inject even sugars or amino 
acids or to share a room with anyone who does so.
"To me, injecting anything isn't right," she says. "Our bodies aren't 
made to have massive infusions of amino acids or sugars.
"There are riders who would do that. I don't think they're the right 
ethics for sport.
"Once someone's willing to inject something into themselves, what's to 
stop them going them further down the line?"
In contrast with the men's side, she believes women's cycling is clean.
"I don't think there's anything going on that I can see on the women's 
side.
"Because there isn't the money and exposure that the men have, the 
desire or need to take drugs hasn't entered into the minds of many of 
the women cyclists."
-- 
http://modesta.biciticino.ch
Il sito dedicato alla giovane ciclista lituana Modesta Vzesniauskaite

 to have massive infusions of amino acids or sugars.
Sě, vabbč, se senti le donne nessuna si masturba e quasi nessuna fa sesso 
orale, poi invece...
(sono un po' allo sbando questi giorni eh?)
Ciao
Sculler 

 ha scritto nel messaggio 
news:ebf5ln$ngt$1...@newsreader.mailgate.org...


 (sono un po' allo sbando questi giorni eh?)
Ehi collega, hai finito l'uni poi ?
ciao
Matteo

 chi se ne fregaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
:-)
su, non si puň nemmeno scherzare?
E poi l'articolo merita comunque di essere letto.
Ed in ogni caso si parla ben di piů dei vari Basso, Simoni, Cunego, etc...
anche il ciclismo femminile merita dell'attenzione...se non t'interessa 
l'argomento, puoi pure ignorarlo.


 Se un giorno la beccano positiva sai le risate :-)
se poi la beccano che fa sesso orale mentre si masturba...
-- 
Mardot

 Ed in ogni caso si parla ben di più dei vari Basso, Simoni, Cunego, etc...
qui sul NG direi di no, purtroppo, prova a valutare la densità pro-capite di 
post sui diversi argomenti.....
-- 
Mardot 

 Ehi collega, hai finito l'uni poi ?
Sì sì, ad Aprile. Ora lavoro. Anzi, ora sono in ferie 2 settimane (hanno 
chiuso, altrimenti non ce le avrei, ovviamente). Faccio il "tecnico 
progettista"... insomma, disegno soprattutto, faccio qualche conto ogni 
tanto, e guadagno poco :-)) Ma per ora va bene.
Ciao
Sculler 

 l'argomento, puoi pure ignorarlo.
In linea di principio hai ragione al 110%, ma poi se ti metti a sparare post 
a raffica per dire che la Cooke o chi per essa è andata al cesso, diventa 
solo una tua ripicca un po' "stupidina" ;-)
Ciao
Sculler 

 Il sito dedicato alla giovane ciclista lituana Modesta Vzesniauskaite
eccola :)
Ciao    Mr Duffy

 solo una tua ripicca un po' "stupidina" ;-)
Sě, ok, ho esagerato un pochettino...ma adesso in pochissimi giorni 
molta piů gente di prima conosce il suo nome...


 Ciao    Mr Duffy
Appena trovo un po' di tempo pubblicherò sul sito delle foto che Modesta 
mi ha mandato in relazione ad un suo servizio fotografico...


 molta piů gente di prima conosce il suo nome...
E la odia a morte...
-- 
www.ultimokilometro.com
Consigli e insulti mandateli a 
in...@ultimokilometro.com
 

 E la odia a morte...
impossibile, con quel visino carino.....
-- 
Mardot

 acids or to share a room with anyone who does so.
Ma tu, onestamente, credi che siano tutte pulite (ovviamente in termini di
doping)? 
Per quel che mi riguarda se non siamo uguali alle percentuali dei
maschi... ci siamo molto vicini. Forse, anzi molto probabilmente,
girandoci meno soldi, sono invischiate in un doping un pochino meno
sofisticato. Ma ci sono dentro anche loro.  
-- 
Lollo
questo articolo e` stato inviato via web dal servizio gratuito 
http://www.newsland.it/news
 segnala gli abusi ad 
ab...@newsland.it

