News

IOC study highlights supplements risk

Russell Langley - 09/04/2002

Testing times: the study highlights the risks.
Photo/Allsport

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.

The full results of the IOC research are as follows:

(Key: Country/No. of products tested/No. of 'positive’ results/Percentage 'positives’)

1. Netherlands 31 / 8 / 25.8% 2. Austria 22 / 5 / 22.7% 3. UK 37 / 7 / 18.9% 4. USA 240 / 45 / 18.8% 5. Italy 35 / 5 / 14.3% 6. Spain 29 / 4 / 13.8% 7. Germany 129 / 15 / 11.6% 8. Belgium 30 / 2 / 6.7% 9. France 30 / 2 / 6.7% 10. Norway 30 / 1 / 3.3% 11. Switzerland 13 / 0 / 0% 12. Sweden 6 / 0 / 0% 13. Hungary 2 / 0 / 0% Total: 634 / 94 / 14.8%