Dope tests,drugs & athletes

Based on dope testing in sports and the major drugs used by athletes for enhancing their performance.

1. DOPE TESTS,DRUGS & ATHLETES SREELEKSHMI A S I MSc Zoology

2. DOPING It is the use of chemical substances or methods inorder to alter the performance. The World Anti Doping Code defines doping as the: Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers. Attempt to use the banned substance or method.

3. WADA Prohibited lists Substances &methods prohibited in &out of competitions. Anabolic steroids Beta-2-agonists Hormone antagonists & modulators Diuretics & other masking agents Gene doping Chemical & physical manipulation Enhancement of oxygen transfer

4. Prohibited substances in-competition only Stimulants Narcotics Cannabinoids Prohibited substances in particular sports Alcohol (archery,karate,e.t.c) Beta blockers (shooting,archery,golf,e.t.c)

5. Dope testing It is to be performed on routine basis for all the sportspersons. There is also provision for random drug testing of sportsperson by their governing body for in-competition & out-of-competition testing. The samples for testing includes blood and urine.

6. Dope Testing Doping test-2 types:in -competition tests & out-of-competition tests. In-competition tests Doping tests performed in connection with a competition event. Refers to a period starting 12hrs prior to competition and ending at the end of the competition.

7. Out-of-competition tests Doping tests carried out outside of competitions Sample are tested for non-approved substances,anabolic agents,beta-2-agonists,hormone and metabolism modulators,diuretics and other masking agents.

8. Doping tests-Urine tests The urine sample is divided into 2 portions and are preserved within sealed containers with a unique number and designated as A and B respectively. An athlete whose A sample has tested + ve of a prohibited substance is requested an analysis of his/her B sample. The B sample helps confirm that an Anti Doping Rule violation has occurred and protects the rights of athletes

9. Blood tests Detects illegal performance enhancement drugs through the measurement of indicators that change with the use of recombinant human erythropoietin(Hematocrit,reticulocytes,iron levels). Blood tests are carried out to detect growth hormones,use of artificial substances and the methods related to the ma nipulation of blood.

10. Gas-Chromatography Combustion-IRMS Used to detect any variation in the isotopic composition of an organic compound from the standard. Used to detect whether or not synthetic testosterone was consumed,leading to an abnormal testosterone/epitestosterone(T/E) levels. 98.9% of the C atoms are C12,1.1% being C13.Lower the C13/C12 ratio, the more likely that synthetic testosterone was used

11. Drugs & Athletes

12. Caffeine Caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant drug that is metabolized by the liver . Caffeine is absorbed through the small intestine and stomach within 30 to 45 minutes after ingestion, and can stay  elevated  in the system for up to three to six hours after consumption. As it’s metabolized, caffeine breaks down into three compounds that have an influence on vasodilation , triggering fat oxidation and decreasing airway constriction in the lungs

13. It works by stimulating the central nervous system, heart, muscles and the centers that control blood pressure.  Caffeine , with its stimulation of the nervous system and respiration, combined with a boost of energy, can influence sports performance in several ways . Allowable limit   of caffeine- 12 μ g/ml of urine . Urinary concentrations after competition that exceed 15 μg /ml found to be illegal. 

14. Anabolic Steroids Anabolic steroids are synthetic, or human-made, variations of the male sex hormone testosterone .  Some common names for anabolic steroids are Gear, Juice, Roids, and Stackers .  Steroids can also treat diseases that cause muscle loss, such as cancer and AIDS. But some athletes and bodybuilders misuse these drugs in an attempt to boost performance or improve their physical appearance.

15. People who misuse anabolic steroids usually take them orally, inject them into muscles, or apply them to the skin as a gel or cream. These doses may be 10 to 100 times higher than doses prescribed to treat medical conditions . Misuse of anabolic steroids leads to paranoid jealousy,delusions,impaired judgement,e.t.c Anabolic steroid misuse might lead to shrinking testicles, decreased sperm count, baldness in man and in woman it leads to growth of facial hair or excess body hair, decreased breast size,male-pattern baldness,e.t.c.

16. Amphetamines Amphetamines belong to a class of drugs called sympathomimetic amines or stimulants that cause the release of excitatory neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, to stimulate the central nervous system (CNS ). Amphetamines are most often taken orally with blood levels peaking in one to two hours and effects appearing in 30 minutes and lasting in excess of three hours.

17.   Amphetamines are not readily broken down by the body and are eliminated unchanged in the urine. Consequently, the stimulative effects of amphetamines last considerably longer.  The main psychic effects of the amphetamines include wakefulness, alertness, a decreased sense of fatigue, mood elevation, increased self confidence, and a decreased appetite . Amphetamines are essentially included in all sport-related drug-testing protocols and are readily detected in the urine.

18. Narcotics & Analgesics Narcotics include morphine, buprenorphine, fentanyl,pethidine. These drugs are used in-competition to increase their pain thresholds. The adverse effects include addiction,loss of coordination,mood changes, inability to concentrate,e.t.c.