 sofisticato. Ma ci sono dentro anche loro.  
Dunque, mi ricordo che una volta ne avevi parlato non so se qui o magari 
su 
bicidacorsa.com
, non trovo più quel tuo intervento. Ti riferivi a 
qualcosa di cui avevi prova diretta, ti riferivi alle parole di qualcuno 
che è stato testimone di certi comportamenti...e che in base a ciò dice 
che funziona dappertutto così?
Non faccio fatica a credere che il doping esista anche nel ciclismo 
femminile (così come in tutti gli sport). Alcuni fatti recenti e passati 
confermano che esista (non so quanto ciò sia esteso...).
In ogni caso, ci sono alcuni fatti oggettivi (vedi altrove il post di 
gonebeforemytime...e poi anche ciò che dice la Nicole)...
I soldi sono pochi...le società non sono sicuramente ricche e non 
ottengono sicuramente vantaggiose sponsorizzazioni (anche sponsor 
importanti investono decisamente poco nel settore femminile). È quindi 
sia improbabile che le cicliste si dopino soprattutto per soldi così sia 
che le squadre in sé mettano a disposizione chissà quali aiuti 
farmaceutici (visto che comunque costano)...certo...purtroppo esisterà 
anche un doping dei poveri più artigianale e meno sofisticato...
La fama è poca...il ciclismo femminile su strada ottiene una copertura 
infinitesimale rispetto al settore maschile. È vero che alcune grandi 
atlete del passato hanno ricevuto un attenzione poi non così 
trascurabile (vedi Van Moorsel, Longo, Luperini, ...) ma rispetto 
all'attenzione dedicata ai colleghi maschili ce ne passa. Alcune grandi 
imprese di grandi personaggi vengono molto meno cantate dai 
massmedia...L'incentivo di diventare famosa attraverso il ciclismo è 
sicuramente inferiore...a malapena le più grandi campionesse vengono 
ricordate. Di ciclismo femminile se ne parla quasi solo su siti 
specialistici.
Il calendario è meno fitto e le gare meno impegnative...generalmente non 
si superano i 120 km, e le gare si stanno sempre più (pure troppo) 
appiattendo, vedi l'ultimo Giro d'Italia...salita quasi assente).
Per alcune c'è anche il problema del dopo carriera...nel caso volessero 
avere un bambino...non penso che tutte siano disposte a potenzialmente 
rovinarsi in questo senso...
Non mi nascondo quindi sul fatto che ci siano purtroppo anche cicliste 
non pulite...ma il contesto perlomeno permette di poter sperare che le 
cose siano un po' (spero tanto) diverse.
Se poi (come mi auguro con tutto il cuore e come sono portato a credere 
per diversi motivi) la Nicole è la numero uno al mondo ed ottiene tutti 
questi grandi risultati in maniera pulita, significa perlomeno che il 
ciclismo femminile è credibile...che è possibile arrivare al top senza 
aiuti esterni.
Ti dico poi che nel ciclismo femminile ho visto molte meno cose strane. 
Se una è forte lo noti subito...a 19 anni molte atlete mostrano già 
avranno un futuro. Non mi ricordo di tante meteore, di atlete che un 
anno vanno bene, poi spariscono (se non per qualche tipo di problema 
concreto) per poi magari riapparire più tardi. Le attuali vecchie forti, 
lo erano già ad inizio carriera, non ho visto nel ciclismo femminile 
crescite, miglioramenti miracolosi, decadimenti inspiegabili, etc...
magari il parallelo non è molto esatto, però mi ricorda il ciclismo 
(maschile) di una volta...il doping c'era...ma contaminava molto meno i 
reali valori degli atleti dando solo vantaggi marginali...e se uno era 
forte forse poteva primeggiare anche in maniera pulita visto che quel 
doping molto meno scientifico apportava un vantaggio decisamente 
inferiore rispetto a quello odierno.
Ovviamente molte mie constatazioni saranno più che opinabili...ma la 
sfera di cristallo non ce l'ho, non sapendo realmente ciò che succede.


