The lack of sensitivity exhibited by the companies and organizations that administer doping and steroid testing is upsetting a lot of people. I understand certain protocol must be followed but the invasive nature of such procedures will inevitably have a negative backlash. The latest instance of drug testers invading events of personal significance comes from […]
anti-doping
“Stupidity and Mistakes of the Anti-Doping Crusade”
Velo Vortmax blasts WADA for its resistance to change in the face of additional new evidence that the testosterone:epitestosterone ratio test is flawed (“Genetic variations in enzyme UGT2B17: Implications,” April 3). WADA refuses to worry about trivial genetic factors. WADA is loath to do longitudinal tests of athletes. WADA might find a variable that might […]
Serious Crime of Steroid Use in Sports
The 1984 Olympic cycling gold medalist Alexi Grewal wrote an essay that has created quite a stir in the world of professional cycling. Grewal essentially implies that practically all the elite U.S. cyclists in the 1980s “stepped over the line” and doped in some fashion; this would implicate American cycling greats like Greg Lemond, Andy […]
Common Doping Test for Athletes is Unfair (and Racist)
The testosterone:epitestosterone ratio (T:E ratio) test is a commonly used test designed to catch athletes who artificially manipulate their testosterone levels (usually with exogenous testosterone). The T:E ratio is routinely used in doping protocols around the world at all levels of sport. Unfortunately, the T:E ratio is not very effective. This has been common knowledge […]
Testosterone:Epitestosterone Ratio Test – False Negatives and False Positives
The scientific and anti-doping community continue to struggle with the development a test for exogenous growth hormone in athletes. They haven’t even been able to produce scientific evidence that growth hormone enhances athletic performance in spite of anecdotal evidence [from athletes and strength coaches] that this is the case. But science continues to do a […]
Lawsuit Accuses United States Anti-Doping Association of Cheating
Lawyers Maurice Suh and Howard Jacobs have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Anti-Doping Association (USADA) on behalf of an anonymous professional cyclist that has been identified as Rock Racing’s Kayle Leogrande. The organization in charge of catching “cheaters” in sports has been accused of “cheating.” The lawsuit alleges that USADA cheated violated anti-doping rules […]
Russian Anti-Doping Agency Turns to USADA
Russia has funded the new Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RusADA) with new equipment and $5 million. RusADA is an independent agency created to test athletes for anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. Representatives from RusADA are visiting the United States to learn more about the U.S. doping control program – United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) – […]
Athletes Using Steroids and Amphetamines for Legitimate Medical Conditions
I’ve written a lot about the loophole of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) that allows athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids, growth hormone, amphetamines, etc. for a competitive advantage. I used the 2006 Tour de France as a prime example, where 60% of drug-tested riders had a TUE for some banned substance. The […]
Abscess from Anabolic Steroid Injections or B12?
ESPN reports that trainer Brian McNamee claims Roger Clemens developed an abscess in his buttock resulting from injections of anabolic steroids in 1998. No medical records have surfaced to corroborate this claim. Of course, if Roger Clemens claims that he regularly received intramuscular injections of B-12, then this could have been equally responsible for the […]
Nandrolone Positive Steroid Tests – What Do They Mean?
Drug testing using IOC standards is far from perfect. For more than two decades I have criticized the short sightedness of the IOC drug testing standard bearers. And much of what I said in that period of time has turned out to be right. Among many others, I criticized, right from the start, the flawed […]