 sfera di cristallo non ce l'ho, non sapendo realmente ciò che succede.
nemmeno io, ovviamente
ciao


 wrote in message
news:ebhiv8$hgm$1...@news.newsland.it...
  Noi adesso parliamo pur sempre di una
ragazza inglese... se nn è fama questa. Ricorda, pensa sempre agli amatori.
Yeah, I wouldn't have the balls to brag about one of our English girls here.
Amber Neben has had a great year, and is probably the best America ever in
history, but I won't praise her here. As an outsider, I am quite happy to
just praise Luperini whenever I can find an opening, since it's sometimes
acceptable to do so, plus Luperini is having a great year! Meg has more guts
then me, and I don't want to make any enemies here, especially since I can't
type the Italian language very well, so I try to only respond on occasion,
and limit my posts! :-)
B-

 and limit my posts! :-)
Bruce, that brings up a question about you.
I kind of remember you mentioned you did contribute to
rec.bicycles.racing at one time.
What happened over there that caused you to quit?
Of course, you are more than welcone over this side of the pond.
Sergio
Pisa

 wrote in message
news:1155330297....@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...

Hey, I was wondering if you picked up any barbecued ribs or olive oil
lately, if you know what I mean? :-))
But to answer your question, there never was one single poster like Megalon
in rbr. I was totally alone there in support of women's cycling. Add to
that, no one ever was serious or civil in responding to anything about
women. It was just the boorish types obsessed with doping threads. I got
tired of it after about two years. But also, deep down, I am not like that
crowd, and I never wanted to fit in and be boorish just to talk about the
women. Most of the replies were always carnal or sexist, or of course those
who don't know you are constantly questioning your motives, about if you are
truly a fan of women, and just someone who likes cute girls on the bike. I
got really tired of it, so I left. But when I saw Megalon on
it.sport.ciclismo, I knew that one Megalon was worth 100 of those boorish
types on rbr. I feel like I am the only person in America at times who
support the women, and it seems at times, I feel like Megalon is the only
one in Europe, but of course there are many, they are just not part of this
forum, but that's ok. Its only takes a few to keep the ladies in good
standing. The French forum vote on women's races so I also find that a lot
of fun! But out of all the time I spent in rbr, you and Benjo are the only
two people I found to be civil and quite honest, friendly and willing to
talk about the ladies. But Megalon I think fills in really well here for the
women with all the photos this year, Modesta, and yes even the ever present
Nicole Cooke who is not here in body, but here in spirit, thanks to Meg, but
I let Meg do all the posting about Nicole Cooke, since he does such a good
job at it. Since he types Italian, he is the best to do it. I admit, I have
been critical of Nicole at times, but I feel she needs the scrutiny at
times, if she is to become the next legend, which time will tell, but
clearly there will never be another Luperini!
I just hope to travel to Italy someday to meet Faby, hopefully before she
retires. You know, I  told you I was a (very good) climber, all things
considered, and that's exactly why she is so close to my heart. :-))
Best regards,
Bruce

 bella.
So che un tempo Fabiana Luperini era seguita da Cecchini...


 Ho appena letto BS
molto ma molto male!
-- 
Mardot

 cavalli. 
Sicuramente accorciare le gare nel ciclismo maschile non servirebbe a 
combattere il doping...(vedi le tappe brevi della Vuelta...)ma non si 
può negare che gli sforzi a cui sono sottoposti i ciclisti durante un 
grande giro di 3 settimane sono veramente enormi...ridurre, che so del 
10% gli sforzi complessivi, renderebbe il ciclismo leggermente più umano...
(quando io devo affrontare un giro di 150km magari con tanta salita 
rispetto ad un giro di 100km pianeggiante, sono sicuramente più 
preoccupato del primo giro)
rimane il fatto che accorciando e rendendo più facili le gare, chi è 
veramente dotato di fondo, chi ha doti naturali di recupero e chi è un 
ottimo scalatore verrebbe penalizzato...sarebbe un altro ciclismo...così 
come nell'atletica ci sono i 100m ed i 10'000m, due specialità ben 
diverse...il discorso è quindi abbastanza complesso.


 grande giro di 3 settimane sono veramente enormi...
È vero che sono sforzi enormi, ma 160-180 km con 3000 metri di
dislivello sono alla portata di normali cicloamatori che vanno a piadina
e salsiccia: l'anno scorso nella settimana di ferragosto con dei miei
amici abbiamo fatto 1000 km, compresi il percorso della "Campagnolo"
(col Manghen), e la Ravenna-Firenze-Ravenna di 286 km.
Un professionista non avrebbe problemi a fare 3000 km in 3 settimane,
anche se andasse pure lui a piadina e salsiccia.
Il problema nasce dal fatto che i pro fanno la prima settimana a 50 di
media... e allora l'inghippo nasce qui.
Secondo me paradossalmente accorciare le tappe porterebbe a un *aumento*
dell'importanza del doping, che diventa fondamentale per la prestazione
pura piuttosto che per il fondo.
Fossero costretti a fare tappe di 350 km, doping o non doping dovrebbero
sapersi amministrare molto meglio. E forse dovrebbero stare attenti
anche al doping, per non trovarsi "bruciati" a metà strada...
-- 
Massimo Bacilieri AKA Crononauta 
ICQ:4005815

 molto ma molto male!
Lo so, ma ne sono cosciente (si scrive con la i?) e fino a che lo saro'
credo di non correre rischi.


 e salsiccia
mi sento tirato in ballo, chissà perchè!
-- 
Mardot

 So che un tempo Fabiana Luperini era seguita da Cecchini...
I am sure you know Luperini completed her golden years of 95 to 98, well
before her I think her associations with Cecchini or Ferrari. I am aware of
Cecchini, but I don't know how much, or if any associations with Ferrari.
But certainly all of the golden years were clean, very clean. There was no
doping in women's cycling back then, or certainly very little. All those
victories are the (real deal). But I have talked to a number of people who
run the big Italian cycling sites in Italy, and they told me that Luperini
doesn't use drugs, and the way I understand it from those who really have a
feel for doping in Italy, is that Luperini was not a doper, and she has said
repeatedly that she has never used drugs. The positive test for Nandrolone
didn't come until well after her golden years at Tour of Venezia on October
2, 1999.
Nandrolone can be ingested from eating meat, since animals are pumped up
with steriods. Luperini's Dad is a a butcher, and they have a custom meat
locker. They probably barbecue steaks all the time, and from what I know the
levels were low, remember only traces were found, which can also be
naturally occuring in the body, as probably was the case with Neben. Also
remember the composition did not match with her normal urine, and the
metabolites of nandrolone did not show up in her sample. Luperini asked for
the erasing of her disqualification and a full acquittal. There were no
metabolites of nandrolone in her urine test, so she could not have gained
any benifit from it.
 Luperini was allowed to return earlier then expected to cycling after it
was found that her sample may have been contaminated. Luperini was
eventually given a shortened sentence by the Italian Federation after they
found no evidence of nandrolone derivatives in her urine samples. Food
supplements can contain nandrolone, so the case against Luperini is very
weak, all things considered. Since this time, research has proven that
Nanrolone can be a naturally occuring substance which with all the above,
really throws a monkey wrench into this whole very questionable charge
against the great champion. This was a one time affair, and she has never
had another positive since and remains clean to this very day.
B-
----------------------------------------------
2003
Brunen to retire after Dutch championships
32 year old Dutch rider Yvonne Brunen (Powerplate-Bik) has announced her
retirement from cycling, following the Dutch Road Championships in Rotterdam
this weekend, no matter if she wins or not. Her contract with the team has
finished, and she wishes to put more into her job at the cycling school in
Deventer.
Brunen started cycling in 1994 after a career as a speed skater, and
immediately showed her talent by winning the Dutch championships that year,
which she repeated in 1995 and 1996. In 1997 she won the Dutch mountainbike
championships. She also won three stages in the women's Tour de France and
raced in the Olympic Games in 1996. In 1997 she tested positive for
nandrolone and noretiocholanolone during the women's Giro, however the Dutch
federation determined that these steroids were naturally produced by her
body.
---------------------------------------------
2003
Six months suspension for Neben
US cyclist Amber Neben has received a six month suspension from an
arbitration panel of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for testing positive
to 19-norandrosterone (nandrolone) at the Montreal World Cup race on May 31,
2003. The panel, composed of members of the American Arbitration Association
(AAA) and North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), dated the
suspension from July 13, 2003, the date Neben accepted her provisional
suspension for her violation. She will be disqualified from her 12th place
finish in Montreal.
In addition, the panel ruled that Neben would also have an 18 month
probationary period in which she is subject to monthly doping control tests,
at her own expense, and is required to educate cyclists about the dangers of
dietary supplements.
Court of Arbitration of Sport criticizes USA Cycling
The North American Court of Arbitration in Sport has issued its full
decision in the case of T-Mobile rider Amber Neben, who was suspended for
six months after testing positive for anabolic steroid metabolite
19-norandrosterone. Neben's suspension was reduced from the possible two
years because the Court's hearing panel found she had not doped deliberately
but was likely the victim of a contaminated supplement. The decision is
severely critical of USA Cycling's attitude to supplement use by athletes.
Referring to testimony from several USA Cycling officials, the Court's
decision reads, "the Panel is disturbed by the testimony from the USA
Cycling witnesses and officials. It is obvious that the organization has
acted in complete disregard of its athletes, in particular those below the
elite level. There appears to be little or no attempt at communicating the
dangers of contaminated supplements to the thousands of USA Cycling
athletes."
Testimony heard by the panel came from USA Cycling officials including CEO
Gerard Bisceglia, who said he "was not aware of the risks or dangers
involved in taking supplements" and "was not aware that any USA Cycling
officials had been handing out supplements."
Neben controlled positive in a test conducted on May 31 this year at the
Montreal World Cup. In her defence, Neben said she had also been tested nine
days before her positive control and three and four days after. All three of
those tests were negative. Neben claimed her positive test was probably a
result of a contaminated supplement, but was unable to provide samples any
supplements that showed contamination. In particular, supplements supplied
to USA Cycling riders by sponsor Hammer Nutrition all tested negative.
The panel hearing the case concluded that Neben had not been guilty of
intentional doping, but that some sanction had to be applied under the
'strict liability' rules which cover doping offences. As well as a six-month
suspension starting July 13, 2003 Neben's sanction includes a requirement to
perform educational work with USA Cycling, to teach other athletes about the
dangers of contaminated supplements.
Interview CN...
Can you describe to me how and when you got the news that you had gotten a
positive test for nandrolone and what your initial response was?
Amber: I was in complete shock and disbelief.  I thought my director was
playing a joke on me.  When I realized he wasn't, I started crying
uncontrollably.
The amount of nandrolone metabolites at a level of 6.9ng/ml. or 1.9 parts
per billion over the legal limit. Let me figure this out: I'm no biochemist
but that doesn't really sound like very much. I would think that if one was
doping it would be much higher. I can't believe a level this low would give
any athlete an edge.
Amber: Yes it would be much higher.I have been told it would be in the
thousands or even much higher than that. It would also be in your body for
longer than a couple of days. No.no edge at all.
[Editor's note: Amber was tested previous to and after and had no further
positive tests.]
I've been following reports on nandrolone positives on a number of athletes
in the last three years. In doing my research I have run across scientific
testing that trace amounts of hormones in pork and nutritional supplements
have led to positive tests similar to yours. Do you think this is what may
have happened to you? I assume you take nutritional supplements, vitamins,
minerals, energy drinks etc.?
Amber: The arbitrators agreed that my positive was most likely due to a
contaminated supplement. Yes, I do drink an electrolyte/sugar mix on the
bike and take vitamins and minerals, however I do not use any other
nutritional supplements.
I imagine you and other athletes would be a bit afraid to eat pork, or take
the normal vitamins that any elite athlete or average person would take. I
mean, doesn't this set up a quandry for anyone with the chance to be tested
at your level?
Amber: Exactly. In college I had very low bone density so I have been taking
calcium ever since. There are also women's specific issues such as
menstruation, along with my long term general health that I am concerned
about. I want to be healthy. At the same time, every time I take my calcium
or multivitamin I am risking my career. It doesn't seem like a fair choice
to have to make.
I might add here, for any person not an athlete, I would prefer not to have
something "added" into my food or vites that I didn't see on the label. It
seems this would be a bigger issue in itself for the general population, not
just for athletes. I give my kids vitamins, electrolyte drinks on hot days
and protein smoothies they love. It's a bit of a problem for me as a parent.
I know that some people, no matter the evidence, will believe the worst.
Personal integrity may be all you have at this point. I can hardly imagine
how tough this can be; can you tell us how you are dealing with it? Having
met you and knowing you; for me it's pretty unbelievable.
Amber: It is very difficult. The thought that my integrity will be forever
scarred is hard to deal with. I try not to read stuff or listen to stuff. It
hurts. I know there will always be someone who questions me. In my heart,
though, I know the truth. I sleep and compete with a clear conscience. The
people who I love and trust also know the truth, and these things will
remain a constant.
On a personal level, because of your suspension, you became ineligible to
participate on the team for the World Championships. How did this affect
you? Have you noticed any difference in the way some people treat you now?
Amber: It was hard. I knew the circumstances of my case were unique. There
had never been anyone with the testing history combined with a level as low
as mine was, so I had some (very small) hope that I was going to be eligible
to race. It didn't happen, though. To be honest, I can't say that I felt any
worse because I was already buried in the valley. Do people treat me
differently? Most of the people I have been around are those who know me, so
the answer is no.
You told me earlier this year, "I understand there will always be doubters
and I will never be able to prove myself to everyone, but I do know that the
people who are close to me, and hopefully those I have only met briefly,
will recognize that my character is true and my integrity is genuine." How
has the support been in the last few months in the cycling community?
Amber: The support in my local community has been outstanding. I have also
received a number of supportive emails from various people in the community.
All of which is very much appreciated.
Amber, I for one believe in you, and if I might note here in my research on
the subject, I have found far too many of these positives with miniscule
amounts in every sport. The outcry of athletes in complete disbelief that
this is happening to them makes me believe that sometime in the future the
cause might be explained beyond what we currently know.
Amber: I hope so. I wouldn't wish this experience on my worst enemy. The
dangers are real. Contamination is a problem. Hopefully the problem gets
solved quickly, but I don't think there is a quick and easy solution.
Sharon and I would like to thank you very much and hope you have a great
race season. The T-Mobile women post diary entries on the USA
Cycling/T-Mobile site. Read Amber's latest, from April 4th, here.
-------------------------------------------
From CN 2001...
Contaminated food supplements and Nandrolone
Although the UCI limits for the steroid Nandrolone are more lenient (5
ng/mL) than the oft criticised IOC limits (2 ng/ml for men and 5 ng/ml for
women), there is still considerable debate about the substance after
positive tests continue to surface.
Contaminated food supplements seem to be high on the agenda of cyclists'
(and other athletes') excuses as to why their Nandrolone levels higher than
the norm. Given the inconsistent nature of contaminators, it is often
extremely hard to prove one way or the other how the Nandrolone got into the
athlete. Given the nature of court cases, it can be quite costly for sports
federations to pursue an athlete who has returned a positive result for
Nandrolone.
With supplements, it is possible that only one batch could be contaminated.
If the athlete can prove this then they may have their sanction reduced,
depending on the sporting body. The IOC (along with the many other sports
federations) has adopted a code of "strict liability" whereby the athlete is
responsible for what they take, even if inadvertently.
Given the plethora of supplements available and the lack of regulation
(especially in the U.S.) of the supplement industry, taking anything that is
not manufactured by a well-known, reputable company is potentially risky. In
fact, several independent drug testing laboratories in Germany and the US
have started to analyse a wide range of supplements, discovering that a
number have been contaminated with banned substances.
In cases of contamination, an athlete's main hope is that they can prove
that what they used was indeed contaminated. Of course they need to have
evidence of the contaminated batch, but this is often likely to have been
consumed, therefore it would be hard to obtain damages from the supplement
company.
CN News for June 25, 2001
Supplements cause nandrolone positives
A German scientist says there is evidence of a link between nandrolone, a
banned anabolic steroid, and dietary supplements used by sportspeople,
according to Reuters and AP reports in the International Herald Tribune.
There has been a rash of positive tests for nandrolone in the last few
years, and in many cases the athletes involved have vigorously protested
their innocence, claiming the nandrolone derived from food supplements.
Wilhelm Schaenzer, of the Institute of Biochemistry at Cologne's Sports
University tested volunteers taking supposedly 'clean' supplements and found
they showed up positive for the drug.
"We are basically warning athletes that these substances could lead to a
positive test," said Schaenzer on Friday.
This discovery doesn't let off the hook athletes who have tested positive,
however. The rules of most sports federations put the onus on athletes to be
careful about what they put in their bodies and the presence of a banned
substance in the urine is grounds for suspension, however it got there.
CN 2002...
Supplements - not worth the risk?
Athletes have once again been warned about the use of nutritional
supplements after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) found that 15%
of the 634 supplements it tested contained banned substances, including
nandrolone.
Listed on a country-by-country basis, the Netherlands saw the highest levels
of positive products with just over one in four of the tested substances
containing a banned substance. The UK has the third highest rate, with 18.9%
providing a positive result.
The IOC's findings do much to back up UK Sport's stance on nutritional
supplements. As the UK's anti-doping body, UK Sport provides advice to
athletes and their support staff on all drugs-related issues as part of an
ongoing commitment to drug-free sport and ethical sporting practices.
UK Sport's Director of Anti-Doping, Michele Verroken, commented: "We
strongly advise our athletes not to take these supplements as their contents
can not always be guaranteed. In these tests the IOC found substances that
would lead to a failed drugs test, despite them not being listed on the
product label. Under the 'strict liability' rule that exists, athletes are
responsible for whatever substance is found in their bodies so poor
labelling cannot be used as an excuse as it may not be accepted."
The nandrolone review, set up by UK Sport in 1999 to examine the increased
incidence of nandrolone findings, also warned of the risks to athletes of
using nutritional supplements. Determining the source of a finding might
provide an explanation, but presently does not provide an excuse for a
failed test.
A recent announcement by the Home Office regarding the tightening of
controls on the 19 nor steroids (the metabolites that have been appearing in
recent nandrolone cases) to bring them under the Misuse of Drugs Act will
improve the situation. Currently, some supplements that have been promoted
as containing what will become - under the extension of existing
legislation - a controlled substance can no longer be marketed without a
license. This extension should be finalised in May.
CN 2003
UK warns athletes against supplement use
UK Sport have issued a strong warning to athletes about the risks of using
supplements. Athletes who take dietary supplements run the risk of failing a
drugs test, according to the latest 'Nandrolone Progress Report' presented
to UK Sport. The report examines research conducted over the last two years
which has confirmed earlier findings of banned substances not listed on the
labels of some supplements.
A study in Cologne last year found that 94 out of 634 non-hormonal dietary
supplements were found to contain prohibited anabolic/androgenic steroids
not listed on the label. In addition, the Austrian Federal Ministry for
Social Security and Public Welfare carried out similar tests on 54
supplements, finding that 22% contained banned substances. In all cases,
athletes taking the contaminated supplements would give a positive sample if
tested for drugs under International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules.
UK Sport's report states that: "Competitors are again strongly advised that
using dietary supplements carries the potential risk of unknowingly
ingesting a banned substance. We therefore recommend UK Sport to encourage
more manufacturers and suppliers of sports supplements to strive to
eliminate problem substances, and to label their products clearly to enable
sport participants to avoid substances banned by the IOC."
In the UK (and the USA and several other countries), athletes are considered
"at their own risk" when taking supplements. That means sanctions will be
imposed even though the athlete could have ingested the banned substance
inadvertently. The recent case of US cyclist Scott Moninger is one example
of this.
UK Sport CEO Richard Callicott commented that "With the potential risks of
contamination or poor labelling associated with supplements highlighted in
this report, UK Sport feels it is right to advise athletes to be extremely
cautious about the use of any supplements. Athletes taking supplements are
doing so at their own risk and personal responsibility."
On a more positive not, Callicott said that "I am delighted to see that this
message seems to be getting through, as the number of nandrolone findings in
relation to total drug tests has fallen significantly since the peak in
1999."
"To improve the situation even further, we are keen to work with the
supplement manufacturers to ensure that appropriate standards of labelling
are met and the problems of cross-contamination overcome."
The report examined other issues that have arisen regarding nandrolone.
These include the recent changes to the IOC/WADA banned substance list which
specified for the first time the level of nandrolone in a sample that would
lead to a penalty for a doping violation.